From the editors

This issue is a special number, not because it is the latest of the Bulletin – for we try to make every issue a special one – but in June it was 50 years ago that the first one appeared. This, called ‘Bulletin Flora Malesiana’, was distributed with 150 copies only, of which 112 were sent to cooperating institutes, libraries, botanists, and interested persons. We now (1997) have an impression of 650, a stock which occasionally was very soon depleted. Until 1974 the Flora Malesiana Bulletin was under the editorship of the inexhaustible Professor Van Steenis, for a brief period assisted by Dr. H.C.D. de Wit (1950-1951). Then Dr. M. Jacobs took over, and he put a very special imprint on the Bulletin because of his great biographic and nature conservation interests. After his sudden death (1982), Dr. C. Kalkman for one year added the editorship to his burdens, and in 1984 passed the flag on to me. In 1992 it was decided to make the editorship more international and Dr. Mien Rifai of Bogor became co-editor.