72
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FORMATION
think we may fairly assume that our county contains in round num-
bers 1,200 species of Phanerogamia.
Botanists have been described as being either "lumpers" or
"splitters ;" the first class comprising those students who overlook
the more minute differences in plants, "lumping" as one species all
forms which none but the specialist can distinguish. The term
"splitter" is applied to those who would distinguish as separate
species plants which differ from one another in minute characters, so
long as these characters are well-defined and constant.
There is much to be said in favour of both systems; each un-
doubtedly does good service in the science. It is unnecessary to dis-
cuss their merits here, for, whichever view we adopt, it is quite cer-
tain that our county herbarium should contain not only one speci-
men of each species, but also specimens representing every existing
variation of the species. Now that the view of the evolution of
species from pre-existing forms has been so widely adopted by natur-
alists as a working hypothesis, it is evident that if each county pos-
sessed a herbarium representing every variation of plant life within
its borders, a careful comparison of these collections would afford
valuable information. Our first efforts should be directed to secure
for our herbarium at least one specimen representing each species or
variety included in the new edition of the "Flora of Essex," which
it is hoped will be issued at an early date, as an Essex Field Club
"Special Memoir;" the "Flora" and the Herbarium would be
incomplete the one without the other. A collection of 2,000 plants
covering the entire ground of the "Flora" would be of far greater
value than a much larger, but less complete collection. Neverthe-
less such a collection must on no account be regarded as our final
goal, but merely as the framework upon which to build until every
variation in the plant life of our county is represented.1
To collect, dry, mount, and label such a collection of plants
within a reasonable time would require the combined efforts of all
interested in plant-life in the county, and I hope that this paper
may serve as a preliminary step towards such a combination.
The work necessary for forming a herbarium may be grouped
under the following heads : Collecting, Drying, Mounting, Labelling
and Arranging.
1 The immature form of each plant should be shown, and specimens should he secured from
widely separated localities in the county, e.g., it would be well to have specimens of any species
from the sea-coast, from Saffron Walden district, from Epping Forest, and from the marshes of
Leigh, Maldon, or Barking, &c.—Ed.