Ilustraciones de la obra “Plantas medicinales de Yucatan,” y manual o extensively for weaving mats, especially those used as mattresses. 132 KB – 350 Pages PAGE – 5 ============ FLORAOFYUCATANPAULC.STANDLEYSoonaftertheorganizationofFieldMuseumofNaturalHistory,in1893,theCuratoroftheDepartmentofBotany,thelateDr.CharlesF.Millspaugh,becameinterestedinthebotanicalexplorationoftheYucatanPeninsula.ItwouldhavebeendifficulttochooseapartoftropicalAmericalessknownbotanicallyor,probably,onewhichwouldprovemoreinteresting.PracticallynothingwasknownatthattimeoftheplantsinhabitingthelimestoneplainsandlowhillsofYucatan.Todaywearefarfrompossessingacompleteknowl-edgeoftheYucatanflora,butwhatinformationwedohaveaveryrespectableamount,astheensuingpageswillproveistheresultalmostwhollyoftheworkoftwomen,Dr.MillspaughandDr.GeorgeF.Gaumer,performedwiththesupportofFieldMuseum.Dr.MillspaughmadetwovisitstoYucataninordertocollectplants.Dr.Gaumer,whodiedasrecentlyasSeptember2,1929,forty-fiveyearsinthestate,andthroughoutthistimehemaintainedaninterestinnaturalhistory.Alistofhisearliestplantcollections,fromCozumelIsland,wasinsertedinthefourthandsupplementalvolumeofHemsley’sBotanyofSalvinandGodman’smonumentalBiologiaCentrali-Americana.Foryearshecollectedintermittently,butwhen,throughDr.Millspaugh’sigency,hisworkwasfinancedbyFieldMuseum,hedevotedanincreasedamountofhistimetobotanicalexplorationofYucatanandQuintanaRoo.Asaresult,ahugequantityofspecimenswasassembled.SomeoftheseweregatheredpersonallybyDr.Gaumer,andothersunderhissupervisionbyhissonsorbynativecollectors.Dr.Gaumer’sbotanicalactivitiescontinuedformorethanthirtyyears,untilhisworkwasmadedifficultbyphysicalinfirmitiesresultingfromadvancingyears,aboutthetimeofDr.Millspaugh’sdeath.HecollectedwithsomedegreeofcompletenessovermuchofYucatanandtheadjacentportionsofQuintanaRoo.Ofthefloraofthesouthernpartofthelatterterritory,unfortunately,westillknowabsolutelynothing,exceptbyinference.Dr.Gaumerdidmorethanmerelyassembleacollectionofdriedherbariumspecimens.Himselfapractisingphysician,hewaskeenlyinterestedinmedicinalpropertiesattributedtotheplantsbythenativepeople.Hegatheredassiduouslyallavailabledatauponthe157…