Arizona republican., 1904-05-20
VALUABLE PLANT COLLECTION
Made by Prof. McClatchie and Sold to
 Stanford University.


 Professor A. J. McClatcf1ie has dis posed of his herbarium to Stanford university and yesterday 1t was boxed and shipped away. President Jordan and Professor n ldl-v lave for some time been anxious to secure an option OH it. When Professor McClatchie was professor of botany at Throop insti- tute, Pasadena, and was writing on technical phases of botany the collec- tion was indispensable to him but now that his work is Of more practical and general nature the herbarium can be spared. though it is almost like parting from a member of the family. But 1t came to occupy an undue
 amount of space in his home and he disposed of 1t where it would not only
 be honor to himself in later years, but
 would be of great value to other sci
 entists and the students that may
 come after them.
 The collection ccntoiuS over 5000 plant specimens, some preserved in solution of fCrmalin, some dried and preserved in specimen boxes, aud some pressed and mounted on sheets. It is by lcng odds the most extensive col lection of preserved plants in the southwest and is different from most such collections in that it contains specimens of all groups of plants from the lowest to the highest, including al- gae, fungi lichens, mosses, ferns and seed plants. IL contains the best col lecticn of fungi west of the rockies and une Of the best collections of fresh
 water and marine slgae on the Pacific coast. Professor McClatehie has been ! twenty years in gathering these speci-
 mems and has explored nearly all the southwest anu many other parts of the United States in prosecuting tile work
 His last extensive trip by wagon was to the Grand Canyon. Mrs. McClatchie has accompanied him on most of his southwestern trips and has done much of the work of preparing and labeling the specimens, her special interest be- Ing fin fresh water and marine algae. MT. McClatchie has been most interest ed in fungi, having made a special study of toadstools and parasitic fungi md their relation to the human fam fly. His collection contained many specimens. obtained by exchange with other collectors both in tile United States and Europe.
 In speaking of the relation of fungi 70 the human family Prof. McClatchis .avs 1t is remarkable how many good things there are to eat if people only knew it. On his grand canyon trip he tound many things in northern Arizona that are both nourishing and palatable. that people never think of eating Many things he was in doubt about himself, hut guided by his knowledge of botany he could tell pretty well what was saf,. tn experiment with and then he would proceed cautiously, eating a little at first, then a little more, and when he found the effect was satisfactory the " tnla flmi!y would join him in the en- joyment of his original delicacies
 In his pursuance of tnc study of plant life Prof. McClatchie has written many articles for scientific journals, and three small books entitled, "A Guide in the Study of Plants Flora of Pasa- dena and Vicinity" and "Seedless
 (spcre produoing) Plants of South ern California. He is also the author of many government publica-