FURTHER COLLECTING
A great deal more collecting of herbarium material is required before we can come to a better understanding of the Turkish flora. This is chiefly required for the following purposes: (1) to obtain a more accurate picture of the general distribution of species already recorded from Turkey; (2) to find in Turkey species so far known only from surrounding areas; (3) to discover taxa still unknown to science; (4) to come to a better understanding of species still known only from limited material.
Analysis of the records for species included in Volume 1 of the Flora shows that the following vilayets have been so under-collected that we know very little about their flora: Bingöl, Corum, Edirne, Manisa, Kirklareli, Siirt, Sinop, Usak, Ordu and southern Erzurum. From the point of view of filling in gaps in our knowledge of plant distribution, it is obvious that these areas should be given priority by collectors in the near future.
Many species could no doubt be added to the Turkish flora by further collecting in the vilayets bordering all her frontiers. In the east, spring collecting in the Aras valley (where many species known from Erevan will almost certainly be discovered), southern Hakkari, and the frontier regions east and south of Lake Van may well prove particularly rewarding.
Exploration of the West Anatolian promontories should add more Aegean species not yet recorded from the Turkish mainland, and exploration of European Turkey many Balkan ones.
New species (probably endemic) may turn up almost anywhere, particularly if an experienced collector is in the locality at the appropriate time. South-West Anatolia, despite rather intensive collecting, still yields distinctive new species. Inner Anatolia, however, probably remains the main source of new taxa. In particular, Kurdistan (still imperfectly known) seems likely to be the most fruitful hunting ground. The mountains in the Upper Euphrates area, particularly Munzur Daglari, may yield still more endemics, despite the attention the area has already received.
The choice of season is, of course, extremely important. A collection made on a mountain in May would include bulbous plants and annuals which would be unidentifiable in the field two or three months later. The autumn flora of Outer Anatolia, though no doubt extremely limited, remains very little known, and would be worth attention by resident botanists.