Comparison between Illustrated Florae by Murakoshi and Makino : Reevaluation of Murakoshi's Illustrated Florae

Abstract

It was made clear by Hiromi Tawara that there were many illustrated florae by Michio Murakoshi in addition to those by Tomitaro Makino. Tawara pointed out that "An Illustrated Flora of Nippon" by Makino was actually nothing more than a revised edition of "An Illustrated Flora" by Murakoshi. The author of the present study compared these two books, and found that about half of the illustrations in the former were the same as those in the latter. Makino should therefore not be regarded as the author of "An Illustrated Flora of Nippon." Some of the illustrations that Makino added to "The Illustrated Flora of Nippon" were reused in "Makino's Illustrated Flora of Nippon." Murakoshi edited illustrated florae at least three times. His contribution to science education in the Taisho and early Showa periods should now be properly evaluated in light of the importance of natural science since the Meiji period.