WrayL

Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

Wray (Jr), Leonard

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

Born: 1853, of the Laurels, Grayshott, ? England. Died: 1942.

career:

In 1881 appointed Superintendent of the Larut Hill Garden at Taiping (Perak), from 1883-1908 Curator of the Perak State Museum, and from 1905-08 Director of Museums, Federated Malay States.

Several plants were named after him.

Collecting localities:¹

MalayPeninsula, Perak, between 1881-1909: Plus River (1883), Piah River (1885), Kenering River (Aug. 1885); exploration in the mountains east of Tapah in the Eastern Districts of Kinta and Batang Padang:² leaving Taiping (June 6, 1888), and proceeding to Telok Anson (mouth of the Perak River) by boat; by road to Tapa(h) (staying till the 25th); Kuala Woh (= Wok); SW. spur Batu Puteh (June 27-July 7); along the track to the north of the summit of Batu Puteh (8), downhill (15); Kuala Woh and Tapa(h) (19); during stay visiting tin-mine at Chendariang (= Chanderiang) (22); by road (Aug. 30) to Kuala Woh (staying Sept. 3-6); camp on Batu Puteh, summit (10); back (11) to Tapa(h); valley of the Sg. Klian Mas; Tapa(h) (Sept. 16-Oct. 4); Kuala Woh (5); up the valley of the Batang Padang, Rantau Tipus (7); Kuala of the Sengum (8); G. Chunam Prah (9); G. Ulu Batang Padang (11), summit (12-13); G. Ulu Sekum (15); G. Brumbun (= Beremban), camp at G. Ulu Batang Padang (17-18); Telum Valley; pass between the sources of the Telum and Kampar (22); down the Kampar River to Gopeng (23); Kota Bahru; Kuala Dipang; Tapa(h) (Oct. 26-Nov. 15); by boat to Telok Anson (16); back at Larut (18); Upper Perak (May 1889); G. Bubu (March 1890); G. Inas in N. Perak (1892); Upper Perak, Kenering River (Apr. 1905); Expedition to G. Tahan (Pahang),³ with H.C. Robinson (May-June 1905): leaving Taiping (May 11); Semangko Pass-Raub (12); Kuala Lipis (13-16); Kuala Tembeling (17), ascending the Tembeling River (18); Kuala Tahan (19); up the Tahan River, Kuala Tenok (20), Kuala Petai (21); Kuala Teku (24); Skeat’s Camp, Observation Hill (June 2); Wray ill with dysentery and carried down to Kuala Teku (25); Kuala Tenok; Kuala Tembeling (29); up the Jelai River (30); Kuala Lipis (July 1); back at Taiping; Plus River, collecting to the headwaters (Nov. 1905).

Other localities found on his labels are: Tupai, Batu Tugoh, Kota or Kampong Kota, Simpang, Blanda Mabok, Matang, Trong, Changkat Jering, Bukit Gantang, Matang Jambu, all relatively near Taiping.¹

collections:¹

His earlier collections were listed and fully localized, they were sent in 1888 to Herb. Calcutta [CAL], referring for names to Sir George King. The labelling of some of his collections was defective, l.c. those made in 1889 (only recorded Upper Perak 300 ft). According to Narayanaswami,⁴ Wray’s second and last batch of Perak specimens arrived at the Gardens Calcutta, at the end of 1890, and after that he still collected but kept his collections in the Taiping Museum (= Mus. Perak). This does not correspond with the annual reports of Calcutta, as in 1892/93 and 1894/95 plants of his were still received at Calcutta, though perhaps duplicates only. In 1916 the Wray Herbarium was transferred from the Agricultural to the Forest Dept Kuala Lumpur.⁷ In 1926 it was incorporated in the Herb. Singapore [SING]; also dupl. from Calcutta. In Herb. Kew [K]: Perak, Malaya, 1884-95, 452 nos; Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]: 1st set of plants from G. Tahan (the Brit. Museum having paid part of the expenses of this expedition!);⁵ also dupl. in Herb. Berl. [B]; orchids in Herb. Vienna [W] (with Herb. Reichenbach); Herb. Bot. Gard. St Petersburg (= Leningrad [LE]): 13 nos from Mal. Penins., Perak; Herb. Leiden [L] (dupl. Herb. Mus. Perak).

In 1955 the Agric. Dept Kuala Lumpur donated a number of sheets of Wray’s specimens collected in the 1880s to Herb. Sing. [SING]. Also dupl. in Herb. Edinb. [E] (ex Calc. and Kew).

Previously to Calcutta, he evidently sent material to Kew [K] (acq. since 1884!), which was partly elaborated.⁶

His collections are considerable, but we do not know the exact amount; from his trip to Batang Padang etc. in 1888 he brought back 1200 nos, on this trip being assisted by Harison, a Kling, formerly working for Kunstler; the collection made with H.C. Robinson on G. Tahan amounted to about 250 specimens.

He brought home living plants for the Taiping Garden.

literature:

(1) cf. Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, nos 4-5.
(2) L. Wray: ‘Journal of a collecting expedition to the Mountain of Batang Padang, Perak’ (Journ. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. no 21, 1890, p. 123-165) (Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, p. 161-162, wrongly stated the year of the expedition to be 1890).
(3) L. Wray & H.C. Robinson: ‘Report on the Gunong Tahan Expedition, May-September 1905’ (Journ. Fed. Mal. Stat. Mus. 3, 1908, p. ix-xxv, pl. A-D).
(4) V. Narayanaswami: ‘Provenance of early Malayan plant collections’ (Journ. & Proc. Asiat. Soc. Beng. N.S. 27, 1931 (1933), p. 327 seq.).
(5) H.N. Ridley: ‘On a collection of plants made by H.C. Robinson and L. Wray from G. Tahan, Pahang’ (Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 38, 1908, p. 301-336); cf. also in Journ. Fed. Mal. Stat. Mus. 2, 1907, p. 107-161.
(6) W.B. Hemsley: ‘New and interesting plants from Perak’ (Journ. Bot. 25, 1887, p. 203-206).
(7) cf. Ann. Rep. on Forest Administration in the F.M.S. for the year 1918, p. 15.

biographical data:

Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, nos 4-5; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Obit. Notice in the Times 1942.

	Career Collecting localities Collections Literature Biographical data
	Wray (Jr), Leonard
	(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors) (Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 5: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement I) (Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)
	Born: 1853, of the Laurels, Grayshott, ? England. Died: 1942.
	career: In 1881 appointed Superintendent of the Larut Hill Garden at Taiping (Perak), from 1883-1908 Curator of the Perak State Museum, and from 1905-08 Director of Museums, Federated Malay States. Several plants were named after him.
	Collecting localities:¹ MalayPeninsula, Perak, between 1881-1909: Plus River (1883), Piah River (1885), Kenering River (Aug. 1885); exploration in the mountains east of Tapah in the Eastern Districts of Kinta and Batang Padang:² leaving Taiping (June 6, 1888), and proceeding to Telok Anson (mouth of the Perak River) by boat; by road to Tapa(h) (staying till the 25th); Kuala Woh (= Wok); SW. spur Batu Puteh (June 27-July 7); along the track to the north of the summit of Batu Puteh (8), downhill (15); Kuala Woh and Tapa(h) (19); during stay visiting tin-mine at Chendariang (= Chanderiang) (22); by road (Aug. 30) to Kuala Woh (staying Sept. 3-6); camp on Batu Puteh, summit (10); back (11) to Tapa(h); valley of the Sg. Klian Mas; Tapa(h) (Sept. 16-Oct. 4); Kuala Woh (5); up the valley of the Batang Padang, Rantau Tipus (7); Kuala of the Sengum (8); G. Chunam Prah (9); G. Ulu Batang Padang (11), summit (12-13); G. Ulu Sekum (15); G. Brumbun (= Beremban), camp at G. Ulu Batang Padang (17-18); Telum Valley; pass between the sources of the Telum and Kampar (22); down the Kampar River to Gopeng (23); Kota Bahru; Kuala Dipang; Tapa(h) (Oct. 26-Nov. 15); by boat to Telok Anson (16); back at Larut (18); Upper Perak (May 1889); G. Bubu (March 1890); G. Inas in N. Perak (1892); Upper Perak, Kenering River (Apr. 1905); Expedition to G. Tahan (Pahang),³ with H.C. Robinson (May-June 1905): leaving Taiping (May 11); Semangko Pass-Raub (12); Kuala Lipis (13-16); Kuala Tembeling (17), ascending the Tembeling River (18); Kuala Tahan (19); up the Tahan River, Kuala Tenok (20), Kuala Petai (21); Kuala Teku (24); Skeat’s Camp, Observation Hill (June 2); Wray ill with dysentery and carried down to Kuala Teku (25); Kuala Tenok; Kuala Tembeling (29); up the Jelai River (30); Kuala Lipis (July 1); back at Taiping; Plus River, collecting to the headwaters (Nov. 1905). Other localities found on his labels are: Tupai, Batu Tugoh, Kota or Kampong Kota, Simpang, Blanda Mabok, Matang, Trong, Changkat Jering, Bukit Gantang, Matang Jambu, all relatively near Taiping.¹
	collections:¹ His earlier collections were listed and fully localized, they were sent in 1888 to Herb. Calcutta [CAL], referring for names to Sir George King. The labelling of some of his collections was defective, l.c. those made in 1889 (only recorded Upper Perak 300 ft). According to Narayanaswami,⁴ Wray’s second and last batch of Perak specimens arrived at the Gardens Calcutta, at the end of 1890, and after that he still collected but kept his collections in the Taiping Museum (= Mus. Perak). This does not correspond with the annual reports of Calcutta, as in 1892/93 and 1894/95 plants of his were still received at Calcutta, though perhaps duplicates only. In 1916 the Wray Herbarium was transferred from the Agricultural to the Forest Dept Kuala Lumpur.⁷ In 1926 it was incorporated in the Herb. Singapore [SING]; also dupl. from Calcutta. In Herb. Kew [K]: Perak, Malaya, 1884-95, 452 nos; Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]: 1st set of plants from G. Tahan (the Brit. Museum having paid part of the expenses of this expedition!);⁵ also dupl. in Herb. Berl. [B]; orchids in Herb. Vienna [W] (with Herb. Reichenbach); Herb. Bot. Gard. St Petersburg (= Leningrad [LE]): 13 nos from Mal. Penins., Perak; Herb. Leiden [L] (dupl. Herb. Mus. Perak). In 1955 the Agric. Dept Kuala Lumpur donated a number of sheets of Wray’s specimens collected in the 1880s to Herb. Sing. [SING]. Also dupl. in Herb. Edinb. [E] (ex Calc. and Kew). Previously to Calcutta, he evidently sent material to Kew [K] (acq. since 1884!), which was partly elaborated.⁶ His collections are considerable, but we do not know the exact amount; from his trip to Batang Padang etc. in 1888 he brought back 1200 nos, on this trip being assisted by Harison, a Kling, formerly working for Kunstler; the collection made with H.C. Robinson on G. Tahan amounted to about 250 specimens. He brought home living plants for the Taiping Garden.
	literature: (1) cf. Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, nos 4-5. (2) L. Wray: ‘Journal of a collecting expedition to the Mountain of Batang Padang, Perak’ (Journ. Str. Br. Roy. As. Soc. no 21, 1890, p. 123-165) (Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, p. 161-162, wrongly stated the year of the expedition to be 1890). (3) L. Wray & H.C. Robinson: ‘Report on the Gunong Tahan Expedition, May-September 1905’ (Journ. Fed. Mal. Stat. Mus. 3, 1908, p. ix-xxv, pl. A-D). (4) V. Narayanaswami: ‘Provenance of early Malayan plant collections’ (Journ. & Proc. Asiat. Soc. Beng. N.S. 27, 1931 (1933), p. 327 seq.). (5) H.N. Ridley: ‘On a collection of plants made by H.C. Robinson and L. Wray from G. Tahan, Pahang’ (Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 38, 1908, p. 301-336); cf. also in Journ. Fed. Mal. Stat. Mus. 2, 1907, p. 107-161. (6) W.B. Hemsley: ‘New and interesting plants from Perak’ (Journ. Bot. 25, 1887, p. 203-206). (7) cf. Ann. Rep. on Forest Administration in the F.M.S. for the year 1918, p. 15.
	biographical data: Burkill in Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem. 4, 1927, nos 4-5; Backer, Verkl. Woordenb., 1936; Obit. Notice in the Times 1942.