Notes on Agave in Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire and some parts of the South American continent

This publication deals with some agaves which were collected by me participating as biologist in a geological excursion under Prof. Dr. L. M. R. Rutten and Mrs. Dr. C. J. Rutten-Pekelharing, in the beginning of 1930, to the West Indies. From 14 April to 4 May we camped in the western part of Curaçao, from 10 May to 10 June Bonaire was visited and from 16 June to 9 July we passed through Aruba. In preference to the collection of a large number of different forms of Agave, an intensive investigation of the forms found on a few localities was made. I hoped thereby to acquire some information about the variability, and insight into the problem of the concept of species, not to be obtained by the study of herbarium material. — Other material was collected during an excursion to the mainland, following an invitation by the „Caribbean Petroleum Company”.