THE INDEX TO AMERICAN BOTANICAL LITERATURE - A BRIEF-HISTORY

At the end of 1995 the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club ceased pu blishing the ''Index to American Botanical Literature'', a listing of recent publications in plant biology that were of potential interest t o its readers. This ended 110 years of inclusion of the ''Index'' in t he issues of the Bulletin. William R. Buck a former compiler of the '' Index'' for the Torrey Botanical Club. has published an excellent shor t history of the ''Index'' in the journal Brittonia (48: 120-123, 1996 ) from the perspective of a compiler In contrast, the present paper is written from the perspective of a long-time user of the ''Index'', bo th in the regular issues of the Bulletin and in the farm of the ''Torr ey Card Index''.