治理殖民地自然：臺灣有用植物調查之展開

Colonial Nature Governance:“Useful Plants Survey”in Taiwan

本文分析日治初期來臺進行植物探險至臺灣總督府「有用植物調查」前後之過程，交錯使用植物目錄、植物誌、植物標本及北海道大學文書館藏「宮部金吾舊藏書簡」可發現，十九世紀日本植物學發展長期受制西方，學界能力有限，但在帝國擴張下，如何「務實地」進行殖民地的植物調查工作，成為必須面對的課題。有別於過去偏向直線式東京帝國大學掌握臺灣自然政策的論點，本文認為，種種帝國植物學術能力上的限制及因素，方是東大不得不負擔研究臺灣植物的要素。日治初期臺灣植物調查擺盪於「治理」與「能力有限」之間，1896 年東大探險僅是先聲，1905 年臺灣總督府有效改良過去作法，總督府掌握在地資源、田野採集及大量植物觀察的方式，才是「有用植物調查」獲得諸多成果之因。在科學網絡方面，札幌農學校、東大的植物學菁英，加上臺灣總督府官員，各有參與及分工，亦達成不同面向的收穫。有用植物調查在帝國治理意義上，向來超乎「有用」，兼具政治象徵、殖民地統治、科學發展多重意義，也非單一帝國／殖民地上下支配關係可解釋。整體而言，該調查至 1910 年的成果，已大幅改寫過去數百年的臺灣植物認知。日本人從不識臺灣草木，到本階段能符合臺灣治理需求，出版《臺灣植物目錄》等通用書籍，亦開始向海外展現「治理殖民地自然」之成績，該調查亦開啟臺灣植物研究在地化累積的里程碑，為往後臺灣主體性之植物學術研究，奠定基石。

This paper analyzed the Japanese botanical exploration in Taiwan from 1895 to the Colonial Government’s project of “Useful Plants Survey” in the 1910s. In addition to plant lists, floras, specimens, and other historical materials, this study also used the collection of correspondence of Miyabe Kingo at the Hokkaido University Archives. Until the end of the 19th century, the development of Japanese botany was constrained by the West. This prompted Sapporo Agricultural College and Tokyo Imperial University to work respectively on regional research of new colonies. Tokyo Imperial University’s 1896 Taiwan Expedition was lackluster at best. Although Japan wanted to keep the survey results of Taiwan’s nature to herself, it failed due to inadequate research capabilities and technologies, inability to understand Taiwan’s natural world, and incapacity to govern. In 1905, the Governor-General’s Office in Taiwan improved its past practices and launched the project of “Survey of Useful Plants of Formosa.” Survey proponents and participants included botanical researchers from Sapporo Agricultural College and Tokyo Imperial University, as well as bureaucrats from the Colonial Government. In essence, this elite group was the epitome of Japanese botany. The surveyors quickly went everywhere including the highest mountain in Taiwan, collected a large number of specimens from various locations, and published A List of Plants of Formosa to facilitate communication and inspection by local officials. At the same time, oversea specimen exchanges and book donations were conducted to show the governing ability of the Colonial Government. The survey arguably shifted the long-standing, sole focus off Tokyo Imperial University with regards to Taiwan’s botanical surveys. Overall, the goal of the “Useful Plants Survey” was to study “all”, not just “useful”, plants in Taiwan. The Governor-General’s Office played a significant role in it, not merely to display the dominance of the empire over its colony. This reflects the abstractness and complexity of the investigation of nature in relation to imperial governance. The “Useful Plants Survey” is the key to the localization of Taiwan’s plant research and it is also the cornerstone for the future development of academic research on Taiwan.