PREFACE. 9* 



From Noeth Centeal our material is exceedingly scanty, being 

 almost limited to specimens collected by Dr. Edward Vogel in crossing 

 the Sahara, by way of Aghadein, and in Bornn and adjacent provinces. 

 A few plants are cited from this region, on the authority of Kobert 

 Brown's 'Essay on the Plants of Oudney, Denham, and Clappertou ' : 

 the specimens collected by these travellers are lost. 



From Nile Land, there are at Kew excellent sets of: — 



1. Dr. Schimper's Abyssinian collections, distributed by the ' Unio 

 Itineraria ' of "Wurtemberg. 



2. Dr. Kotschy's Kordofan and Nubian plants. 



3. Abyssinian plants, collected by Dr. Both in 1841-42, presented by 

 the East India Company. 



4. Abyssinian plants of Dillon, Petit, and others, communicated by 

 Count Franqueville, from the Eichardian Herbarium in his posses- 

 sion. 



5. Upper Nile Plants, collected by Mr. Petherick and Dr. Murie, 

 communicated to Sir W. J. Hooker by the former distinguished tra- 

 veller. 



6. Nubian plants, collected by Dr. Bromfield. 



7- Captain Grant's valuable herbarium, with his original notes, formed 

 in company with Captain Speke on their celebrated expedition to the 

 Victoria Nyanza. 



8. A set of Dr. Schweinfurth's Nubian and Gallabat plants. 



9 - Specimens of a few resin-affording trees, from the Somali country, 

 communicated by Colonel Plavfair. 



We have also had the opportunity of examining the plants, collected 

 b y Mr. Salt in Abyssinia, which were determined by Mr. Brown, and 

 enumerated in the Appendix to his travels, contained in the Herbarium 

 of the British Museum. 



F or our material from Lowee Guinea, we are almost wholly indebted 

 to the courtesy of Dr. Friedrich Welwitsch, who, with rare liberality, 

 has freely granted us the opportunity of inspecting his collections, 

 wl >ich, in respect of judicious selection and admirable preservation, are 

 without rival. His carefully accurate notes upon the fresh plants have 



