PREFACE. 15* 
are in the specific character printed in italics ; these indicate 
the points to be specially noticed in the description, being those 
by which the two species chiefly differ from each other. Thus 
the “stems glabrous,” and bracts “2-3 times shorter than the 
(14-2 inch long) tube,” contrast with “stems scabrid” and 
bracts “ twice or thrice as short as the (inch long) tube.” The 
points to be noted, therefore, are whether the stem be quite 
smooth or rough, and whether the calyx be only an inch long, or 
approaching 2 inches. The further remarks in small print under 
each species, and the habitats or stations where the plant has 
been gathered, will afford additional helps to the student, and it 
is hoped will enable him to decide on the name. , 
An explanation of the principal contractions used may be use- 
ful. Thus, after the localities of each species, appears some such 
formula as (Herb. Thunb., Hook., T.C.D., Vind., Sond., Lehm.., 
r. Ber.) This would mean that the author had personally con- 
sulted and compared specimens of the species in the Herbaria 
_ of Thunberg ; Hooker; Trinity College, Dublin ; Vienna ; Son- 
der ; Lehmann ; and Berlin: thus enabling the futufe student, 
by reference to any of these Herbaria, to ascertain the plant 
intended to be described in the text. 
Authors’ names are variously contracted. It does not seem 
necessary to explain all, but some of those most constantly used 
are, Eck. and Zey, or E. & Z.=Ecklon and Zeyher, the well 
known collectors and distributors of Cape plants. EL. Mey. and 
EF. M.=the late Prof. Ernest Meyer, author of a commentary on 
part of Drege’s collections, and the authority for the names of 
most of Drege’s distributed plants. DC.=De Candolle; Linn. 
or L.=Linneus ; Hook or Hk.= Hooker ; Thunb. or Th.= 
Thunberg; Burm.=Burmann ; Burch.= Burchell; Bartl. and 
Wendl. or B. & W.=Bartling and Wendland; Endl. Gen.= 
Endlicher’s Genera Plantarum ; Bot. Mag.= Botanical Maga- 
zine; Jacg.=Jacquin ; L’Her.=L’ Heritier ; Harv. or H.=Dr. 
Harvey ; Sond. or Sd.= Dr. Sonder. 
The work throughout has been written in the English lan- 
guage, in order that it may be useful asa book of reference to the 
widest circle of the Colonial public, to many of whom it would 
be comparatively useless if composed partly or wholly in Latin. _ 
