122 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



not so much out of friendship towards me as one might suppose, but 

 with the view of rendering me assistance in my study. His desire 

 of encouraging scientific and literary pursuits generally in this 

 country, he himself being an ardent worker, is well known.* 



In writing this Catalogue I have arranged the genera in accord- 

 ance with the Genera Plantarum of Bentham and Hooker, the 

 species being placed under each genus according to their affinities as I 

 understand them. After the scientific names of the grasses in the list, 

 I have copied the Vernacular names of almost all the grasses which 

 were attached to the collections received from the various districts 

 of the Presidency, to satisfy the curiosity of the reader. It is gene- 

 rally thought that every grass should have a name. This is an error, 

 for very few grasses are known by their proper Vernacular names. 

 As in European countries, so also in India, the same plant has dif- 

 ferent names in different provinces, nay even four or five in the same 

 province or village, and the same name is not unfrequently given to 

 a variety of plants and great many names to the same plant, e. g., the 

 Vernacular name of Pa/yen is given to Andropogon intermedins, A. 

 odoratus, A. pertusiis, and A. annulatus, probably because they re- 

 semble each other, and have all their several spikes congested at the end 

 of their culms. Vernacular names are often invented to please the 

 Sahib, or to impress upon him the informer's knowledge : thus we 

 have Kali kassal, Panre kassal, Jungli kussal, names given to grasses 

 belonging to various tribes and genera, without any affinity, merely 

 because the plants named are endowed with long awns. The fragrant 

 roots of an Andropogon named Khas-khas are known all over India, 

 but the plant itself has different names in different provinces ; of 

 course rice, nachni, bajri, jawari and kodraare well-known, but there 

 are several varieties of other cultivated grain plants, such as Panicum 

 miliacium and P. miliar e, some of which even botanists themselves 

 find it often difficult to distinguish by their Vernacular names. 



* I apologise for my acknowledging with gratitude the kind assistance rendered 

 me by the gentlemen above mentioned, as it is not usual to do so in a paper like 

 this I deem it my duty to convey publicly my thanks for the favours received. 

 Since these notes wore written, Government has passed a Resolution directing the 

 three Conservators of Forests to supply me with specimens of grasses from their 

 respective circles • 



