Lindley*s Synopsis of the British Flora. 191 



The reasons that have led to the preparation of this book are thus given 

 in the preface : — " All the British Floras/ with the exception of the Flora 

 Scotica of Dr. Hooker, have been arranged upon the principles of a system, 

 which, whatever popularity it may, from particular circumstances, have 

 acquired, and however useful it may have been found in communicating a 

 knowledge of the names of things, does certainly not now tend to the 

 advancement of science, or to an accurate knowledge of things themselves. 

 Of course I allude to the system of Linnasus ; a system which has almost 

 disappeared from every country but our own, and which ought now to find 

 no other place in science than among the records of things whose fame has 

 passed away. Hence all our British Floras are, in this view of the case, 

 essentially defective, with the exception already made." Another objec- 

 tion is the Inaccuracy of the technical language of the British Floras ; 

 objections, however, to which " the Flora Scotica of Dr. Hooker, and the 

 Flora Edinensis of Dr. Greville, are honourable exceptions." Finding no 

 work, therefore, suitable for recommending to the botanical class of the 

 London University, Mr. Lindley " determined upon preparing a work upon 

 those principles, of which the greater part of Europe has now become the 

 advocate, and which might, if destitute of all other merft, at least possess 

 the recommendation of being commensurate with the present state of bota- 

 nical knowledge." After noticing the attempt which lie has made in this 

 work to reduce the language of botany to a uniform standard, " to render 

 the nomenclature of genera and species conformable to that of Continental 

 vvriters of the highest authority ; " to introduce some new genera and spe- 

 cies; and, above all, " to remove the difficulties which at present attend 

 the study of the natural affinities of plants," he adds, '* but after all that 

 has been effected in the present case, or that is likely to be accomplished 

 hereafter, there will always be more difficulty in acquiring a knowledge of 

 the natural system of botany than of the Linnean. The latter skims only 

 the surface of things, and leaves the student in the fancied possession of a 

 sort of information which it is easy enough to obtain, but which is of little 

 value when acquired ; the former requires a minute investigation of every 

 part and every property known to exist in plants ; but, when understood, 

 has conveyed to the mind a store of information of the utmost use to man 

 in every station of life. Whatever the difficulties may be of becoming 

 acquainted with plants according to this method, they are inseparable from 

 botany, which cannot be usefully studied without encountering them." A 

 second volume is promised on the cellular plants, but is deferred " in the 

 hope that, ere much time shall have elapsed, some of the uncertainty which 

 now exists respecting the lichens and fungi will be removed. It may be at 

 present safely affirmed, that we know nothing of the limits of the; genera 

 and species of either of these extensive orders." 



We shall not enter into the details of this Synopsis, because, after Miss 

 Kent has completed her introduction to the Linnean System, it will be fol- 

 lowed by a corresponding introduction to the Jussieuean System ; but to 

 those who are already prepared for this system, we may safely reconimend 

 Mr. Lindley's book as by far the best, or rather almost the only book the 

 English reader could resort to for a knowledge of that system. 



We have only one little fault to find with the author, and two of our 

 correspondents are of the same opinion on the subject as ourselves, viz. 

 that he has taken no notice of Gray's Natural Arrangement of J^riiisk 

 Plaiits. This work may not be perfect ; but no man can deny that it is 

 elaborate, and contains a good deal of originality. It includes both Vascu- 

 lares andCellulares ; and when the botanical world are informed that a great 

 part of it was prepared by the lateR. A. Salisbury, one of the earliest promoters 

 of the study of the Jussieuean System in this country, and one who, in 1819, 

 was, both in France and Italy, held next in rank among British botanists to 

 Mr. Brown, they will agree with us in thinking that Mr. Lindley ought 



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