'254 On the Natural Botanical Families. 



It was my intention to have subjoined, as extracts from the 

 evidence upon which the Table is founded, the opinions of bo- 

 tanists on the relation of each family to others in the same or 

 adjoining groups, which is interesting historically, and sometimes 

 of value 'as shewing the structure on which the opinion was 

 formed ; but I have found the accumulation too great. The 

 English reader will see the greater part of the whole in Dr 

 Lindley's Natural System, admirably set out, and abounding 

 with original views^ He will also find valuable and original 

 views of relation in the pubhcations of Dr Brown and Mr D. 

 Don, in Mr Arnott''s article on Botany in the EncyclopcBdia 

 Britannica, and in Richard often translated. 



I have intentionally kept back, for the present, any attempts 

 at characters general or partial, such being quite premature, 

 until some outline of arrangement has been recognized by bota- 

 nists. Materials are not wanting, many groups having been al- 

 ready treated as distinct families by able writers, such as the 

 Cupressineous, Rosaceous, Boragineous, Gentianeous, Gerania- 

 ceous, Malvaceous, Osmundaceous, Rutaceous, Ericeous, Cam- 

 panulaceous, &c. and also other groups, with slight modification. 



Finally, I may mention the Nixus of Dr Lindley, which 

 would have altogether prevented this attempt, had I seen it 

 sooner : here the botanist will find most ample and most original 

 materials for characterising those or any other groups pretending 

 to be natural. To this distinguished botanist I am indebted for 

 pointing out some erroneous deviations from his published views, 

 in the case of Spigeliaceae, Araliaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Granateae, 

 Empetreae, Dioscoreae, Ternstromiaceae, Myrsineae, Papayaceae, 

 Violaceae, Terminalieae ; also for the places of Begoniaceae, near 

 Cucurbitaceae ; Elatineae, near Cistineae ; Stackhouseae, near Eu- 

 phorbiaceae ; Stilagineae, near Urticeae ; Limnantheae, near Tro- 

 paeoleae ; and for references to sources of information. 



Thurlby Hall, Lincoln, 

 October 1835. 



