182 wight's botanical letteks. 



the Flora of the Neelgherries, commenced by Professor Zen- 

 ker of Jena, in folio, with coloured plates. He seems to 

 have considered every species to be new, and made a new 

 genus out of the Ahelmoschus angulosus, under the name of 

 Hymenocalyx variabilis; Fragaria hidica, is there called F. 

 Nilagirica; for Passifora Leschenaultiana^ the Professor 

 retains its old name. There are two species of Jasminum 

 with new names, although I feel almost sure they ai'e both 

 old plants, and doubtfully distinct when their characters are 

 compared, although certainly they look very different. Ptt^- 

 nassia Wightiana, in his hands becomes P. Schmidiii, and 

 Urtica heterophylla ; U. acerifolia. There are two species of 

 Ferns, both in my herbarium, and I think both old species; 

 these are decorated with names of Aspidiiim anamiphyllwn-i 

 and Grammiiis cuspidata of Zenker. Such is a specimen oi 

 the naming of the first decade; in other respects the work 

 appears so well executed, that I requested the Professor's 

 friend in this country, who supplies the materials, to suggest 

 to him the propriety of sending you in future proofs of his 

 plates before naming them, on the ground that you must be 

 acquainted with the Peninsular Flora generally, and the 

 Neelgherry one in particular, better than any other man in 

 Europe, as my herbarium contains probably a greater number 

 of species from that region than any other. 1 hope for the 

 sake of science that he will adopt the suggestion. I feel sur- 

 prised that no one in these days of system-writing, has 

 thought of undertaking a " Genera Plantarum^''* according 

 to the Natural System ; I know no book more wanted, parti- 

 cularly if printed in small type, so as to make it a work of 

 easy carriage and convenient reference. The species have 

 now become so numerous, that it is impossible to give another 

 synopsis like Persoon's, although two thick octavos printed 

 in similar type would go far towards its accomplishment, and 



* Such a work is now happilj' nearly completed by Stephen Endlicher, 

 under the title of Genera Plantarum secundum ordines Naturales dispo- 

 sita. 



