SlVi PREFAC*. 



to the most eminent botanical characters of our age 

 Sir Joseph Banks, with his accustomed UberahtVj sup- 

 ported my undertaking by giving me access to his 

 extensive hbrary and herbarium. A. B. Lambert, Esq. 

 favoured me not only with the same assistance, but very 

 handsomely offered me the entire use of his library and 

 collection during the compilation of the work. To this 

 gentleman I am in the highest degree indebted for his 

 strenuous support under all the difficulties I had to en- 

 counter during its progress ; which by his generous 

 exertions he endeavoured to remove whenever they 

 occurred. 



Among the many new sources of information now 

 opened to me, I must particularly mention the following 

 original collections, by the assistance of which I have been 

 enabled to correct many errors of former publications, 

 particularly respecting the synonyms. 



I. Clayton's Herbarium. — The whole of this interest- 

 ing collection, from which the " Flora Virginica" of 

 Gronovius was compiled, is preserved in the Banksian 

 Museum. This has been particularly useful to me in 

 tracing the plants which Linnaeus had adopted from that 

 work. 



IL Professor P. S. Pallas's Herbarium. — This exten- 

 sive collection, now in the possession of A. B. Lambert, 

 Esq. was highly useful to me, in comparing the plants 

 of North America with those of the North of Asia, to 

 some of which they have a great affinity, and others are 

 common to both continents. 



HL Plukenet's Herbarium. — Preserved in the British 

 Museum, as also part of 



IV. Catesby's Herbarium. 



