PREFACE 



The attempt to write a textbook of Botany is an audacity which admits of 

 no excuse but success. Botanv is the scientia scientiarum, and it draws 

 its inspiration from many worlds. On the one hand, it is a modern experi- 

 mental discipline ; on the other hand, it is a storehouse of curious and 

 ancient lore. 



Botany has fortunately retained its historical unity of purpose, despite 

 the vast modern extension of knowledge and the concurrent growth of 

 specialism. It sets out to comprehend the plant from every point of view, 

 and it has not yet ceded any of its territory to others, though some of 

 its numerous daughter sciences seem to be growing quickly towards 

 independence and claiming a position as heirs of their venerable parent. 

 Few other subjects in the calendar of the sciences present so varied a catalogue 

 of interests, and probably none of them stands in greater need of condensation 

 into assimilable form. 



There exist already many admirable treatises by specialists, covering 

 separate sections of the field, which are of the utmost value to those who 

 are specialists themselves, but which are for the most part beyond the range 

 of the general student. There are also many valuable elementary surveys, 

 which hardly go further than the first year of university study. The present 

 work aims to fill the gap between these extremes, and its bulk is sufficient 

 evidence that the gap is considerable. 



We have drawn freely from many specialized sources, but the various 

 sections of the book are not written for specialists. We hope that it will 

 not be judged as if it were a collection of monographs bound together, but 

 rather as a general text for general students in which unity and clarity are 

 not subordinated to the elaboration of unessential detail. Indeed every 

 endeavour has been made to exclude detail which does not contribute in 

 some measure to the composition of the whole picture. 



In dealing with the groups of lower plants we have adopted the type 

 method, which is in some danger of being considered old-fashioned. 

 Experience has led us, however, to believe that the method is still sound 

 and useful. A detailed description has been given of at least one species in 

 each major group, selected because it is well known, fully investigated, and 

 really representative of its group. The descriptions given have been in all 

 cases checked and amplified by reference to all the sources of information 



