INTRODUCTION. U) 



while Adanson, Necker, Richard, Laniark, and 

 even Jussieu the fathers of natural Botany, 

 whose labors are now superseding theirs. No^ 

 wonder then they have also neglected mine of 

 the same tendency. 



Among the best Linnean writers must be 

 reckoned Schrebcr, Richard, Murray, Smith, 

 Salisbury, Vitnian, Vahl, Wildenow, Persoon, 

 Omelin, Alton, Romer, Shulze, Sprengel, Pal- 

 las, Fontenille, Lehman <^c. whose works I 

 have duly studied and used. 



But I value above all the improving Botanists, 

 such as Mench, Gaertner, Swartz, Desfontaines, 

 Lamark, R. Brown, Decandole, Kunth, Esen- 

 beck, Lindley, Agardh, Desvaux, &c. that have 

 enlarged or continue to improve the Science. 

 It is among them that I have aimed to deserve 

 a place. 



Some applying themselves to a single Class, 

 Order or even Genus of plants have introduced 

 admirable monographs, that become the bases of 

 future stability. I may mention as models Per- 

 soon and Fries on Fungi, Acharius on Lichens, 

 Agardh on Algas, Smith Si. Swartz on Ferns, 

 Palissot on Grasses, Cassini and Lessing on 

 Composite, Richard and Lindley on Orchidea, 

 Bentham on Labiate . . Besides the many fami- 

 lies already illustrated by Decandole. To him 

 we chiefly owe the practice of dividing large 

 and incongruous Genera, into Sub-Genera, which 

 will surely become gradualy as many Generic 

 groups, unless not based on the fructification. 



The greatest botanical discoveries have been 

 made since Linneus, by travellers to distant re- 

 gions, and authors of local Floras. Australia, 

 Polynesia and both Americas have doubled the 

 number of recorded plants. Linneus only had 



