PREFACE. xlii 



following the Diagnosis. The Alliances are the most important 

 feature in the arrangement; and it is to be hoped will be found 

 much better limited than they formerly were. The serious fault 

 committed in the Author^'s former work^ of founding Alliances 

 upon single Natm-al Orders, has been avoided in every case 

 except that of Palms_, which in reality seem to form an Alliance by 

 themselves. The name Alliance has been preserved in preference 

 to that of class, family, circle, cohort, &c., because it is not sus- 

 ceptible of two interpretations, as is the case with all the others ; 

 it is employed as an English equivalent for the Latin term nixus, 

 which some have imagined was a misprint for nexus, but which 

 was used in the sense of Cicero, and intended to express a 

 tendency to assume some particular form of structure. If any 

 one should inquire why no sjraonyms have been quoted to these 

 Alliances, concerning which so many Botanists have lately occupied 

 themselves, the Author^s answer is, that they have hitherto been 

 much too little agreed upon, except in a few very special cases, 

 and that an examination of their historj^ would involve an inquiiy 

 which must extend back to the Anthemides of Csesalpinus, and 

 which belongs to the history of Systematical Botany rather than to 

 its actual condition. The whole practice, indeed, of quoting s\tio- 

 nyms is carried by Botanists beyond useful limits. It is in many 

 cases a matter of courtesy rather than of utility; and for this reason, 

 as no one is bound to be courteous to himself, the Author has very 

 generally refrained from making references to his own writings, 

 except when some real necessity for doing so appeared to exist. 

 He may also state in this place, that throughout the present work 

 he has struck out many of the citations given in the last 

 edition, conceiving it useless again to occupy space with the 

 names of authorities which can be always found by those who are 

 desirous to search for them. 



In pointing out the affinities of plants the opinions of the most 

 judicious systematists have been consulted; among these the names 

 of Arnott, Auguste de St. Hilaire, Bennett, Bentham, Ad. Brong- 

 niart. Brown, Cambessedes, Decaisne, the De Candolles, Endlicher, 

 the Hookers, the Jussieus, Martins, Miers, and Richard, stand in 

 the first rank. In addition to the short discussion upon this sub- 

 ject which always follows the paragraph descriptive of a Natural 

 Order there is appended to the list of genera a plan of indicating 

 affinity now adopted for the first time. It consists of printing the 

 name of the Order under discussion in capital letters ; placing right 



