Vlll PKEFACE. 



no part of the plan to introduce any matter descriptive of the plants, trees, 

 and shrubs which it enumerates, and this must be looked for in botanical 

 Avorks devoted to the purpose. The Latin or botanical names given are 

 those which are most commonly employed and best known, and synonjTus 

 are rarely noted, the few that are mentioned being chiefly in those cases 

 Avhere two botanical names are pretty equally in use for the same plant, 

 as, Centaurea — Amberboa — moschata (Sweet Sultan), Calla — Richardia — 

 a^thiopica (Lily-of-the-Nile), &c. Familiar generic names, like Azalea, 

 Crocus, Fuchsia, Iris, Phlox, &c., which have, to all intents and purposes, 

 become English names, are retained as such. In the case of our native 

 British plants, I have purposely omitted trivial local names, such as " Dog- 

 chowps " and " Cuddy's-lugs," which savour of a chaw-baconism verging 

 «lose on barbarism, and I have also left unnoticed the coarse and often 

 grossly indelicate names Avhich occur in some of the old writers on plants, 

 as no useful purpose could be served by the reproduction of such names. 



The book is probably far from being exhaustive or complete, as new 

 names will be constantly arising from time to time, and it must be 

 regarded as only a first step in the direction which it takes, but it is hoped 

 that it Avill prove a handy and useful volume of reference, and a means 

 of making the study of plants less technical and difficult to English- 

 -speaking people. 



September, 1884. W. M. 



