xvi INTRODUCTION. 



allied and often in general appearance very similar, to 

 many common English plants, such as Traveller's Joy or 

 Old Man's Beard, Anemone, Buttercup, Barberry, Bitter- 

 cress, Charlock, Violet, Milkwort Campion, Chickweed, 

 Sandwort, St. John's-wort, Mallow, Flax, Herb Robert, 

 Spindlewood, Buckthorn, Bramble, Strawberry, Dog 

 Rose, Silver-leaf, Ladysmantle, Grass of Parnassus, 

 Sundew, Pennywort, Pimpinel, Cow Parsnip, Guelder- 

 rose, Honeysuckle, Woodruff, Goose-grass, Valerian, 

 Teasel, Fleabane, Ragwort, Hawksbeard, Sowthistle, 

 Hairbell, Bilberry, Creeping Jenny, Yellow Loosestrife, 

 Privet, Gentian, Lousewort, Bladderwort, Vervein, Cat- 

 mint, Skullcap, Wood Germander, Knotgrass, Sorrel, 

 Mistletoe Spurge, Nettle, Willow, Butterfly and Marsh 

 Orchids, and Sedges of various kinds. And in addition 

 there are a few quite the same, such as Self-heal, 

 Pimpernel, Wood Sanicle and Common Rush, truly wild, 

 besides introduced weeds. On the other hand Coonoor 

 which lies just below this level has not only so many 

 Australian and American introduced plants as to make it 

 more suitably dealt with in a separate volume, but also 

 many Indian species which have crept up from the lower 

 slopes and even the plains, under the shelter of the warm 

 moist valleys. 



While no claim is made that every species of flower- 

 ing plant which occurs above this level has been noted, 

 it is believed that all those ordinarily met with, except 

 the introduced garden plants and weeds (but some of 

 those also), will be found described. The descriptions 

 are founded in nearly every case on plants collected by 

 the author and many were written in the field or from 

 fresh specimens ; but a few are from specimens in the 

 collection made by Sir Alfred and Lady Bourne, which 

 has since been sent to Kew ; and the Flora of British 

 India has been constantly referred to and sometimes 

 drawn upon, especially in regard to the geographical 

 distribution of a species. 



The total number of species described is nearly 500, 

 of which 430 are considered indigenous. Of these 44, or 



