

preface:. 



The following work has been written for the purpose of 

 assisting the study of plant ecology and botanical survey work in 

 Natal. The "Handbook" published by the late Dr. Medley Wood 

 is now no longer up to date, and is also out of print, and his 

 "Revised List," with its supplements, is also incomplete, as well 

 as difficult to procure. A general ecological account of the Natal 

 vegetation, to a large extent compiled from my own previous 

 writings, has been prepared, and it was intended that it should 

 be included as part of the present work, but for various reasons 

 it has been thought advisable to defer publication of this part 

 of the manuscript. This has enabled the main section to be 

 published in a more compact form. Ecological notes have been 

 added in the case of the principal species to the records of dis- 

 tribution. Care has been taken to make the latter as complete 

 and accurate as possible. Various Zulu names have also been 

 included. 



The works enumerated in the Bibliography have been con- 

 sulted throughout, and due acknowledgment of indebtedness 

 must be made in particular to Medley Wood's various lists, to the 

 "Flora Capensis," to Engler's "Fflanzcnfamilien," and Thonner's 

 "Flowering Plants of Africa." In the key to the families the 

 last mentioned work was found particularly helpful, since, after 

 due consideration, it was decided that the main principles of 

 sub-division adopted by Thonner were more useful and easier 

 to follow than any that could be substituted, without departing 

 altogether from the natural system. The main groups are decided 

 by the characters of the perianth, and the sub-divisions by the 

 characters of the ovary and ovules. In many cases where there 

 is a likelihood of mistakes being made, the family is included under 

 more than one division. 



The keys given in the Flora Capensis have also been drawn 

 upon freely. Considerable simplication throughout has been 

 rendered possible, chiefly by the fact that a smaller area is dealt 

 with. An attempt has been made to bring the nomenclature as 

 up to date as possible, though it is hardly possible to attempt 

 anything approaching finality in this respect until many further 

 monographs have been published by specialists on various 

 families and genera. As it is, the changes that have been found 



