PREFACE V 



I am told that the types selected to represent the 

 several families are not common to all parts of India. 

 My personal knowledge of the Indian flora being more 

 or less hmited to the West Coast, I do not know whether 

 it would be possible to find out type-species suiting all 

 parts of this great Peninsula. I must, therefore, leave it 

 to my readers to substitute other types from the number 

 of genera and species mentioned in each family. 



For the identification of plants I recommend any one 

 of the books on the Flora of India named in the biblio- 

 graphy, page 280. Nairne's Floivering Plants of Western 

 India is jDarticularly useful for residents of the West Coast. 



The nomenclature and classification have not been 

 materially changed and are those of Bentham and 

 Hooker. 



In using this book for school purposes I beg to offer 

 the following suggestions to teachers: — 



(1) The book does not contain a scheme of lessons, 

 but should be used as a storehouse from which the teacher 

 may draw. 



(2) The following curriculum may, perhaps, suggest 

 itself to teachers of High Schools in Southern India: 



First year. — Descriptions of individual plants, such as 

 Lotus, Cotton tree, Mango tree, Bean, Cucumber, Sun- 

 flower, Bindweed, Chillies, Tumbe, Banyan tree, Cocoanut 

 palm, Kesu (Taro), Gloriosa, Banana, Rice, Fern. 



Second year.— Structure and Life of Plants: Leaf, 

 Boot, Stem (pp. 198—251). 



Third year. — Floral Biology: Flower, Fruit, and Seed 

 (pp. 251—276). 



Fourth year. — Factors determining the life and struc- 

 ture of plants: — 



The Water: Roots and their functions. — Transpiration. — Hy- 

 grophytes. — Xerophytes. — Tropophytes. — Water and Marsh plants. 



