PREFACE. 



T N an Introductory Volume to this series, thirty of 

 -*■ the common natural orders and sixty-two of the 

 better-known British flowering plants were described. 

 In this volume the orders mentioned (supra) are 

 summarised, in some cases additional types are 

 given, and a type (or more than one) of each order 

 not there included is dealt with in its proper place. 

 The introduction deals with some of the features 

 of plant life that are of special interest, as — the 

 cells, etc., and their work; the plant in its relation 

 to soil, water, air, light, heat, nutrition and growth, 

 absorption, transpiration, respiration, assimilation ; 

 the food requirements of plants. This is part of a 

 summary of the general characteristics and principles 

 of plant life, and the remainder is reserved for 

 Vol. Ill, which also contains descriptions of the 

 remaining natural orders. Thus the three volumes 

 contain descriptions of types of every natural order. 

 The work should be of assistance to school-teachers, 

 as well as to their pupils, and especially to the 

 botanist who is a beginner, and, I think, it may also 

 appeal to the more advanced student. 



The kindly reception accorded to the introductory 



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