PREFACE. Vil 
Mr. W. Townson, of Westport, has for many years supplied me 
with numerous sets of specimens, both fresh and dried, collected by 
_him in the south-west portion of the Nelson Provincial District, and 
often obtained from out-of-the-way localities and at considerable 
altitudes. So little was previously known respecting the botany of 
this portion of the colony that his collections and notes have been 
of great service to me. 
I am indebted to Mr. A. Hamilton for the loan of his extensive 
collection of the ferns of the colony. This is not only unusually com- 
plete and well arranged, but also contains many specimens of crested 
and other abnormal varieties. 
I have also to record my thanks to Sir James Hector, Mr. J. D. 
Enys, Mr. G. M. Thomson, Mr. H. Hill, Mr. Justice Chapman, Mr. Percy 
Smith, Mr. H. J. Matthews, Mr. F. R. Gibbs, Mr. J. H. Macmahon, 
Mr. J. Adams, Mr. R. H. Matthews, Mr. H. Carse, Mr. Elsdon Best, 
Mr. R. J. Kingsley, Rev. F. R. Spencer, Mr. H. C. Field, Mr. J. Rutland, 
Mr. F. A. D. Cox, Mr. J. Hall, Mr. H. H. Travers, Mr. J. B. Simpson, 
and several others, for the material assistance they have rendered me. 
Turning from New Zealand, I have now to express my gratitude 
to several friends and correspondents in Europe. First of all, I wish 
to tender my special thanks to Sir J. D. Hooker, who during a corre- 
spondence extending over thirty-five years has been at all times ready 
to give me the benefit of his wide knowledge and experience, and who 
has evinced the greatest possible interest in the inception and progress 
of this work. My thanks are also due to Sir W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, the 
present Director of Kew, for his kindness in granting facilities for the 
comparison of my specimens with the types preserved in the Kew 
Herbarium, and for other valuable assistance; also to Mr. W. B. 
Hemsley, the Assistant Director, who has given me much helpful aid 
with the greatest readiness and kindness; and to Mr. N. E. Brown, 
who was specially instructed by the Director to make a comparison 
of my specimens with the types of the species in Veronica, Gentiana, 
Myposotis, and other genera, and whose report on the subject has been 
invaluable to me. I am also greatly indebted to Mr. C. B. Clarke for 
his unwearied kindness in supplying me with information and critical 
notes respecting the New Zealand Cyperacee, and for furnishing me 
with a list of the synonymy of the species. Pastor G. Kukenthal, of 
Grub, near Cobourg, has also contributed valuable notes respecting 
the New Zealand species of Carer and Uncinia. Finally, I am under 
