52 FLORA INDICA. 



carefully borne in mind by those using the systematic portion 

 of the work, the great merit of which resides not only in the 

 information it contains on the subjects mentioned above, but 

 also in the laborious accumulation of valuable and curious 

 matter relative to the medicinal, economical, and other vege- 

 table products of India, and to their history and literature. 



The volume of Messrs. Cambessedes and Decaisne, on some 

 of the plants of Jacquemont's voyage, is (with the exception 

 of Mr. Griffith's papers, to be mentioned in connection with 

 his distributed herbarium,) the only remaining one of any 

 importance relating to Indian plants generally, that has been 

 published since the Prodromus of Wight and Arnott. This, 

 a quarto work, with 180 beautifully executed plates of Indian 

 plants collected by M. Jacquemont, was published at Paris in 

 1844. The authors, not having access either to the Wal- 

 lichian or Roylean herbarium, have published as new, many 

 plants well known in this country, but the descriptions and 

 plates are of great value and botanical merit. 



The catalogue of Bombay plants by Mr. Graham, published 

 in 1830, has unfortunately been of little use to us, the ab- 

 sence of descriptions rendering it impossible to identify in a 

 satisfactory manner the species referred to. In a thoroughly 

 explored country, the plants of which are accurately deter- 

 mined, such catalogues are of great value; but where the 

 flora is only partially known, and imperfectly described, they 

 are not to be depended on. In the present instance, internal 

 evidence occasionally enables us to recognize with certainty 

 the plant named ; but more frequently it shows that the iden- 

 tification is erroneous, without affording that clue which a de- 

 scription would have given, for the rectification of the error. 

 This is the more to be regretted, as Mr. Graham was, we 

 believe, a botanist of great promise, quite able to have deter- 

 mined with accuracy the plants of the regions he explored. 

 The work contains a few descriptions, chiefly from the pen of 

 Mr. Nimmo, upon whom the superintendence of the work de- 

 volved, on the sudden death of its author during its printing. 



