XXXII 
OUTLINES OF BOTANY. 
FROM MR. BENTHAM’S BRITISH AND COLONIAL FLORAS. 
Cuap. I. Derrryrrrons and Duscriprive Borvany. 
The principal object of a Flora of a country, is to afford the means 
of ieeeart e. ascertaining the name of) any plant gr wing in it, 
eae for the purpose oa tech study or of intellectual exercise. 
. With this view, a sein of si pause of = ers sesh or 
ane plants co ntained in the untry in question, so drawn up a 
ranged that the student may identify with the “eorresponiling eocipiioe 
aes individual specimen which he may gather 
oe descriptions should be clear, concise, accurate, and character 
inte so as that each one should be readily adapted to the plant it elation 
t i ge 
oO ty) ate one; they s be ly as possible arranged 
under natural (184) sions, so to faciliate the comparison of eac 
pla those nearest allied to it; and they should be rye Sates = 
a ey or index, ne of = h ie student m: 
it. 
escriptions to be clear and readily intelligible, they should be 
expressed as much as possible in ordinary well-established Jan nguage. But, 
for the purpose of accuracy, it is necessary not y to give a more precise 
technical ing to m sed e or less vaguely on 
conversation, but also to in ce ely technical names for such parts 
of pl r forms as are of little importance except to the botanist. In 
the present chapter it is fi soe — or technically 
limited terms as ar u 
ifferently appreciated by different persons, ies the same term is not only 
differently ha gin by two different botanists, Aye it feeinuainaly happens 
at the t is led on “i rent occasion ive somewhat different 
5 an the same word. nist’s bes should always be, 
oo sit pone to make as ik hee on recisi 
approach to p: 8 circumstances 
ow, and, on the other hand, to siaa that prolixity of detail and 
