184 REVIEWS. [June, 



The Useful Plants of India, with Botanical Descriptions, Ver- 

 nacular Synonyms, and Notices of their Economical Value in 

 Commerce, Medicine, and the Arts. By Major Heber Drury, 

 Madras. Published at Madras^ and sold by William Pamplin, 

 45, Frith Street, London. 



The author of this work informs his readers, in a brief and 

 modest introduction, that there was a want of " a collection of 

 ascertained facts regarding the uses of Indian plants;" and 

 that the desire to supply this deficiency on the resources of 

 India " led to the compilation of the following pages," the above- 

 named work. He adds that " a vast quantity of matter " in 

 reference to the economical uses of plants " is scattered through- 

 out the pages of Rheede, Ainslie, Roxburgh, Wallich, Wight, 

 Royle, and others, who have written on the subject of Indian 

 botany;" and these may be the chief sources from which the 

 author compiled his volume. 



The gallant compiler also refers to the Reports on the timber, 

 vegetable oils, drugs, etc., which were submitted to the Indian 

 public in the Madras Exhibition in 1855, in which was exhibited 

 for the first time many of the productions of India, and espe- 

 cially of the British portion of our eastern empire. 



The work does not profess to embrace all the useful plants of 

 India. The author, indeed, introduces some of the productions 

 of the Himalayan Flora, but the Presidency of Madras appears 

 to be that part of India whose productions are mainly described 

 in this volume. 



The useful plants are arranged alphabetically by their generic 

 names. The Natural Order follows the name of the species, 

 together with the Liimsean class and order. Next there is an 

 ample description of the species, by which any botanist may 

 identify the plant. Lastly, there is a full account of the uses 

 of the plants themselves. 



Our readers are presented with a few extracts from the work. 



'' Acorus Calamus," it appears, is both an Indian and a British 

 species, of which, according to Willdenow, there are two varieties, 

 viz. A. vulgaris and A. vermis. 



Our author quotes from Pereira, Thomson, Ainslie, etc., to the 

 effect that the rhizomes contain a bitter principle, and are useful 

 additions to tonic and purgative medicines, being often adminis- 



