PREFACE. 



THIS work owes its origin to a desire, expressed by the Field- 

 Naturalists' Club of Victoria, at the instance of the Honorable 

 .Dr. Dobson, that its members should be provided with a literary 

 guide similar to the meritorious " Handbook of the Plants of 

 Tasmania," written some years ago by the Rev. W. Spicer, for 

 facilitating the study of our native flora, particularly during 

 botanical excursions ; and it was especially urged by the honor- 

 able and distinguished gentleman, that the dichotomous method 

 of Lamarck, which was followed by our late lamented friend for 

 :his book, should also be adopted for the Victorian work. The 

 flora of our colony being doubly as rich in species as that of 

 Tasmania rendered the task, even under ordinary circumstances, 

 far more laborious ; moreover, it was felt by the writer of these 

 lines, that an effort should be made, while applying the difficult 

 method mentioned, not to disrupt in any way the chain of affinity, 

 which links the orders and the genera and the species of plants 

 naturally together. Furthermore, the necessity of supporting the 

 very brief dichotomous notes by diagnostic descriptions was also 

 at once recognised ; hence the dichotomous " Key " was required 

 to be extended to an abridged "Descriptive Flora." To render 

 the contemplated work acceptable as well to the juvenile tyro as 

 to the advanced student it being the first special and early com- 

 pleted work on the indigenous vegetation of this colony it became 

 imperative, to express the characteristics of the plants not only 

 with etymologic precision and logical clearness, but also with the 

 utmost of plainness and organographic simplification. The work 

 Indeed was to be rendered alike available for elementary schools 



