Introduction. xxv 



Luxuriance, besides increasing the size of the whole plant and 

 of individual parts, may increase the number of the branches, 

 or of the leaves, or of the leaflets, when the leaf is compound." 

 There is, of course, an aggravating vagueness in the terms 

 "large," " small," "middle-sized/ 5 &c., but there seems no 

 alternative between using these and giving measurements that 

 may often mislead. And it must be remembered that the 

 terms " large " and " small " are often used relatively to other 

 species of the same order, e.g. a flower may well be called 

 small in Malvaceae, an order of decidedly large flowers, which 

 would be large for the next order, Tiliaceae ; or, to put it more 

 popularly, a small rose would make a very large buttercup. 



Having explained so far what is to be looked for in this 

 book, I think it advisable to give a little practical advice to those 

 who may have to begin the study of the plants around them 

 without any previous knowledge of botany, and without anyone 

 to help them through their difficulties. The technical terms 

 and the principles of classification (already mentioned) can best 

 be learnt by examination and comparison of individual plants ; 

 and for purposes of identification it is a good plan, I think, to 

 begin with the commonest, giving the preference to those with 

 large flowers ; if neither English nor Latin name is known, ask 

 for the native name, and look up the description of it in this 

 book. Study the plant so as really to take in the description, 

 not only of the species, but also of the genus and order, to 

 which it belongs ; if there is anything else of the same order 

 very common, get that, and note the resemblances and differences 

 between the two species. In this way both the eye and the 

 mind will be quickly educated into the main distinctions that 

 exist between flower and flower. Or, as a plan that may be 

 tried concurrently with the above, collect as many species as 

 possible of those orders which are very distinct, and of which 

 the general appearance is known to almost everyone the 

 leguminous, the mallows, the labiates, and so on. 1 In the 

 identification of these, and always in the case of plants which 

 are quite unknown, the proper way is to proceed from the 

 greater to the lesser divisions that is, beginning with the 

 order, go through the tribes until you find the one to which the 



1 I omit the compound flowers (Compositas) from this list, as the 

 genera and species are often very difficult for beginners to dis- 

 tinguish. 



