PREFACE. Vii 



rhinum, these again as younger than Scrophularia ; Verbascum, on 

 the contrary, is the least reduced, and therefore considered as the 

 oldest form. Similarly the one-seeded, nut-fruited Ranunculacece 

 are considered as a later type (with evident abortion) than the 

 many-seeded, folicular forms of the Order ; the Paronychiece and 

 Chenopodiacece as reduced forms of the Alsinece type ; and the 

 occurrence of few seeds in an ovary as generally arising through 

 reduction of the many-seeded forms. The Cyperacece are regarded 

 as a form derived from the Juncacece through reduction, and 

 associated with this, as is so often the case, there is a complication 

 of the inflorescence ; the Dipsacacece are again regarded as a form 

 proceeding from the Valerianacece by a similar reduction, and 

 these in their turn as an off-shoot from the Caprifoliacece, etc. Of 

 course these principles of systematic arrangement could only be 

 applied very generally ; for teaching purposes they have often 

 required modification." 



In preparing the translation considerable difficulty has been 

 experienced in finding a satisfactory rendering of several terms 

 which have no exact equivalent in English. I may here especially 

 mention the term Vorblatt (Porblad) which I have translated by 

 the term bracteole, when it clearly applied to the first leaf (or 

 leaves) on a pedicel; but in discussing questions of general 

 morphology a term was much needed to include both vegetative 

 and floral shoots, and for this I have employed the term " Fore- 

 leaf." Also, the term " Floral-leaf " has been adopted as an 

 equivalent of "Hochblatt," and the term "bract" has been limited 

 to a leaf subtending a flower. 



At the end of the book will be found a short appendix giving 

 an outline of some of the earlier systems of Classification, with a 

 more complete account of that of Hooker and Bentham. 



In a book of this character it is almost impossible to avoid 

 some errors, but it is hoped that these will be comparatively few. 

 In correcting the proof-sheets I have received invaluable assist- 

 ance from Dr. Warming and Dr. Knoblauch, who have kindly 

 read through every sheet, and to whom I am greatly indebted for 



