(J* PREFACE. 



that of the Phaenogams, and to introduce descriptions of them 

 would therefore swell this volume to inconvenient proportions. 



The Introduction to Botany has been taken from that at- 

 tached to Drs. Haryey and Sonder's ' Flora Capensis,' with 

 a few very slight additions or modifications. 



The Keys to the Natural Orders I have constructed to the 

 best of my ability, and so arranged them as to harmonize as 

 much as possible with the sequence of the Orders adopted by 

 De. Harvey in the body of the work. Such being the case, 

 I would add that it does not throughout express my owai 

 views of the affinities of the Orders as expressed by the Jus- 

 siEUAN system ; it does so, how^ever, to a very great extent, 

 and this for two reasons : firstly, because Dr. Harvey pro- 

 fessedly followed the ' Grenera Plantarum ' of Mr. Bentham 

 and myself, so far as that work had proceeded, and for the 

 remaining Orders (after MuhiacecB) he, in the main, followed 

 a manuscript with w^hicli I supplied him, giving a rough sketch 

 of Mr. Bentham's and my own ideas as to the sequence, 

 etc., of the most important alliances or cohorts of Dicoty- 

 ledons, and of the Orders they contain. 



I have thought it proper to reprint with this edition so 

 much of Dr. Harvey's Introduction to the First Edition as 

 explains his motives for undertaking the work, and other 

 matters connected with the history of the Cape Botany that 

 may prove interesting. I must refer the reader to bis Pre- 

 faces to the three volumes of the ' Flora Ca})ensis ' for such 

 further information upon the latter subject as brings our 

 knowledge down to the period of his decease (18()6). 



The number of South African flowering plants supposed to 

 be contained in European Herbaria was, in 1838, estimated 

 bv Dr. Harvey at 7860, comprised in 937 genera; this was 

 belbie the exploration of the Natal district. The number is 

 estimated in the present edition at 8777 epecies, contained in 

 ]209 genera. 



