G INTRODUCTION. 



by climbing Monocotyles, arid the Stelmians or 

 Crowned Monocotyles, akin to Palms, are ad- 

 ditional and more natural. 



For these forms, my remarks on habit, classi- 

 fication and other details, I refer to the first part 

 of my FLORA TKLLURIANA, and to the Introduc- 

 tion to my New Sylva of North America for 

 the geographical range of Trees : which I as- 

 sert to form the principal feature in the botani-* 

 cal regions of the Earth. 



To explain th% ; s fact would require many il- 

 lustrations and details, more suitable for a Ge- 

 neral Sylva Tdluriana, (when it shall be under- 

 taken) than a simple Mantissa or Supplement 

 like this. Then it will be easy to show how 

 some peculiar Genera of Trees prevail or are 

 peculiar to each Region, just like the Oaks in 

 North America and Mexico, the Willows and 

 Roses in Northern Regions, the Palms in tro- 

 pical Regions, &e. It has lately been proposed 

 to distinguish and denominate these Regions by 

 the prevailing Genera of Plants ; but I should 

 think the prevailing Trees ought to obtain the 

 preference. 



There are woody forms either Generic or 

 Specific in almost all the Natural Orders and 

 Families, and even among the Ferns, Fungi, &c. 

 However the perennial Stem of all the Cellular 

 Plants are quite peculiar and not proper wood : 

 those of Monocotyles assume also a peculiar 

 texture and extraordinary forms, as in Ferns, 

 Lycopodes, Equisetides; while the Mosses and 

 Hepatites, are totally herbaceous even when 

 perennial. Lilies, Orchides, Aroides, Grasses, 

 &c., when assuming a frutescent form, have al- 

 ways some peculiar structure, quite different from 

 the real Trees and Shrubs of the Dicotyle Series. 



