viii PREFACE. 



part of the HandbooK had not been revised by Mr. Bentham 

 since the publication of the first edition, and that the later 

 works of Watson, Nyman, &c., and many local Floras of the 

 north temperate regions, had not been consulted. 



J. D. HOOKER. 

 June 30, 1886. 



NOTE TO EDITION VI. 



IN revising Bentham's work for a sixth edition I have en- 

 deavoured to follow the course pursued in regard to its pre- 

 decessor, and which is explained at p. vii. of the Preface. 

 The only material modification which I have introduced has 

 been the omitting many of the duplicate English names of 

 the species, especially those that are mere translations of the 

 Latin names. The greater number of them was invented or 

 adopted by the late Professor Hensow, and generally settled 

 in consultation with Mr. Bentham and myself (see Preface, 

 edition 1, p. xiv.), for the use of village school-children, who 

 were not as a rule supposed to recognise the Latin names. 



The space thus obtained has enabled me in many cases to 

 introduce the characters of more of these well-marked forms 

 of variable species that were not differentiated in earlier 

 editions, and which forms, if not specially alluded to, mislead 

 beginners ; as also briefly to introduce the few species new to 

 the British Isles that have been discovered since the appear- 

 ance of the last edition (1886). It further enables me to bring 

 the work more into harmony with the " London Catalogue of 

 British Plants," edition 8, a most reliable index to all known 

 species and varieties of the flowering plants and ferns of our 

 islands, and in accordance with which most British botanists 



arrange their herbaria. 



J. D. HOOKER. 



June o, 



