4 INTRODUCTION. 



rapid excursions ; but they are often sufficiently 

 designed to be known and classed. When they 

 have been neglected by our scrupulous Compi- 

 lers, I shall make it a point to restore them, and 

 admit them by proper names, pointing out their 

 affinities and natural analogies. 



Within this Century a crowd of travellers or 

 explorers have partly made known the treasures 

 of a luxuriant vegetation in South America, Af- 

 rica, India, Madagascar, Japan, Polynesia, Aus- 

 tralia, &c. but only a part of their discoveries 

 have been published, and even that part is some- 

 times neglected by the Botanists that do not 

 travel. 



Even now there are some Regions of the 

 Earth, of which we know little or nothing, as to 

 their Trees, Shrubs and Plants. Such are for 

 instance Western China, Thibet, Central Tar- 

 tary. Eastern Africa, North Australia, Papua, 

 Borneo, and in America, Western Brazil, Boli- 

 via, Nicaragua and Guatimala, &/C. 



Therefore we have yet an ample field before 

 us, in attempting to complete the knowledge of 

 the woodv Bodies of our Globe, both as to as- 

 certaining them all and naming, describing, fi- 

 guring and classifying them properly. 



In this little work nothing else will be attempt- 

 ed but to collect and restore the chief Genera 

 omitted or mistaken, adding some new ones, rec- 

 tifying their names, sometimes their species, 

 classifying those deemed doubtful, and tracing 

 their botanical affinities. I have already done 

 so for many in my former works, and above all 

 in my Flora Telluriana, also New Sylva and 

 Pomona of North America. Here I mean to 

 give additions thereto, and in fact to all the Bo- 

 tanical works, where the labors of Adanson and 



