PREFACE. Vn 



except where changes were necessary. Beyond the Compositae, the Flora is not written 

 out, nor have all the plants of the remaining orders been critically studied ; so that here- 

 after changes will probably be made in a few of the species described in these volumes, 

 when they are reexamined to take their place in the larger work of Dr. Gray and myself. 

 Remarks on the medicinal and economical uses of the plants, as well as miscellaneous 

 observations, are placed immediately after the detailed descriptions, and not in a separate 

 part of the work. In the tables at the end of the second volume will be found a list of all 

 the natural orders of which we have representatives in the State of New-York, with the 

 number of species belonging to each, andthe proportion which they bear to the whole of 

 the flowering plants, as well as to the two grand divisions of these. It will be seen that 

 our most numerous dicotyledonous orders are the Ranunculace^, which constitute about 

 ^'jth of the flowering plants ; the Crucifeu^, y'jth ; the Leguminos^, ^'^th ; Rosacea, 

 j'yth ; the Umbellifer^, j'^th ; the Compositje, |th ; the Ericace^, ^'jth ; the Labiate, 

 y'jd ; and Scrophulariace^, jVth. Of monocotyledonous plants, there are but three large 

 orders, viz. Orchidaceje, which form about ^'^th of our flowering plants ; Cyperace^, Jth ; 

 and Gramine^, tV'Ii- These proportions will vary but little from the average for the 

 whole Flora of North America. 



We may take a more popular view of the vegetation of the State. The whole number 

 of flowering plants has been stated to be about 1450 species. Of these about 1200 are 

 herbaceous, and 150 may be regarded as ornamental. Of woody plants there are 250 

 species, including about 80 that attain to the stature of trees, many of which are employed 

 in the arts, or are used as fuel. Of plants that are reputed to possess medicinal properties, 

 we have (native and naturalized) 150 species. 



The naturalized plants of the State exceed 160 species. Many of them have been intro- 

 duced from Europe, with grain and other agricultural products ; and among them are to be 

 found most of our troublesome weeds. Indeed, throughout the Northern States, almost all 

 the plants that are injurious to the farmer are of foreign origin. Many useful species, 

 likewise, have become so thoroughly naturalized and widely spread, that they every where 

 spring spontaneously from the soil. The grasses of our meadows, parks, lawns and road- 

 sides, are, with few exceptions, naturalized European species. The following are the 

 principal kinds : Phleum pratense, Agrostis polymorpha, Jlnthoxanthxim odoratum, Holcus 

 lanatus, Fcstuca pratensis, Poa annua, P. trivialis, P. pratensis, P. compressa, Dactylis 

 glomerata, and Lolium pratense. 



According to the instructions received with my appointment, I have prepared an herba- 

 rium of the plants found within the limits of the State. The specimens are conveniently 

 arranged for reference in about 50 folio volumes, and are deposited in the Cabinet of 

 Natural History at Albany. Six other sets of the plants have also been prepared, which 

 it is understood are to be presented to public institutions. 



It is by no means asserted that all the plants of New- York are described in this Report. 

 The State embraces an area equal to the whole of Great Britain ; and notwithstanding the 

 assiduous explorations of numerous botanists for many years, additions are still made, 



