PRKFACK vii 



culty was often experienced in making such generic keys uniform. I 

 hope, however, that the result may be found useful to those students 

 who are accustomed to work with keys, which at their best are not 

 always reliable. 



The synopsis of the Families is chiefly based upon the arrange- 

 ment of Bentham and Hooker, which adhered closely to that of de 

 Jussieu as modified by de Candolle. Dr. Rendle's " Classification of 

 Flowering Plants " (Vol. I, Gymnosperms and Monocotyledons) has 

 also been consulted ; and the author has kindly given me advice. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. Clarence Bicknell, of Bordighera, 

 for kindly lending me a number of his water-colour drawings of 

 flowers for reproduction in the work. Though the reproductions 

 are necessarily smaller than one could wish, they will greatly add 

 to the value of the book. The little half-tone vegetation scenes are 

 selected from a large number of photographs taken by me in 1912 

 and 1913. I have also to thank my friend Mr. A. G. Tansley, M.A., 

 of Cambridge, not only for help and encouragement but for his 

 kindness in writing an Introduction on Riviera Vegetation; and 

 my friends Messrs. H. W. Pugsley, B.A., and C. E. Salmon, 

 F.L.S., for revising the genera Fumaria and Statice respectively. 

 To Mr. J. F. Duthie, B.A., I am indebted also for some help last 

 spring on the Riviera ; while Mr. Raine of Hyeres has in the past 

 supplied me with specimens and shown me where interesting or rare 

 plants grow in his neighbourhood. Lastly, Dr. B. Daydon Jackson, 

 General Secretary of the Linnean Society, has always been ready 

 to give prompt assistance from his vast store of knowledge. 



The author of the charming "Riviera Nature Notes" (Mr. 

 Comerford-Casey) said he did riot confine himself to remarks about 

 the structure and affinities of the different species ; " for many 

 of the plants which surround us here have an interest other than 

 botanical. They are connected with history, with mythology and 

 with the outward symbolism of religion : they are enshrined in the 

 literature of Rome and Greece and Palestine, and associated with the 

 progress of mankind. To lose sight of this would be to do scanty justice 

 to the subject." Because it was impossible to lengthen the present 

 work to include many such interesting things, makes me rejoice all 

 the more that this aspect was treated so admirably by "C. C." 

 Many useful notes on the properties of some of the plants are to be 

 found in Professor Penzig's little " Flore coloriee de poche du Littoral 

 Mediterraneen," a book which deserves to be better illustrated. 



That there may be errors in a work of this description goes 

 without saying, for, as M. Favre says, " il n'y a que ceux qui ne font 

 rien qui ne se trompent pas " ; but it is hoped they are of no 

 great seriousness. However, the author will gladly avail himself of 

 any suggestions for a future edition, if they are kindly sent to him 

 through the publishers. 



H. S. THOMPSON 



12 January, 1914. 



