120 BOTANY OF INDU. 



Dr. Wight's intention to publish his discoveries, and in the 

 distribution of his duplicates to follow the example of the 

 East India Company. 



It is extremely difBcult to form an estimate of the probable 

 extent of the Indian flora, the vegetation of many parts of 

 the country being entirely unknown, and almost everywhere 

 very imperfectly explored. In fact, in the remote districts, 

 little more has been done than to follow the courses of 

 rivers. The herbarium in the museum of the East India 

 Company contains about 9000 species, including those known 

 and described by Roxburgh in his manuscript catalogue, 

 most of which were at that time new. To this amount 

 remain to be added a considerable number of new species in 

 the collection of Dr. Wight. It is the opinion of the latter 

 gentleman, that when he returns to India he shall be able 

 to collect as many species in the presidency of Madras alone 

 as we possess at present from the whole of our possessions 

 there. Dr. Wallich obtained, from his own personal exer- 

 tions in the valley of Nepaul and within an area of about 

 sixty miles in circumference, upwards of 2500 species. 

 Twelve months was the space of lime devoted to this labour, 

 and it cannot be supposed that he succeeded in discovering 

 all the vegetable productions of that district. From these 

 and other data, it has been calculated by Dr. Wallich that 

 we are not acquainted, at the present moment, with more 

 than the eighth part of the flora of India ; an estimate by no 

 means improbable, but which gives to India itself as many 

 species of plants as we find described in botanical works. 



By the discoveries of Dr. Wallich and his zealous coadju- 

 tors, a great accession of knowledge has been gained re- 

 specting the geographical distribution of many natural fami- 

 lies of plants ; and although this will be developed in a more 

 perfect and useful manner when his collections shall have 

 been described, yet even a list of those families which have 

 heen ascertained to belong (as far as we know) exclusively 

 to India, or to abound, or to have their maximum in that 

 country, will not, we hope, be without interest to the bo- 

 tanical reader. 



The following families are exclusively Indian : — Chlena- 

 cese (confined to the island of Madagascar), Dipterocarpese, 

 MemecyleiB, Alangieae, Aquilarines?^ Stilagineae, Brexiacea 



