iv GASSELL'S DICTIONARY OF GARDENING. 



which the differences of botanists have left the most prominent. The Genera Plantarum, 

 the Index Kewensis, and the Kew Hand-Lists have all been carefully consulted, and, if 

 anyone attacks me, I have at least the satisfaction of contemplating an array of 

 ponderous tomes ready to hurl at him, the weight of which will cause him severe shocks 

 and smarts. In most cases of conflict between authorities, the official Kew publications 

 have been taken as decisive. 



Kew has been followed, though not without reluctance, in dropping capitals from 

 Latinised adjectival names, but this is no great matter. 



The task of dictionary-making bristles with pitfalls, and it is idle to suppose that 

 there is no weak spot for the carping critic to assail. But carping critics, if in the main 

 less important than they affect to be, have their uses as advertising media, and while 

 protesting that nothing which care and diligence can do to make the work perfect has 

 been left undone, I beg to express a hope that the man who finds eriors,. and sets cut 

 to expose them, will do so in as large type as possible. 



I desire to acknowledge much valuable assistance in preparing this work from 

 Mr. S. Arnott, of Carsethorn, N.B., Mr. John Fraser, of Kew, Mr. Alexander S. Gilt, late 

 of Kew, and Mr. Horace J. Wright, formerly of the Jardin de.s Plantes, Paris ; as well 

 as useful contributions from Mr. George H. Hollingworth, formerly of Alton Towers 

 Gardens, and now of my lecturing staff. Whenever wrestles with names seemed like 

 driving me to distraction, one or other of these gentlemen came cheerfully along to 

 smooth the tangled way, and help reason to retain her seat. 



WALTER P. WRIGHT. 



ABBREVIATIONS. 



The following are the principal abbreviations used throughout the work. Height: ', feet; 



".inches. Months: Jan., January ; Feb., February; Mch , March ; A p., April ; My., May ; 



Je., June; Jy., July ; Aug., August : Sep., September ; Oct., October ; Nov., November ; 



Dec, December. Hardiness: hdy., hardy; hlf-hdy, half-hardy; grh., greenhouse; 



at, stove. Duration or Character: ann., annual; bien., biennial; per., perennial; 



shr., shrub ; cl., climber; ev., evergreen. Colour: bl., blue : crim., crimson ; sc., scarlet ; 



wh., white ; vio., violet ; HI., lilac ; pur., purple ; yel., yellow ; ro., rose ; car., carmine : 



or., orange ; br., browu ; blk., black. Miscellaneous: ord.,. natural order ; syn., synonym : 



Ivs., leaves ; var., variet 

 The principal cross references are given in the body of the pages ; minor cross references are 



relegated to small type at the foot of the pages on which they fall alphabetically, in order 



to economise space. 

 An Illustrated Glossary will be found at the end of the Dictionary. 



