vi INTRODUCTION. 



profitable; there are Grasses which yield an early crop, and 

 there are others that are much later in their growth. Again, 

 some species nourish best on a strong clayey soil, others where 

 it is dry and gravelly, and others in damp situations. Grasses 

 are to be found everywhere, by the sea-side, in brackish water, 

 on mountain tops, in woods, swamps, sandy plains, in short 

 whichever way we turn Grasses are to be seen. 



For works treating on the British Grasses, we are indebted 

 to Sir James Edward Smith, who has, in his "English Flora," 

 devoted many pages to this subject; to Sir William Jackson 

 Hooker, and Dr. Arnott, who have also devoted much space 

 to the Grasses, in their "British Flora;" to Mr. Sowerby, 

 who, in his "English Botany," has a whole volume on the 

 Grasses. 



Other works published on this subject are "Gramina Britan- 

 nica," by J. L. Knapp, published in 1804; Withering's "British 

 Plants," published in 1796; Hudson's "Flora Anglica," published 

 in 1778; Curtis's "British Grasses," published in 1790; Schreber's 

 "Beschreibung der Graser," published in 1769; De Candolle's 

 "Flora Fran9ois," published in 1805-15; Deering's "Catalogue 

 of Plants round Nottingham;" the works of Ehrhart, published 

 about 1790; Grave's "Monograph on the British Grasses," 

 published in 1822; Jussieu's works; Leer's "Flora Herbornensis;" 

 Linnaeus, various works; Martyn's "Flora Rustica, 1791;" Peti- 

 ver's "Graminum," etc., published in 1717; Schrader's works; 

 Sinclair's "Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis," published in 1816; 

 Willdenow's works; Gouan's "Hortus Regius Monspeliensis," 

 published in 1762; Oeder's "Flora Danica," published in 1766; 

 Plukenet's various works; Morison's "Historia Plantarum Uni- 

 versalis," published in 1680; Scheuchzer's works; Haller's 

 "Historia Stirpium Indigenarum Helvetia;," published in 1768; 

 Hoffmann's "Deutschlands Flora;" Sibthorp's "Flora Oxoniensis," 

 published in 1794; Roth's "Tantamen Flora Germanics," pub- 

 lished in 1778; Lightfoot's "Flora Scotica;" Gerarde's "Herball," 



