xil PREFACE. 



as small and economical a scale as is compatible with ac- 

 curacy. The delineations will often be useful to the stu- 

 dent where words are not sufficiently intelligible. 



It has been the aim of this publication, to give all the 

 references to good figures that could be admitted, consist- 

 ently with its limited nature ; always preferring those 

 which are the fullest and most accurate. Many that exist 

 in the books of the older authors, as Sloane, Plukenet and 

 even Plumier, are often purposely omitted (though quoted 

 by other writers) as only tending to mislead. The fructi- 

 fication and venation were, at the time they wrote, too lit- 

 tle regarded j and every botanist is now aware that, in a 

 multitude of instances, some species of one genus resem- 

 ble others of different genera, in almost every particular 

 save this, the most important one. 



There remains, what is no less the pleasm*e of the author 

 than his duty, to acknowledge the much assistance derived 

 from various botanists and travellers, in the services ren- 

 dered to the present work, by their most liberal communi- 

 cation of specimens. Their names will be found recorded 

 under the individual species. Hence, he trusts, it cannot 

 be considered necessary to enumerate them in the present 

 place, separately. To Dr. Wallich, however, he feels that 

 something is due, beyond the bare mention of his name on 

 such occasions. It was the disinterested liberality of that 



