; SF . 
LiBRPAp 
PREFACE. 
Exotic Fioras usually contain artificial keys 
to the determination of genera, sometimes even 
of species, whereas for the orders or families a 
general summary is at the most given. Those 
who do not possess an extensive knowledge of 
systematic botany will, therefore, find it difficult 
to ascertain the name of the order to which the 
plant under examination belongs, though this is 
necessarily the first step in every investigation. 
In some botanical manuals, it is true, short keys 
to the determination of the orders are to be 
found, but they are too short to be accurate, and 
most of them are somewhat antiquated. To 
supply this want IJ, in 1891, published a some- 
what elaborate key, entitled “ Anlevtung zum 
Bestummen der Familien der Phanerogamen,” 
which was afterwards, in an abbreviated form, 
translated into Japanese by Professor Ikeno. 
This key, however, was rather too detailed, and, 
for a work especially destined for exotic plants, 
the use of English was evidently preferable. I, 
therefore, determined to rewrite it completely, 
in the hope that it would better fulfil its purpose 
in the new form, in which I now present it to 
the public. From the above-mentioned tables, 
