118 



THE FLORA OF WESTERN INDIA. 



Br G. Marshall Woodrow, Lecturer in Botany, 

 College of Science, Poona. 



Part I. 



(Read before the Bombay Natural History Society an 18th March^ 1897.)* 



Since the date of the Bombay Flora, by Dalzell and Gibson, a con- 

 siderable advance has been made in the number of plants observed ; 

 and a few interesting links in the chain of relationship to each other 

 and to foreign floras having been found, it is thought desirable to 

 publish a synopsis of the Flora of Western India — as at present known — 

 within the limits of the Bombay Presidency. The list will include the 

 scientific and vernacular names, reference to a description, and state the 

 place whence and the time when specimens were procured. The 

 greater part of the observations are the work of the members of the 

 Botanical Survey, Bombay*, when otherwise, the name of the observer 

 will be given ; and it is hoped that during the progress of the public- 

 ation numerous facts will be presented, which may be embodied in an 

 appendix. In work of this nature, we meet with the names of men 

 who have devoted part of their time and talents to the elucidation of 

 the flora, and a wish to know more of the lives and doings.of those men, 

 grows with the study of their work ; and it is probable that members, 

 of the Society may be in possession of facta regarding those early 

 workers in the Botany of Western India, and also regarding some 

 others, whose names have been omitted, which it is desirable to record. 

 Of the names connected with our botanical history, Jacquemont, 

 Hiigel and Hove have left indelible marks ; of Graham and Gibson 

 the names and virtues are carved in stone ; Stocks and Dalzell have- 

 left voluminous records of their interest in botany ; Law and Nimmo,, 

 Noton, Ritchie, Sykes and Vaupel are names one seeks to know more 

 about ; De Crespigny, Medical Officer at Ratnagiri, who was the friend 

 and companion of Stocks and communicated much of his work to the 

 herbarium at Poona, went over, in the winter of J 894-95 full of years 

 and honour ; of Sakharam Arjun and Narayen Daji we have pupils and 

 co-ad jutors with us who hold their names in reverence. Recently we 



* Dr. Theodore Cooke, Principal, College of Science, 1890-93 ; Mr. G. Marshall Wood- 

 row, Lecturer in Botany, College of Science, 1890 et seQ. ; Mr. N. B. Ranade, Herbarium 

 Keeper, College of Science, 1890 et seq. 



