ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 117 



(Bentham), 2190; Umbelliferse, 1620; Grasses, 3544; 

 and Cyperaceae (Kunth, Enumeratio Plantarum), 2000 ; 

 we shall perceive that the Berlin Botanic Garden cultivates, 

 of the very large families (Compositse, Leguminosse, and 

 Grasses), only l-7th, l-8th, and l-9th ; and of the small 

 families (Labiatse and Umbelliferse), about l-5th, or l-4th, 

 of described species. If, then, we estimate the number of all 

 the different phsenogamous plants cultivated at one time in all 

 the botanic gardens of Europe at 20000, we find that the culti- 

 vated species appear to be about the eighth part of those which 

 are already either described or preserved in herbariums, and 

 that these must nearly amount to 160000. This estimate 

 need not be thought excessive, since of many of the 

 larger families, (for example, Guttiferse, Malpighiacese, Me- 

 lastomese, Myrtacese, and Eubiacese), hardly a hundredth 

 part are found in our garden." If we take the number 

 given by Loudon in his Hortus Britannicus (26660 species) 

 as a basis, we shall find, (according to the justly drawn 

 succession of inferences of Professor Kunth, in the manu- 

 script notices from which I have borrowed the above), the 

 estimate of 160000 species rise to 213000 ; and even this 

 is still very moderate, for Heynhold's Noinenclator botanicus 

 hortensis (1846) even rates the phsenogamous species then 

 cultivated at 35600 ; whereas I have employed London's num- 

 ber for 1832, viz. 26660. On the whole it would appear from 

 what has been said, and the conclusion is at first sight a 

 sufficiently striking one, that at present there are almost 

 more known species of phsenogamous plants (with which we are 



