PREFACE. XXl 



Zurich, and a great German critic has been pleased 

 to reckon it inferior only to the Flora Germanka of 

 Schrader. The author cannot but wish so liioh a 

 compliment were better deserved. The Compen- 

 dium Florae. BritanniccE is an epitome of this work, 

 containing the specific characters entire, with a few 

 additional remarks. This has been reprinted, and 

 accommodated to the German Flora, by Professor 

 Hoffmann, at Gottingen ; and the late Mr. Galpine 

 published an English translation, at Salisbury, in 

 1806. 



Dr. Hull of Manchester has furnished the Eng-lish 

 student with a British Flora in his native language, 

 of which there are two editions. 



Notwithstanding all these publications upon Bri- 

 tish Plants, the want of a more complete and au- 

 thentic work in English, unexceptionable in phra- 

 seology, has been generally felt and acknowledged ; 

 insomuch that various applications have, from time 

 to time, been made to me, for permission to translate 

 the Flora Britamiica, or to compile an English 

 work from that and the English Botany ; for it has 

 been observed by some persons that " a British Flora 

 can in future be no more than a compilation." Such 

 projects, and such views of the subject, made me 

 sensible of the necessity of my undertaking an 

 Efigiish Flora ; and since this intention has been 

 announced, the calls for its accomplishment have 

 multiplied, so that I find myself under an obligation 

 to make, at least, a beginning, by publishing two vo- 

 lumes in the first place, and proceeding immediately 

 with the remainder. 



Having now, for more than thirty years, had the 



