IV. VEGETATION OF BRITAIN, 425 



40. Le^umini ferae. (General average 41). 



36. Cyperoides. Cruciferae. Amentiferae. Ulmaceae, 



34. EuphoibiacesB. Geniianaceae. Pinguiculaceae. 



33. Rosaceae, Cheuopodiitceae. Potamaceae. Ericaceae. 



Polygalaceae. Loranthaceae. 

 32. OrchidaceEB. Saxifragaceae. Cornaceae. 

 30. Crassulaceje. Berberaceae, or Berberis vulgaris. 

 29. Marsileaceae. Two inconspicuous aquatics. 

 28. Iridaceae. ConifertB. Thyineleaceae. 

 27. Grossulariaceae. Native distribution uncertain. 

 25. Hydrocharidaceae. Two aquatics ; one introduced ? 

 ■ 24. Amaryllidace^. Zosleraceae. Few species. 

 22. C eratophyllaceie. Two submersed aquatics. 

 21. Liliaceae. Campanulaceae. Plumbaginaceae. 

 20. Cuscutaceffi. Parasites, small and austral. 

 19. Tiliaceae. Santalaceae. One species each. 

 18. Apocynaceae. Vinca minor only. 

 16. Orobanchaceae. Species over-counted ? 

 14. IlJecebracese. Six species ; five of them austral. 

 11 Frankeniaceae. Frankenia laevis only. 

 10. Cistaeeae. Four species; two of them very local. 



9. Elatinaceae. Two very small aquatics. 



6. Balsaminaceaj. Asaraceae. One species each. 



6. Eleagnaceae. Hippophae rhamnoi<les only, 



2. Restiaceae. Eriocaulon septangulare only. 



In whatever manner exhibited, ordinal predominance 

 suffices only to give general ideas of the floral and vegetal 

 characteristics of any country. It passably well expresses 

 the prevailing character of the flora, and somewhat less 

 well also that of the vegetation. But this is in truth 

 nature looked at through conventional arrangements in 

 books ; and it can accord with and express the truths of 

 nature only so far as those conventional arrangements 

 succeed in doing this ; to wit, imperfectly, unequally, 

 capriciouslj', changeably, — too much modified by the 

 classifying crotchets, and vanities, and rivalries among 

 botanists. 



VOL. IV. 3 I 



