iv 
“ such a list would give information respecting many new plants 
“ grown at Kew, and distributed, in course of exchanges, to 
“ correspondents in all parts of the world, it has been determined 
“to continue the list as one of the regular issues of the Kew 
“ Bulletin. It is believed that such a publication will be of 
“ service to the horticultural world generally.” 
This expectation has been amply fulfilled, and the publication 
of the lists has been continued annually. From 1890 this has 
been done in the form of an appendix to the Bulletin. Several 
correspondents at Kew have found it convenient to cut up the 
lists and post up their contents in the form of a continuous 
alphabetical catalogue. It is obvious that, for the purpose of 
running down a name, a search through a long series of annual 
lists becomes increasingly tedious. It was therefore felt that it 
would bea boon to others besides Kew to combine the lists for, 
at any rate, a considerable period in one volume. 
The Kew Library contains copies of the lists published in the 
Gardeners’ Year Book for the years 1862 to 1878 and 1880 to 
1886. Every effort has been made to obtain a copy of that for 
1879, but without success. The only one known to exist (apart 
from public libraries) is that in the possession of the proprietors 
of the Journal of Horticulture, and this has been most obligingly 
lent to Kew for transcription. 
The new plants of 1876 to 1885 were catalogued for the 
Gardeners’ Year Book by Mr. N. E. Brown, A.L.S., an Assistant 
in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens—as unofficial 
work. He proceeded on a definite plan which has been continued 
since. It was therefore considered advisable in preparing the 
present list to start with the new plants of 1876. 
The lists published in the Kew Bulletin are now prepared as 
routine work by the Staff. 
In addition to species and well-marked varieties, hybrids, 
whether introduced or of garden origin, have been included 
where they have been described with formal botanical names. 
Mere cultural forms of well-known garden plants are omitted for 
obvious reasons. 
In every case the plant is cited under its published name. 
These are largely provisional and often wildly incorrect. When 
