

INTRODUCTION xi 



The necessity of condensing to the utmost has made it impossible to quote 

 synonyms and literature more than was absolutely necessary. Under each 

 order Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plantarum, and under each genus 

 Hooker's Flora of Brifis/i India have always been quoted, otherwise as a rule 

 no literature has been given, with the exception of such illustrations as I 

 thought might be accessible to those who may use the book in India. 



With regard to the names of genera and species, I have with very few 

 exceptions, unless later authors had proved to my satisfaction the necessity 

 for a change, followed the Flora <;/' British India. In this matter I have 

 proceeded with great caution, for the change of a name always causes 

 inconvenience, loss of time, and often creates confusion. The arguments 

 brought forward in favour of a change may at first sight appear to be decisive. 

 and yet it often happens that some points have been overlooked. I have 

 not been able to follow Dr. Cooke, who, in his excellent Flora of Bombay, 

 calls the well-known Zizyphus nummularia, W. et A.. Z. rotundifolia, 

 Lam., nor do I feel justified in substituting Mitragyna, Korthals, for 

 iS7i ///(/ i/i/iii of the same author. 



Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plantarum has been my guide in regard to 

 the sequence of orders, with this sole exception, that Gymnosperms have 

 been placed at the end. In the following cases I have found it necessary, 

 following general]}- the arrangement in Engler u. Prantl, Naturlich* Pflanzen- 

 familien, to adopt a different limitation of orders : 1 Ancistrocladaceai have 

 been taken out of Dipte/rocarpea:. (2) Olacineai have been divided into the 

 two natural and well defined orders of Olacacor and Icacinaceai. '■> Sapin- 

 dacea here appear as three orders: Staphyleaceo3, Aceraceai and Sapindacea 

 proper. (4) Ericaceai here comprise two orders of Bentham and Hooker's 

 Genera Plantarum, Ericaceai and Vacciniaceat. •'•> Hernandiaceai consists 

 of Hernandia and 2 genera, placed under Combretaceai in the Genera 

 Plantarum. (6 Urticaceo?. have been divided into. Ulmaceai, M<trac<a> and 

 I~rticac(<r proper, and 7 I'npuliferoi into Betulaceai and Fagacem. 

 Filicium has been transferred from Burseraceai to Sapindacea;, Helwingia 

 from Araliacea to Qornaceai, and Reptonia from Myrsinaceai to Sapotacew. 

 The practical advantages of these alterations are very great, and will I trust 

 eventually be recognized by those who may use this book. In the ease of 

 Myrtaceoz and in one or two other instances I have adhered to the classifica- 

 tion of the Genera Plantarum, and have merely indicated the arrangement. 

 which in my opinion would be more natural. Wherever feasible I have 

 followed other Botanists in adopting the termination -aceat for all natural 

 orders. 



The descriptions ..f orders and genera as a rule relate only to flic genera 

 and species included in this work. As regards botanical terms, 1 desire to remind 

 the reader that a leaf is oblong, if its two sides are nearly parallel. This 

 term is often used erroneously for leaves with curved sides, narrowing gradu- 

 ally towards the two ends. In such ruses I employ the term elongate-elliptic 

 or ovate-lanceolate as the case may be. Secondary nerves are those which 

 branch off from the midrib, and tertiary those which branch oil' from the 

 Secondary nerves. In accordance with some leading systematic hand- 

 books the term albumen has been used. It would have been more COrrecl to 

 speak of perisperm in the ease of Piperaceai and of aidusjH rm in the case 

 of the other orders. I have only done so in the ease of bamboos and palms, as 

 well as in the Synopsis of Orders. In the Records of the Botanical Survey 



o/' India, 1 noticed lately that the metrical system has been used for the 

 dimensions of leaves and other organs. Most probably the metrical system 

 will eventually be adopted in India and (ireat Britain, but until tins is 



at mplished, foresters must continue to deal with acres, feet and inches. In 



a few eases, when stating the diameter ol vessels or other elements which 



can only be seen through a microscope, I had for obvious reasons to make an 

 exception. The few abbreviations used: I. for leaves, n. [or nerves, tl. for 



