INTRODUCTION. Vli 



The flora as here recorded is composed of species as follows : 



Bahama Flora EDdemJc 



Spermatophyta 995 133 



Pteridophyta 33 



Bryophyta 69 1 



Thallophyta : 



Fimgi 150 18 



Lichens 197 19 



Algae (inel. Diatomeae) . . 519 14 



Myxomycetes 11 



1982 185 



The Fungi, except the Basidiomycetes, are as yet very incom- 

 pletely known, many more lichens probably exist in the Bahamas, 

 and the fresh-water and aerial algae have been little collected or 

 studied. Practically nothing is known about the Bacteria. 



In addition to the numerous collections made by the authors, or 

 under their supervision, the herbaria of the New York Botanical 

 Garden and the Field Museum of Natural History contain the per- 

 sonal herbarium of Mr. Lewis J. K. Brace and the prime set of the 

 collections of Mrs. Northrop, Dr. W. C. Coker, Mr. Wm. Cooper, 

 Mr. A. H. Curtiss, Mr. Alex. B. Wight, Dr. J. T. Rothroek and 

 Prof. F. S. Earle. In addition the Missouri Botanical Garden 

 kindly loaned to the authors the complete original collection of 

 Prof. A. S. Hitchcock. These collections enabled them to substan- 

 tiate the species published in DoUey's "Provisional List of the 

 Bahamas, etc."; Mrs. Northrop 's "Flora of New Providence and 

 Andros," and Coker 's "Vegetation of the Bahama Islands." The 

 authors have also, at various intervals, been able to consult the col- 

 lections of Catesby, Bggers, Hjalmarson, Daniell, Herrick, AUen, 

 Barbour and Bryant, and others deposited in European and Amer- 

 ican herbaria. This has rendered possible the critical notes and ob- 

 servations recorded in the text concerning a large number of species 

 heretofore erroneously accredited to the Bahamas. 



In addition to the exsiccatae mentioned above a complete series 

 of living orchids, cacti and bromeliads, together with many other 

 plants of special interest were brought into the Garden conserva- 

 tories and there observed through several flowering seasons. 



The authors have not included cultivated species except such as 

 have shown a strong tendency to become spontaneous. 



