PREFACE. XI 



Europe, some standard European work has always been quoted — viz., 

 Hooker's Students' Flora for British Plants, Eeichenbach's Icones Florae 

 GermanicEe — wherever it seemed desirable to quote a good illustration, 

 and when necessary for special reasons — Mathieu's admirable Flore 

 Forestiere de la France, and Willkomm's Forstliohe Flora von Deijtschland 

 und Q&terreich, as far as that work had appeared. Eeichenbach's Icones 

 were selected, because vols. xi. and xii., which contain most arborescent 

 genera of Central Europe, are sold separately at a moderate price. Other 

 botanical works have been quoted where it appeared necessary for purposes 

 of identification, but as sparingly as possible. A few Synonyms have 

 been added, but only those used in standard books on Indian botany. 

 Exceptions have occasionally been made in favour of names occurring in 

 "Wallich's catalogue, De Candolle's Prodromus, and a few other works. 



The spelling of botanical names in Bentham and Hooker's Genera 

 Plantarum has been adhered to, and in the subsequent Orders the practice 

 of the leading botanists has been followed. Hence, among others, the 

 old spelling of Pyrus, Cineliona, Flumeria, and Briedelia, has been main- 

 tained, though if the names were to be altered in accordance with their 

 derivation, it would be necessary to write Pirus, Ghinchona, Plumiera 

 and Bridelia ; but these are not the names under which the genera were 

 originally described, and by which, with few exceptions, they have been 

 known ever since. 



After the systematic, English, and other European names of the tree, 

 the Sanskrit name has been given wherever it seemed probable that it 

 referred to the species described. In a few instances,, Arabic and Persian 

 names have also been added. The vernacular names which follow are, as a 

 rule, arranged according to the provinces or districts in which they are used, 

 but in many cases it was impossible to indicate the language to which 

 they belong. In spite of all the labour bestowed on it, this portion of the 

 book may be found one of its weakest points. Yet the critical examina- 

 tion of the vernacular names of the different Indian languages, and their 

 derivation from the Sanskrit or other root, will be found a most interesting 

 and important study. Forestry in India is as yet too much like an exotic 

 plant. I have no greater wish in connection with it than to see it 

 naturalised ; and one of the first steps in that direction must be the 

 establishment of fixed names and technical terms in the vernacular. 

 The forester should not despise vernacular names, for in many instances 

 they have a fixity which systematic names do not yet possess. We all 

 know the evergreen Khirni, and there can be no mistake about it ; but 

 botanists are not yet agreed whether the tree shall be called Mimusops 

 indica, hexandra, or Kauki. Kamela, or Kamila, is a well-known small 

 tree ; its systematic name among Indian botanists, however, which for 

 more than half a century was Rottlera tinctoria, has now and properly 



