F^r^E 1^.^.0 E. 



In presenting this volume of figures and descriptions of 100 of the Natal 

 indigenous grasses, it is with pleasure that I acknowledge our great indebtedness 

 to the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, for permission to use the descriptions 

 of these plants as given in Vol. VII. of the Flora Capensis, since the descriptions 

 here given are taken entire from that work, the only differences being the division 

 into paragraphs, and the use of capitals and italics, with the object of making them 

 easier of reference for those not accustomed to botanical descriptions. To Dr. 

 Stapf, who has been responsible for the work on this difficult Order, our very 

 hearty thanks are also due. 



To the • list of the habitats of the different species as given in the Flora 

 Capensis. I have added those taken from the specimens in our Herbarium, and I 

 regret that so very little local information could be given as to the value of the 

 species as fodder or grazing plants, such information is not easily obtained in a 

 country where the species, or but few of them, have any distinctive vernacular 

 names, but it is hoped that the publication of this work will be of some assistance 

 in the way of gathering information together for publication in a separate form. 

 It will be noticed that there is a difference between the Plates Nos. 1 to 50, and 

 those from 51 to 100, the first 50 were drawn on transfer paper, the second 50 were 

 drawn on an enlarged scale with Indian ink, and then transferred to the stone by 

 the photo-lithographic process, this was done by the advice of Mr. John Singleton, 

 who has very successfully carried out the lithographic work, and to whom I am 

 much indebted for the suggestion. 



I have also to offer my thanks to all those persons who assisted by contributing 

 specimens, and in some cases information also, to Mr. Mason for specimens collected 

 in the Mooi River district, Mr. J. T. St. George for specimens collected near 

 Maritzburg, and Messrs. Jenkinson and Swanfield for Zululand specimens. The set 

 of specimens collected by the late Rev. John Buchanan, which is now in the 

 Herbarium, has been of the greatest service, especially so as the numbers are so 

 frequently referred to in the Flora Capensis. A number of specimens collected in 

 the Dundee district by the late Mr. W. E. Green have also been very useful. The 

 drawings and dissections were done in the Herbarium by Miss Lauth, and the 

 drawings of the several parts have been compared, both with the plants and with 

 Dr. Stapf's descriptions. At the end of the volume I note a, few corrections of the 

 details which were discovered on going over the drawings when the last part of 

 the volume was completed. 



In conclusion, it is necessary for me to state that, without the liberal grants 

 allowed by Government for the different parts of this work as published, it would 

 not be possible for it to be continued, except at such a loss as the Botanic Society 

 would not be justified in accepting. 



J. MEDLEY WOOD, 



Director. 



