VI PREFACE. 



Fuchsia, and of various tissues of EcMnocystis ; 

 Professor H. L. Smith, of Hobart College, Few 

 York, contributed tlie sketch of the classification of 

 the Diatomaceae ; Dr. T. F. Allen furnished a synop- 

 sis of the classification of the Characese ; Dr. B. D. 

 Halsted also furnished material and notes upon our 

 native species of Characese ; my colleague, Professor 

 W. H. Wynn, kindly determined some of the more 

 difficult etymologies ; to my wife I am deeply in- 

 debted for efficient aid in the laborious tasks of 

 proof-reading and indexing. 



Should this book serve to interest the student in 

 the study of plants as living things, should it succeed 

 in directing him rather to the plants themselves than 

 to the books which have been written about them, 

 should it contribute somewhat to the general read- 

 er' s knowledge of the striicture and relationship of 

 the plants around him, the objects kept in view in its 

 preparation will have been attained. 



\j, !E. £. 



April 13, 1880. 



PEBFAOE TO THE FIFTH EDITIOK 



In the preceding editions, which appeared, respectively, 

 in 1881, 1883, and 1885, a considerable number of correc- 

 tions and additions were made. In the present edition that 

 modification of the names of the second, third, and fourth 

 branches of the Vegetable Kingdom (Zygophyta. Oophyta, 

 Carpophyta) heretofore used in the " Essentials of Botany," 

 has been adopted, and a number of important paragraphs 

 have been added as foot-notes. 



C. E. B. 



Univebsity of Nebraska, 



Lincoln, December 34, 1887. 



