PBEFACB. 



The genera most numerous in species are — 

 Panicum . 

 Ficus . . 

 Aspidium . 

 Fimbristyles 

 Cj'perus . 

 Asplenium 

 Polygonum 



5 genera have 7 species each. 

 10 „ 6 



7 „ 5 



14 „ 4 



19* 



43 genera have 3 species each. 



91 » 2 



408 „ 1 



"With regard to the Economic Botany of the island, to the uses to 

 which the Chinese apply any of the indigenous vegetable productions, or 

 to the plants -which they cultivate, we have no information beyond what 

 is contained in Seemann's ' Introduction to the Hongkong Flora ' above 

 quoted, derived chiefly from Dr. Hance's notes, and which it would be 

 needless here to repeat. It is much to be regretted that botanical col- 

 lectors pay so little attention to the cultivated vegetation of the coun- 

 tries they visit ; or if they do gather specimens, they are so frequently 

 worse than useless, not being distinguished from the indigenous ones. 

 Even wlien marked " cultivated," the specimens are seldom accompanied 

 by memoranda distinguishing those grown by a few individuals in gar- 

 dens for ornament or shade, from those which may form the standard 

 agricultural crops. And very rarely indeed have we any indication for 

 what special purpose the cultivated species or varieties are grown or the 

 indigenous ones collected. It is to be hoped that naturalists resident 

 for a time in the country will turn their attention to the subject, and 

 remit to us specimens and notes specially directed to the illustration of 

 the Economic Botany of Southern China. 



It only remains for me to state that in the form and language adopted 

 in the present work it has been my endeavour to follow out the princi- 

 ples laid down in the Introduction, so as to facilitate as much as possible 

 the finding out the name of any plant gathered in the island by the com- 

 parison of specimens with the descriptions here given. For this purpose 

 the Orders of the whole Flora, the genera of each Order, and the species 

 of each genus, are universally preceded by analytical tables in which their 

 more prominent characters are contrasted. In the descriptions them- 



