1 8 INTBOD UCTION. 



In this catalogue the descriptions of the different -species giv< 

 in the texb are taken from specimens I have personally examinee 

 a list is appended at the end of each genus of such as are not repr 

 sented in the collections to which I have had access, and in the 

 cases the definitions are copied from the books in which they a: 

 described. I am far from supposing that my work is free fro 

 inaccuracy, but every species of which I have given the characte 

 can be examined, either in bulk or as a mounted object, in tl 

 British Museum collection. The specimens I have supplied 

 supplement the collection are indicated in the following pag 

 under each species by the letters L:B.M. 



The rules which govern the nomenclature of species, laid dov 

 by Alph. de Candolle, " Laws of Botanical Nomenclature" (1866 

 and adopted by botanists, require that the first authentic specil 

 name published under the genus in which the species now stan 

 shall take precedence of all others. Compliance with this directi< 

 has occasioned considerable alteration of the names given 

 Eostafinski's Monograph, in which work a severe attention 

 this important principle has not been observed. I am great 

 indebted to Mr. Oarruthers, who, in addition to other valual 

 assistance, has traced the history of each species in the volum 

 of the British Museum Library, and made the necessary correctioi 



I offer my grateful acknowledgments to those through whc 

 courtesy I have been enabled to study the various herbariu 

 specimens that have come under my notice ; to the Director 

 the Boyal Gardens at Kew for giving me special facilities f 

 inve.stigating the collection under his care, which includ 

 Berkeley's precious series, containing a great number of origin 

 types from India, New Zealand, and America that suppH 

 Rostafinski with a large part of the material introduced in 

 the Appendix to his Monograph. These types are to a lar 

 extent' dupKcated in Broome's and Eavenel's collections in t 

 British Museum. To Professor Bayley Balfour I return e 

 thanks for much friendly assistance and for the opportunity 

 inspecting the specimens in the Royal Herbarium at Edinburg 

 including Greville's collection and an almost complete set 

 type examples supplied by the late Professor de Bary ; to Profess 

 van Tieghem for the inspection of the collection of the Pai 

 Museum ; to Professor A. Blytt for an opportunity of examini 

 the most important types in the Museum at Christiania ; 

 Dr. Boerlage for giving me access to the Leyden collections ; a: 

 especially to Graf zu Solms-Laubach for the privilege afforded i 

 of inspecting de Bary's invaluable collection at Strassburg, co 

 taining a large proportion of the type" specimens referred to 

 Eostafinski in his original Monograph; to Dr. Eex, of Phi] 

 delphia, for a nearly complete series of the species found in t 

 United States of America, now represented in the British Museu 

 collection, and for the communication of his views on a group 

 which he has devoted many years of careful research. I am a] 

 grateful to my friend Professor Farlow for many valuable spei 



