283 
* [n the mode of execution the pattern of the published volumes 
has been closely adhered to, I may again quote Professor Oliver’s 
“ < The “ Flora of Tropical Africa," forming one of the series - 
Floras undertaken, at the instance of the late Sir William J. Hooke 
under the authority of the Home or of Colonial nag it 
is ne T Ur uniform in general plan with ien which have been 
already is eom 
"VIS TDO bci a are drawn i UD in vh "Ekglish language, 
Mr. Bentham's * Introduction to Botany, drawn up with special 
reference to Local Floras," containing ‘on yere terms used in 
the descriptions, being prefixed to the 
* *2nd. The e general sequence of Nat mal yA adopted is that 
of the * Prodromus " of De Candolle, being a which experience 
has shown to be practically the most convenient. In accordance 
with this se od. British botanists are Fide pita to arrange 
their Herbaria and works of Descriptive Botany. In the more 
Messrs. Bentham and Hooker we Sd followed, and a reference 
to that work is given with each g 
** With regard to the pg ie oe the species here described, 
while the authors have endeavoured to quote all names whic 
have been applied to Tropical African e they dei ie in 
the case of widely diffused species, a. as either necessary 
or desirable to include their whole synonymy, the reliable citation 
of which would have involved very much more time, labour, and 
space than the end to be attained would warrant ; besides that, it 
would be out of place in a special work of this kind. Any new 
Seen oe Sear of African with extra-African species are, of course, 
orded.' 
E In one particular, however, I have iw obliged to depart 
slightly from the plan of my predecessor. The last = the ye 
published volumes of the ‘ Flora of dosi Africa’ ared i 
1877. fone nce then our knowledge of the vegetation ‘ns ectsased 
very greatly. Large tracts which were unexplored botanically at 
that date eh yielded numerous and copious eae apne 
resuming the work, it has therefore hoii found necessary to 
clearly define the regions into which Professor Oliver divided. the 
whole area. In attempting this, advantage has been taken as 
far as possible of political boundaries, since they admit o 
easy recognition. The regions may now be briefly defined as 
follows :— 
* UPPER GUINEA. —The Western Coast region from the mouth 
the Mes T Fernando Po. 
. NOR CENTRAL.—This includes the Sahar It 
bounded vi the north by the Tropic of Cancer; on vis west by 
