mTEOBUCTION si 



The necessit}^ of condensing to the utmost has made it impossible to quote 

 synonyms and literature more than was absolutely necessary. Under each 

 order Bentham and Hooker's Genera Flantaritm, and under each genus 

 Hooker's Flora of British India have always been quoted, otherwise as a rule 

 no literature has been given, with the exception of such illustrations as I 

 thought might be accessible to those who may use the book in India. 



With regard to the names of genera and species, I have with very few 

 exceptions, unless later authors had proved to my satisfaction the necessity 

 for a change, followed the Flora of British India. In this matter I have 

 proceeded with great caution, for the change of a name always causes 

 inconvenience, loss of time, and often creates confusion. The arguments 

 brought forward in favour of a change may at first sight appear to be decisive, 

 and yet it often happens that some points have been ovei-looked. I have 

 not been able to follow Dr. Oooke, who, in his excellent Flora of Bombay^ 

 calls the well-known ZizypJiuf, nummvlariaj W. et A., Z. rotimdifolia^ 

 Lam., nor do I feel justified in substituting Mitragyna^ Korthals, for 

 Btejpheyyne of the same author. 



Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plant arum has been -my guide in regard to 

 the sequence of orders, with this sole exception, that Gymnosperms have 

 been placed at the end. In the following cases I have found it necessary, 

 following generally the arrangement in Engler u. Prantl, Natilrliche Pflanzen- 

 familieyij to adopt a different limitation of orders : (1) Ancistrocladacece have 

 been taken out' of Dipterocarpea\ (2) Oladnea' have been divided into the 

 two natural and well defined orders of Olacacem and Icacinaceos. (3) Sajpin- 

 dacere here appear as three orders: Staphyleacece^ Aceracem and Sapindacew 

 proper. (4) Ericacem here comprise two orders of Bentham and Hooker's 

 Genera Plantarum^ Ericacece and Vacciniacece, (5) Ilernandiacece consists 

 of Ilernandia and 2 genera, placed under Combretacew in the Genera 

 Flanfarum. (6) Urticacece have been divided into Ulmacew^ Moraeem and 

 TJrtieacem proper, and (7) Ciipidifercp into Betulaoem and Fagacece. 

 Filicimn has been transferred from Burseracew to Sapindacew^ Hehvingia 

 from AraliacecB to Cornacem^ and Be^jtonla fi'om Myrsinacea' to Sapotacea\ 

 The practical advantages of these alterations are very great, and will I trust 

 eventually be i-ecognized by those who may use this book. In the case of 

 Myrtacece and in one or two other instances I have adhered to the classifica- 

 tion of the Genera Plantarum^ and have merely indicated the arrangement, 

 which in my opinion would be more natural. Wherever feasible I have 

 followed other Botanists in adopting the termination -aeeo^ for all natural 



orders. 



The descriptions of ordei^s and genera as a rule relate only to the genera 

 and species included in this work. As regards botanical terms, 1 desire to remind 

 the reader that a leaf is oblong^ if its two sides are nearly parallel. This 

 term is often used erroneously for leaves with curved sides, narrowing gradu- 

 ally towards the two ends. In such eases I employ the term elongate-elliptic 

 or ovate-lanceolate as the case may be. Secondary nerves are those which 

 branch off from the midrib, and tertiary those which branch off from the 

 secondary nerves. In accordance with some leading s^^stematic hand- 

 books the term albumen has been used. It would have been more correct to 

 speak of perisperm in the case of Piperacem and of endosperin in the case 

 of the other orders, I have only done so in the case of bamboos and palms, as 

 well as in the Synopsis of Orders. In the Records of the Botanical Survey 

 of India, I noticed lately that the metrical system has been used for the 

 dimensions of leaves and other organs. Most probably the metrical system 

 will eventually be adopted in India and Great Britain, but until this is 

 accomplished, foresters must continue to deal with acres, feet and inches. In 

 a few cases, when stating the diameter of vessels or other elements which 

 can only be seen through a microscope, I had for obvious reasons to make an 

 exception. The few abbreviations used; 1. for leaves, n. for nerves, fl.. for 



