Book I. 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE BRITISH FLORA. 



207 



974. The natives of Britain which enter into this Hortus are upwards of 1400 species ; 

 but the native British Flora contains in all above 3300 species. Of these there are about 

 1437 cotyledonous plants, and nearly 1893 of imperfect, or of what are termed, in the 

 Jussieuean system, acotyledoneae. 



975. Of the cotyledonous or perfect plants, 182 are trees or shrubs; 855 are peren- 

 nials ; 60 are biennials, and 340 annuals. Of the trees and shrubs, 47 are trees ; 25 

 above thirty feet high, and the remainder under thirty, but above 10 feet high. Of the 

 perennials 83 are grasses ; the next greatest number belong to the two first orders of the 

 class Pentandria ; the next to the Syngenesia ; and the third to Moncecia Triandria, or 

 the Cyperacese of Jussieu, comprehending chiefly the genus Carex. Most of the bien- 

 nials belong to the first order of the 1 9th class, and the two first orders of Pentandria. 

 There are 41 annual grasses ; 52 annuals belong to the two first orders of Pentandria ; 

 and the next greatest number of annuals to Diadelphia Decandria, which includes the tre- 

 foils and vetches. 



976. Of the Cryptogamece, or imperfect plants, 800 are fungi; 18 algae; 373 lichens; 

 85 hepaticae ; 460 musci ; and 130 ferns ; according to an estimate (in Rees's Cyclop, art. 

 Plant,) understood to be made by Sir J. E. Smith. 



977. In regard to the distribution of the perfect plants as to elevation, little or nothing 

 has been yet generalised on the subject. In regard to soils, 276 are found in bogs, and 

 marshy or moist places ; 140 on the sea-shores ; 128 in cultivated grounds ; 121 in mea- 

 dows and pastures; 78 in sandy grounds ; 76 in hedges and on hedge-banks ; 70 on 

 chalky and other calcareous soils ; 64 on heaths ; 60 in woods ; 30 on walls ; 29 on 

 rocks ; and 1 9 on salt-marshes ; — reckoning from Galpine's Compend. FL Brit. 



978. In the distribution of the CryptogamecB, the ferns prevail in rocky places and wastes ; 

 most of the musci, hepatici, and lichens, on rocks and trees ; most of the fuci and algae 

 in the sea ; and of the fungi, on decaying vegetable bodies, especially trunks of trees, 

 manures, &c. 



979. In respect to geographical distribution, the mountainous and hilly districts of Eng- 

 land and South Wales are most prolific ; the greatest number, according to extent of sur- 

 face, are found in England and Wales, and the smallest number in Ireland. 



980. The genera of the native British Flora have been already arranged according to the 

 Linnaean and Jussieuean systems (where they are distinguished by marks *) ; they enter 

 into 23 classes and 71 orders of the former, and 8 classes and 121 orders of the latter 

 system. 



981. With respect to the uses or aj)plication of the native Flora, there are about 18 sorts 

 of wild fruits which may be eaten, exclusive of the wild apple and pear ; but only the 

 pear, apple, plum, currant, raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry, are gathered wild, or 

 cultivated in gardens. There are about 20 boiling culinary plants natives, including the 

 cabbage, sea-kale, asparagus, turnip, carrot, and parsnep. There are about the same 

 number of spinaceous plants, salading, and pot and sweet herbs, which may be used, but 

 of which but a few only enter into the dietetics of modern cooks. There are three fungi, 

 in general use, the mushroom, truffle, and morel; and various others, as well as about 

 eight species of sea-weeds, are occasionally eaten. There are about six native plants 

 cultivated as florists' flowers, including the primula elatior, crocus, narcissus, dianthus, 

 &c. Nearly 100 grasses, clovers, and leguminous plants are used in agriculture, or serve 

 in their native places of growth as pasturage for cattle. Two native plants, the oat and 

 the big, or wild barley, are cultivated as farinaceous grains. Most of the trees are used 

 in the mechanical arts, for fuel, or for tanning : one plant, the flax, not an aboriginal 

 native, but now naturalised, affords fibre for the manufacture of linen cloth. Various 

 plants yield colored juices, which may be, and in part are, used in dyeing ; and some hundred 

 species have been, and a few are still used in medicine. About 20 cotyledonous plants, 

 and above 50 cryptogameee, chiefly fungi, are, or are reputed to be, poisonous, both to 

 men and cattle. . 



982. By the artificial Flora of Britain, we understand such of the native plants as admit of 

 preservation or culture in gardens ; and such exotics as are grown there, whether in the open 

 ground, or in different descriptions of plant habitations. The total number of species 

 Which compose this Flora, or Hortus Britannicus, as taken from Sweet's catalogue, is, as 

 already observed (973.), about 13,000, including botanists' varieties, and excluding 

 agamous plants. This is nearly a fourth part of the estimated Flora of our globe, and 

 maybe considered in regard to the countries from whence the plants were introduced; 

 the periods of their introduction ; their obvious divisions ; their systematic classification ; 

 their garden habitations ; their application ; and their native habitations. 



983. With respect to the native countries of the artificial Flora or Hortus Britannicus, 

 of 970 species the native countries are unknown ; the remaining 12,000 species were first 

 introduced from the following countries : — 



