TO DR. R. WIGHT. 



xlvii 



Hooker's genera Filicura is invaluable for the drawings, which are 

 very superior. It is singular he should like to publish without 

 arrangement. To me the only interest in science is generalisation. 

 But is not it strange, that so little should be known of the nature of 

 the organs, upon which the arrangement of Ferns should depend. 

 I should like to ask any Cryptogaraist what he means by an Indu- 

 sium, and what its nature is ?. What is a frond ? and why do you 

 call it a frond ? Few could answer these questions. Now my idea 

 is, first of all, study growth and structure ; then make use of terms, 

 or names of the structures. But it is curious that you rarely see 

 this practice or principle adopted. 



Munro has sent me some Agra plants, among which is an 

 Erodiura, much like an AfFghan one : so on looking over Endlicher 

 I found, that Erodium only differs from Geranium in one character, 

 yet that there is a dozen lines to each genus, otherwise identical. This 

 repetition of characters is the fault of the book, and it may be said 

 of books in general. Munro is on the hills, and I expect he will 

 make fine collections there. 



The pepper cardamoms and Bentinckia will be highly accep- 

 table. McClelland has a remarkable paper in this next No. on 

 Apodal fishes. The Hon'ble Court now take 50 copies of the jour- 

 nal ! so that its influence is increasing. 



Botanical Garden^ April 17, 1844. 



I have received your letter, with the long Podostemon, which is 

 not P. Wallichii, but a sixth species ! at least so it appears to me from 

 a mere glance. I shall be very glad to get the Calami. I have, 

 since the Calaminse went through the press, got three or four more, 

 and I have no doubt many still remain. I am in anxiety to see the 

 other palm you mention with enormously long leaves. You may 

 wonder why the leaves of palms are called fronds by many, and 

 what similarity there can be between their frouds, and those of 

 Ferns. Must we endure all this ! aye, and more than this ; de- 

 pend upon it, the fronds of palms are true leaves, and the fronds of 

 ferns not leaves at all, except in function. Is not the variety of 

 names and the false ideas they convey, a reproach to botany. 



You ask ? what is an Indusium? ah ! who shall answer this: no one 

 knoNvs what it is, and botanists who publish of ferns, ought to be 



