PREFACE. 
V 
companion for botanists, it is advisable to restrict the space 
allotted to each species as ninch as possible ; and accordingly 
the characters and observations are only such as appear to 
be necessary for an accurate discrimination of the plants. 
Facts relating to their geographical distribution are there- 
fore usually omitted. Synonyms have been almost wholly 
omitted ; but the plates of the original English Botany or 
some other British plates are quoted. Syme's English Botany 
may well be used by those who desire full descriptions of 
the plants ; and the plates in that work have often had 
valuable additions made to those of the old English Botany, 
from which most of them are taken. Localities are only given 
for new or rare plants ; Mr Watson's works and the numerous 
local 'floras render it unnecessary inconveniently to swell the 
present volume by their introduction. But in order to convey 
some idea of the distribution of plants throughout the United 
Kingdom, the letters E., S., or I. have been appended to the 
descriptions of such species as have, it is believed, been found 
in England, Scotland, or Ireland. The descriptions of a con- 
siderable number of plants which only occur in the Channel 
Islands, and are, therefore, not properly parts of the British 
Flora ; or which, although included in our lists, there is 
reason to suppose have never been really detected in Britain ; 
or, although naturalised, have very slender claims to be 
considered aboriginal natives ; or which are now supposed to 
be lost by the alterations made in the places where they were 
found by our predecessors; are included witliin []; and 
notices of a few plants concerning which more accurate 
information is requisite, are distinguished in a similar manner. 
It is hoped that by this arrangement the truly indigenous 
species will be clearly distinguished from those which have 
little or no claim to be considered aboriginal or even 
thoroughly naturalised. The attempt to do this is necessary 
for two seemingly contradictory reasons, namely :— the great 
