A1 
PREFACE. 
or travelling companion for botanists, it was ad-visable to 
restrict the space allotted to each species as much as pos- 
sible, and accordingly it will be found that the characters 
and observations are only such as appeared to be necessary 
for their accurate discrimination. Synonyms have been 
almost wholly omitted, but at least one British and one 
German figure of each plant is quoted in all cases in which 
it could be done with accuracy. Localities are only given 
for new or rare plants, the existence of so complete a work 
as Mr. Watson’s Neiv Botanist's Guide having made it un- 
necessary inconveniently to swell the present volume by their 
introduction ; but in order to convey some idea of the dis- 
tribution of plants throughout the United Kingdom, the 
letters E., S., and I. have been appended to the descriptions 
of such species as have, it is believed, been only found in 
England, Scotland, or Ireland respectively, — all plants 
\vithout such an addition having been observed in each of 
them. An O. has been appended to a very few plants 
which only occur in the Channel Islands, or which, although 
included in our lists, there is reason to suppose have never 
been really detected in Britain, thus pointing out that they 
have little or no right to be considered as natives or even 
denizens. The descriptions of a considerable number of 
doubtful species which have been added to our Flora by 
]>revious writers, or which, although decidedly naturalized, 
have very slender claims to be considered as aboriginal 
natives, are included within [ ], and notices of a few plants 
concerning which more accurate information is requisite 
are distinguished in a similar manner. A very concise 
Synopsis of the genera, according to the Linnsean method, 
is given for the convenience of those botanisfs who may 
not be quite familiar with the Natural Orders. 
Dr. Lindley’s valuable Vegetable Kingdom being accessible 
to nearly all the readers of this little work, it has not been 
