THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Sept. j, 1893. 
HANDBOOK TO THE FLORA OP CEYLON : 
Bt Db. H. Tbimrm, U.B., (London.) 
r.B.B>i DlBIOIOB OF THE BoTAL BoiAMIO GaBDBNB, 
Oetlon* 
We waloome heartily the first part of this 
valaable work of our learned Direotor. It is a 
work that has long been wanted, but to which 
very few men ooald or would devote tbemselveB. 
Only k botanist ean realize what time is required 
to perfect snoh desoriptiona of plants from tbe 
examination of numbers of speoimene, as well as 
tbe laboor or diffloulty of oolleoting the plants. 
It il wonderful, though, how a iriiaed native at 
last gets to recognize all the familiar plan to, and with 
what glee he will bring hia master a new epecimen. 
The Handbook is to consist of four parte, and this 
one isaocompanied by an atlas of 25 (quarto) coloured 
plates which are selections from tbe extensive series 
illustrating the Ceylon flora now preserved ia the 
Library of the Botanic QarJens at Peradeniys. 
There are several thousands of these plates and 
they have been the work successively of three 
members of one Sinhalese family, employed on the 
Garden Bta£t as draftsmen. The platts selected 
are beautifully executed as to work and colouring 
and correct in drawing and scientific detail and 
add greatly to the value of the Handbook. Being 
enclosed in a separate case tbey are easy of refer- 
ence and handy for tbe study of any one plant. 
We hear they nre not so delicate and reliable 
as to colour as the originals by the Messrs. de Alwis, 
but a more exact imitation would have been too 
expensive. 
The plates for Part II are already half printed 
and Dr. Trimen is now aendiog home the MS. 
But, as he tells up, he ia much interrupted ; also 
he is hampered by want of books and specimens 
and will have to visit Eew and the British Museum 
before Part III can be properly done. 
We can bast give our readers an idea of the 
scope and intention of the work by quoting from 
the author's Introduction : — 
Oae principal object of this Handbook is to enable 
obaervers in Oeyloa to aacertaio tbe name of any plant 
they may bad growing wild. When this ia arrived at, 
tbey ate in a poaitinn to learn all that may have benn 
written about it in botanical and other liter tture, 
tu appreciate \t« relatiouships with other plant?, to 
traoei'B diatribution in other lands, at d (o intelligently 
inves'igate ita properties and uses. 
The analytic kv^ya and desrciptions here given for 
this purp08i> require for th ir bbo a geiieral knowledge 
of the outside anatomy and atruotu e of tbe principal 
orgauB of pUnts and of tbe ttrms in use for definiog 
and distinguishing their different p»rt3 and niodifioa- 
tions. Tnia knowledge can be reailily obtained from 
any elementary work on Botany, and is here presup- 
posed. The de!<ctiptious are, however, as little tech- 
nical aa I can make them consistently with accuracy. 
The book refers to Ceylon o»%. In the deflnilions 
of tbe Natural Orders end Genera it mast be distinctly 
un'terstood th&t the distinguishing characters hera (;ivcn 
for each group do nrt include the whole of those 
which belosg to it, but snch only as are shown by tbe 
species found in Ceylon. It is especially necessary to 
b acthis in mind in using this Handbook for educa- 
tional purpoaea ; for it may so happen tbat tbe Oeylon 
members of a partioalar Or<!er or Genns are more 
* A HanJ-Buok ot the Flora of Oeylon, Coiitaining 
Descriptions of all the Species of Flowering Plan's 
IndigeiioQs to the Island, and Notes on their History, 
Diatribation, and Usea. By Henry Trimen, M B. 
(London), F.R.a., Directrr oF the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Ceylon. With air Atlas of Plates Uluatrating some of 
th« mora In terestini; Species. P«rt 1 Ri»nuncu'aoP88 
— Auacardiaot 89. With Plates I — XXV. Publi.-hed 
under the Authority of the Government of Ceylsu. 
London : Dalau & Oo., 37 Soho Square, W. 1893. 
i 
I or leas exceptional, and in tbat case tbe definition 
I given will be by no means chf racteristio of tbat ((roup 
; as a whole. 
To a less extent this applies also to each apeoies. 
; My rieecriptioDs have been madtt wholly (lom Ceylon 
I specimen*, and wiil tbui oft«n be Dot comprebensiTe 
I enough to cover tbe range of form exbibit<;d in other 
I countries. I have, iLd' ed, tbr^ngbout tbie Flora en- 
deavoured to restrict all the iaformation given under 
( acb species to it ax a Oeylon plant o'll) , exoludiug, as 
! a rule, everything referring only to Peninsular ludia, 
I Malayn, or other regiono beyond oar limi'. 
Concerning the "Plan of thia Handbook," he 
I writes as follows : — 
" The aequenoa cf the Natural Orders and Genera 
I ia tbat followed in all rtcent Euglitb synlematio 
I Florae, viz., tbat of Bentham and Hooker a ' Cieuera 
Plantaram.' For the apeciea I have kept mainly to 
j the ' Flora of Hritiab India,' with wbiob important 
! work it ia biirbly desirable tbat thia Flora »h»uld be 
j in general accordance. When any deviation occurs 
from tbes* standard booka, attention ia always drawn 
, to it. 
"After a diai{D08tio description of each Older there 
I follows a brief Key for tbe rapid determination of 
I ita Genera ; and fuller dnacription of each Genus is 
I aft>rwar.1s given with a similar Key to its species. 
! Bach species is treated in psragmpba oo the followiDg 
! plan : — 
i 1. 'Vht Botanical Kane (in Clarendon typf) im- 
] mediately fa llowed (in Italic tjpe) by a reierenr^e to 
tbe authority by whom tbat name was first (.ubiisbed, 
with tbe date. 
No Botanical came in tbe modern tazoiiomic ceoae 
can be of earlier Hate than 1753, when L'm aaus first 
definitely published bis binomiial lomeLclature 
The Vernacular Xamtt when knOKO (also m Claren- 
don type) follow, 'he letters 8. and T rigoifying 
Sinhalese and Tamil respectively. 
2. JRt/erences (in small type) arranged cbronclogi- 
oally, to published books an i papers where the apeciea 
ia treated of or noticed a^ a Oeylon plant, with any 
names (= synonyms) there given when different to 
the one adopted. 
3. A reference (also in aruall type) to tbe 'Flora of 
British Indiii' and to selscted publishe l Figurea of tbe 
plant. 
4. The Dttcription (in larger type). 
5. The general distribution in Ceylon and the com- 
parative frequency (in f>mall type;; followpd, in the 
case of the rarer eperies, by special localities. 
The ttTKe of Howering and colour of the flowers, 
6. Tbe general range of distribution beyond Ceylon 
(also in amall type). 
I Intercalatr-d in their proper placea amont the 
species thus fully treated are certain other pNnta 
which are not natives of Ceylon, bat bave been 
I certainly introduced by tbe agency of man, and are 
j now met with in a more or Icfb completely »iM or 
I naturalised atnte. The names c f iheie are (jrinted in 
! Italic, no^ Clarendon, type, and the wbo'e account 
j runp on in a single para^rapb. 
I The Appendices give us (a) Ciromon Prefix' s in 
I the Vsrnioular names cf Plai t=, Smhalesa and 
Tamil, with their English rquivalenis ; (6) Abbre- 
j viations used in the description ; and (c) a Sketch 
I of the Olimatio Begioos of Oeylon. 
Of course, the reader already grcunded in Botany 
will be able to make most use of a volume of this 
description, and if any of our leaders are stimu'ated 
I by tl.e publication of this work to commence the 
i study of Botmy, they will find the "First Bock 
■ of Indian Botany " by Oliver, the clearest and meat 
i useful Handbook (locally procurallel to adopt. But 
j to many others who may have no scientifio knowledge 
I ot Botany, the publication cannot fail to be useful. 
I The descriptions of plants range from Bsnun- 
i oulaoeae to Anacardiacese. In ordpr to .sbow the stjie 
I of the b3ok we quote the descfiption of the well. 
■ known Kina tree;— 
