PREFACE. 
T he principal defign in puhlifloing this 
Synopsis, is to injiru5i beginners in the 
knowledge of Britifh Plants ; efpecialLy fuch 
as are unacquainted with the Latin tongue z 
For thd* there are feveral authors^ in our own lan- 
guage^ on that fuhjebi^ yet none of them have pur- 
fued any regular method : Some difpofing the plants in 
an alphabetical order •, others according to their fup- 
pofed virtues y or in fuch an unintelligible manner^ that a 
learner^ having no certain rule to direbi him^ mufi 
undergo a very tedious fearch^ before he can pojfibly 
find out hs unknown plants if he be fo happy as ta 
meet with it at all : But this difficulty will^ in a great 
meafure^ be removed^ by the regular and familiar me- 
thod which is followed in this Synopfis. And that it 
may be the more eafily underjlood^ it will be neceffiary ta 
obferve by what noteSy or properties^ plants are con- 
Jtantly known and diftinguijhedy and thereby become re- 
ducible to a certain uniform order, Fhefe are^ gen er al- 
ly y the Flowers, the Fruit, and the Seed : But Mr 
Ray, whofe model is here copiedy takes in any other 
parts that are leaf fubjebl to change or alteration \ 
but admits only of fo many as are fufficiently determi- 
natey which feldom amount to more than three ; and 
all thofe plants that have the fame parts conjlrubled 
after the like manner y however they may differ in 
other refpebiSy arey neverthelefsy difpofed of tcgether y 
which difpojinon is called a Clafs, or Tribe. JFor 
inftancey all plantSy having Pentapctalous Flowers, 
Jucceeded by two naked feeds y joined clofe together whilft 
greeny and feparated when ripey be their other parts e- 
ver fo diffimilary are ranged together y and ccnftitute 
one clafs, called Umbelliferous : And all rough leav'd 
plantSy that have their leaves placed alternately upon 
