KYI 
PREFACE, 
to the most eminent botanical characters of our - age 
Sir Joseph Banks* with his accustomed liberality* sup- 
ported my undertaking by giving me access to his 
extensive library and herbarium, A. B. Lambert* Esq. 
favoured me not only with the same assistance* but very 
handsomely offered me the entire use of his library and 
collection during the compilation of the work. To this 
gentleman I am in the highest degree indebted for hiss 
strenuous support under all the difficulties I had to en- 
counter during its progress ; which by his, generous 
exertions he endeavoured to remove whenever they 
occurred. 
Among the many new sources of information now 
opened to me* I must particularly mention the following 
original collections* by the assistance of which I have been 
enabled to correct many errors of former publications* 
particularly respecting the synonyms. 
I. Clayton’s Herbarium,- — The whole of this interest- 
ing collection* from which the Flora Virginica” of 
Gronovius was compiled* is preserved in the Banksian 
Museum. This has been particularly useful to me in 
tracing the plants which Linnaeus had adopted from that 
work. 
II. Professor P. S. Pallas’s Herbarium.— This exten- 
sive collection* now in the possession of A. B. Lambert* 
Esq. was highly useful to me* in comparing the plants 
of North America with those of the North of Asia* to 
some of which they have a great affinity* and others are 
common to both continents. 
III. Plukenet’s Herbarium. — Preserved in the British 
Museum* as also part of 
IV. Catesby’s Herbarium, 
