CHAPTER II 
BOTANICAL WORKS AND PUBLICATIONS 
Colonial 
Floras. 
One of the most important enterprises on which the scientific staff 
at Kew, with help from various outsiders, has been engaged, and 
for which the material in the Library and Herbarium has 
supplied the main foundation, is the complete elabora- 
tion of the vegetation of the British Empire. During 
his directorate Sir William Hooker projected a series of handbooks 
on the floras of all the British colonies and possessions. He 
suggested that they should be of a uniform type, and written in 
English, “ scientific, yet intelligible to people of ordinary education.” 
That was in 1857. Between the years 1829 and 1840, Sir William 
Hooker, whilst he was attached to Glasgow University, had him- 
self written and published a “ Flora of British North America ” under 
the authority of the Colonial Secretary of the time. And during 
the period between 1843 and 1859 his son, Dr. (afterwards Sir) 
Joseph Hooker, published his Flora Antarctica , portions of which 
dealt with the vegetation of New Zealand, Tasmania, and minor 
Australasian possessions. Both these works were issued in quarto 
form, and were illustrated by numerous plates. Sir William’s idea, 
however, was to produce a cheaper series of “ Floras,” uniform, more 
convenient in size, and without plates. His suggestions were adopted 
by the Colonial Office, and a commencement was made with a “ Flora 
of the West Indies,” by Dr. Grisebach. It was followed by the “ Flora 
of Hong Kong,” by Bentham ; then came the “ Flora of Australia,” 
by the same author, an arduous task, begun in 1863 and finished in 
1878. Neither of these botanists was attached to the Kew staff, 
but Bentham was in close association with it from 1854 U P t° his 
death in September, 1884. Sir Joseph Hooker published (1864-67) 
a “ Handbook of the Flora of New Zealand,” largely based on his 
previous work, but including cryptogams, and produced on the same 
plan as the volumes by Bentham and Grisebach. Mr. J. G. Baker, 
US 
