XXX11 
INTRODUCTION 
A glance at the table, pp. xxviii.-xxx., showing the number of 
genera and species of each Natural Order in the flora of Simla is suffi- 
cient to enable one to realise that certain Orders constitute a promi- 
nent feature in the aspect of the vegetation, or if not in its aspect at 
least in its composition, whilst others form no appreciable part of 
the vegetation. Thus thirty-five, or nearly a third, of the Orders 
are represented by only one genus, and twenty-three of these 
Orders by only one genus and one species each. The following 
lists bring them all under the eye at once, and by referring to the 
remarks under the descriptions one can gain an idea of their 
Tespective positions in the formation of the vegetation. For 
example, Balanophora involucrata (p. 443) has been collected only 
once in the Simla District, and that more than half a century ago ; 
and many others are very rare or inconspicuous. On the other 
hand Ilex dipyrena appears to be a common tree at elevations of 
5000 to 8000 ft. 
Natural Orders of which there is only one Genus and only one 
Species in the Flora of Simla. 
Magnoliaceae 
Malpighiaceae 
Simarubaceae 
Coriariaceae 
Droseraceae 
Myrtaceae 
Melastomaceae 
Samydaceae 
Datiscaceae 
Ficoideae 
Monotropacese 
Plumbaginaceae 
StyracacesB 
Orobanchaceae 
Lentibulariaceae 
Illecebraceae 
Phytolaccaceae 
Balanophoraceae 
Juglandaceae 
Myricacese 
Gnetaceae 
Hypoxidaceae 
Alismaceae 
Natural Orders of which there is only one Genus , but more than 
one Species in the Flora of Simla. 
Violaceae 
Polygalaceae 
Hypericaceae 
Aquifoliaceae 
Begoniaceae 
Valerianaceae 
Myrsinaceae 
Loganiaceae 
Plantaginaceae 
Iridaceae 
Dioscoreaceae 
Eriocaulaceae 
The next table shows that a large proportion of the genera 
and species belong to a few Natural Orders. Eighteen out of 113 
Orders comprise 372 out of the 639 genera, and 853 out of the 
1326 species. Further, it will be seen that the three Orders, 
Gramineae, Leguminosae and Compositae, furnish more than a 
quarter of both genera and species. In the flora of the world 
the position of these Orders in relation to each other is just 
reversed. 
