pulse which its beauty and simplicity communicated, calling thousands of enthusiastic rotaries
into the field, by whose joint labours was collected the vast mass of valuable materials of
which the more philosophical natural method was constructed, leaving altogether out of consideration,
the justly admired nomenclature and precision of language appropriated to the description
of plants introduced by its author, the universally acknowledged father of modern
Botany, Linnseus. •
Having I trust satisfactorily shown that the essential difference between the two systems
lies in the tendency of the one to contract our ideas by attaching an undue value to the knowledge
of species, while that of the other is to elevate and expand the mind by imparting a
knowledge of and leading to the contemplation of masses, I believe I have said all that can be
required in support of my preference of the natural system and of the propriety of my first
determination to publish a flora of this portion of India arranged according to that method.
The same reasoning equally establishes the propriety of my entering on the present work,
explanatory of the principles of that system and showing its application to the grouping in
masses of the knowledge which has for ages been accumulating as detached observations, but
which, until thus concentrated was of difficult access and, when obtained, only applicable to the
species to which it originally appertained in place of as now, by affording so many points of
comparison or known quantities, enabling us to deduce useful applications, of hitherto unknown
plants, simply on the ground of their structural relationship or affinity in the system of nature
to others, the qualities of which are well known.
That many anomalies nay positive-contradictions occur in our present groups is undeniable,
but it is equally certain that many of these are disappearing under the more rigid scrutiny
of structural peculiarities, which have often shown, that the most striking, departures from the
general rule, were attributable, not to imperfections of the rule itself, but to erroneous associations
of plants, either only remotely or not at all allied, in the same groups.
The objects of this work may now be briefly summed up, they are first to explain the prin-
' ciples of grouping plants according to their natural affinities and illustrating these by figures of
species appertaining to each group : and secondly, to show by adducing a variety of examples of
the fact, that, in a great majority of instances similarity of structure, or Botani cal relationship,
is accompanied with similarity of properties, and lastly, to prove that these premises lead to the
inference that having ascertained by careful examination and comparison its nearest Botanical
relatives, the properties of which are known, we are often enabled to infer the properties of an
imperfectly known plant. In addition to these more immediate objects I have endeavoured to
render it a supplement to our Prodromus, by a running commentary on that work, and by the
description of such new species as have come into my possession since its publication. To render
the information thus embodied in these pages as easily accessible as possible, I have added
a very copious index including every name and noting every page where it occurs. By this
means any one is enabled with little trouble to trace a family through all the relations, whether
botanical, economical or medical, in which it occurs in these pages.
How far I have succeeded in my endeavours to accomplish these objects it is not for me, to
* determine, but I think I may safely assume that if I have failed the failure is attributable to want of
judgment in the selection of my examples, and not to want of diligence in seeking for appropriate
ones or of the application required in committing them to paper. My object throughout has
PR E FA C E .
been to present as complete a' history in all their relations, of each group, as the frequently
interrupted and unaided labours of an isolated individual, cut off from all immediate intercourse
with the lights of the science, could do. That blunders and imperfections are numerous, 1
cannot doubt, but I trust not more so than might fairly be expected in the unfavourable circumstances
under which I write or than will easily be forgiven by those who detect them. The
difficulty of superintending the press where the compositors and professional readers are ignorant
of the language, is always great : this is in a great measure the case with the present work, and
being myself, at the outset but little practised in the,duty of • reader,’ I am sorry to observe that
several typographical errors have escaped observation while correcting the press. 1 hose appertaining
to the names of plants have’been carefully corrected in the index,and a few in the errata.
On the pictorial division of the work it is a source of much regret, that I cannot speak in
terms so favourable as my too sanguine anticipations at one time gave me reason to hope all
that I can say on this subject is, that no pains have been spared by me to bring the work nearer
to perfection than it has yet attained, and my exertions assuredly will not for the future be discontinued.
It is however to be borne in mind that this being the first work of the kind that
ever issued from the Madras press; an establishment had to be formed expressly for itself: that
colours of the best qualities are not to be had at any cost, and lastly, that until the arrival of a
fresh supply of paper for to the publication of the 11th number, our material was much deteriorated
by age and even so far damaged as to render the use of superior colours almost nugatory.
For the future this last source of failure will be avoided and I still hope, the character of the
work will rise with its progress towards its termination and ensure it a continuation of that support
without which, it is impossible my contracted means, can bring it to a close, the more TO,
as it has already involved an outlay so much beyond its returns, that but for the liberal aid of
Government in patronizing it and its fellow the ICONKS, to the extent of 50 copies each, both,
must long ago have ceased to exist. In concluding this brief Preface it only remains for me to
say, that in the continuance of the work the samp, degree of care in preparing the letter-press
will invariably be bestowed, and no exertion spared towards the improvement of the plates.
M adras :
30th December 1839.