MfiW \ 



PREFACE ^^^'^ 



As a student of the flora of southern California, the 

 author has long felt the need of some one book contain- 

 ing descriptions of the native plants. While it is essen- 

 tial that one doing critical work should laboriously search 

 through scattered literature, the average student, and 

 especially the novice, will find such a course impossible. 

 In an endeavor to supply this need, the author has writ- 

 ten this book. Not that he feels that the flora is so well 

 known that such a work will prove adequate for years to 

 come, but rather to bring together what knowledge now 

 exists concerning the systematic side of our most interest- 

 ing plant life. That many mistakes must unavoidably 

 occur, and that many plants are yet to be added, is clearly 

 apprehended. 



The exact area included in this volume is the coast 

 slope of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. This terri- 

 tory comprises a large portion of the great southern 

 California valley, as well as the following mountain 

 ranges, in each of which is named the culminating point: 

 Sierra Santa Monica (Castro Peak 3946 ft.). Sierra San 

 Fernando (San Fernando Peak 3793 ft.). Sierra San 

 Gabriel (Mt. Gleason 6493 ft., San Gabriel Peak 6 172 ft., 

 Mt. San Antonio 10080 ft.). Sierra Santa Ana (Santiago 

 Peak 5675 ft.). A number of the more conspicuous and 

 common plants of southern California not known to 

 occur within our boundaries are included, however, so 

 that the student will find that a great majority of the 

 plants to be met with on the coast slope south of Point 

 Conception are described. 



In the preparation of the text the author has made 

 frequent use of published descriptions, especially original 



