XIV INTRODUCTION 



among them. It was this difficulty of approach 

 to the identification of my fruited plant, and the 

 scarcity of material relating to this aspect of 

 the plant's life, that suggested the present book. 



I have attempted to deal v^ith those plants 

 only which bear attractively colored fruits. 

 These fruits are the more noticeable ones ; they 

 do not, in most cases, develop until the blossoms 

 have entirely disappeared ; and they naturally 

 fall into a class by themselves, being adapted 

 for the same method of seed dispersal. The 

 list will naturally include herbs, shrubs, and 

 trees. A guide based on the kind and struc- 

 ture of the fruit will aid in determining the 

 family to which a plant belongs, and under 

 each family the species are grouped by colors. 

 The illustrations will also aid in identifying 

 specimens. 



If the acquaintance of approximately two 

 hundred plants of our northeastern section in 

 their fruited stage is made more accessible; if 

 added attention is attracted to the result of the 

 work of the flower, making our knowledge of 

 the cycle of the plant's life more complete, the 

 work, fragmentary though it be, may have a 

 place. 



The order of arrangement of the Plant Fami- 



