PREFACE. 



This book is published with the hope of interesting our citizens in 

 our native flora, both for their own pleasure and for its preservation. 

 It is not intended to be a Botany, although its suggestions, if carried 

 out, will surely lead to the use of botanies. Emphasis is laid on the 

 habits of the blossoms because they are the most attractive part of 

 the plant to us and the most important to it; but the habits of roots 

 and stems and leaves are also worthy of notice. 



When we consider a plant as a living individual, carrying on a 

 definite life work, we will cease to destroy it heedlessly. Then, our 

 beautiful species will not be marked "extinct." Then, our forests 

 will be secured against fire, and then they will be lumbered scientifi- 

 cally so that future generations may still have their benefits in cli- 

 mate and in the resulting irrigation so necessary to the .agriculture 

 of California. 



The cover of the book was designed and drawn by Mrs. Marie- 

 Therese Bryner of San Francisco. Many of the photographs were 

 taken by Mr. Antone J. Scares of Hayward, California. As it is 

 desirable to give each species its full detail, no attempt has been 

 made to have a scale of size. 



I am indebted to Miss Alice Eastwood, the Botanist of the Cali- 

 fornia Academy of Sciences, for correct data as well as for the 

 initial training in observing the habits of plants; to the "Sunset 

 Magazine" and the "San Francisco Chronicle " for permission 

 to reprint fragments from their columns; to Dr. W. J. Beal for the 

 weight of the seeds of the Willow-Herb; and to my sister, Mabel G. 

 Chandler, for aid in correction. 



KATHEEINE CHANDLER. 

 San Francisco, California. 

 January 27, 1922. 



