IV PEEFACE 



and the piuelands are almost identical with those of the Miami Limestone 

 Region or Everglade Keys. The Lower Sand keys are little more than 

 sand-bars, and they support, like the ocean side of all the Flonda Keys, 

 only, or mainly, the characteristic strand-flora of most of the West Indies. 



The whole chain is surrounded by tropical waters. The western 

 extension lies in the Gulf of ^Mexico. The inner side of the reef is 

 bathed by the waters of the Gulf gradually narrowed into the Bay of 

 Florida, Blackwater Sound, Barnes' Sound, Card's Sound, and Bay Bis- 

 cayne. The outer side of the reef is swept by the wami watei-s of the Gulf 

 Stream. Thus we find here a ti'opical flora made up almost wholly of 

 West Indian elements, and closely related to the floras of Bennuda, the 

 Bahamas, and Cuba. This relationship is indicated on the following pages 

 by " Ber." (Bermuda), "Bah." (Bahamas), and "Cuba," and also by 

 "Ant." (Antilles) when a species occurs in other parts of the West Indies. 

 The relationship of the flora of the Florida Keys to that of the Everglade 

 Keys or the Miami Limestone Region is indicated by " E. K." 



The specimens on which this flora is based are preserved in the herba- 

 rium of the New^ York Botanical Garden and the exploration which made 

 this study possible was carried out under the auspices of that institution. 

 The botanical exploration of the West Indies, earned on at the same time 

 by the New York Botanical Garden, has rendered possible the detailed 

 indication of the geographical distribution of the species. 



J. K. Small. 

 The New York Botanical Garden, 

 August 11, 1913. 



