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 those plants known to occur in our 

 region. While it is essential that one doing critical 

 work should laboriously search through scattered liter- 

 ature, the average student, and especially the novice, 

 will find such a course impossible. In an endeavor to 

 supply this need, the author has written 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 interesting 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 we name 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 6172 ft., 

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

 Peak 5675 ft.). Not a few 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 



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