HOW TO USE THE BOOK 



Turn at once to page x. There are but nine main groups 

 into which all the wild flowers in the book have been sorted. 

 None of these are difficult to identify, but if you do not 

 know them, the pictures and descriptions under each will 

 soon make them familiar. 



Taking a flower at random is perhaps the best way of 

 learning how the book works, — say the Common Hepatica. 

 Turning to page x, it is obvious that Hepatica belongs to 

 the ^'Plants with netted-veined leaves." Under this we find 

 "Vines," which it obviously is not, and "Not vines," where 

 it unquestionably must be. Under "not vines" there are three 

 choices thus : 



Flowers usually inconspicuous, etc. (Not true of Hepatica) 

 IHowers with obvious, separate, divided petals (It must be here) 

 Flowers with united petals, etc. (Not true of Hepatica) 



Throughout the book you will be presented with two, or 

 rarely as in this case, three alternatives, and by examining 

 the plant in hand you can usually tell to .which it belongs. 

 Turn at once to the number referred to under "Flowers with 

 separate, divided petals," which is No. 313. Under that num- 

 ber, after a brief description of the group, there are again 

 two alternatives, and it is perfectly obvious that Hepatica 

 belongs to "Leaves, if present, not insect-catching, usually 

 normal." Under that category is one headed "Leaves present, 

 not reduced to scales," which so obviously must include 

 Hej^atica that one naturally looks beneath it for further help 

 in finding just where the plant does come. Here we must 

 decide whether the "Leaves are exclusively basal," etc., or 

 if "Some or all the leaves are on the stem." Clearly the leaves 

 are all basal in Hepatica, which directs us to No. 492. Turn- 

 ing to that number, and of course ignoring all other numbers 



