INTRODUCTION. 



SITUATED as it is, where the floras of several different regions blend, 

 Jackson County, Missouri, is of especial interest to the botanist. For- 

 tunately its flora has been studied as thoroughly probably as that of 

 any other western area of similar size. The results of these investiga- 

 tions have appeared from time to time in several local floras. The first of 

 these was entitled "Flora of Jackson County," and was published in 

 1882 by Mr. B. F. Bush. In 1885 Mr. Bush and Kev. Cameron Mann 

 published a supplement to this flora, and in 1888 Mr. Bush published a 

 second supplement. The species and varieties enumerated in these three 

 lists are numbered consecutively and aggregate 1,004. In 1899 I pub- 

 lished a "Spring Flora of Kansas City and Vicinity," which contained a 

 key to the plants blooming before the first of June. This work also added 

 a few species to those already enumerated in the previous works. In 

 addition, a series of very instructive and ably written papers by the Kev. 

 Cameron Mann appeared in the Kansas City Star during 1899, dealing 

 with our local flora in a popular manner. To the best of my knowledge 

 nothing else has been printed professing to deal with our local flora 

 alone. A " Flora of Missouri " published in 1885 by Professor Tracy, and 

 a "List of the Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Missouri," published in 1895 

 by Mr. B. F. Bush complete the list of works in which any Jackson 

 County plants are enumerated. 



At the time when the earlier lists were published, there was no work 

 which dealt with the flora of this region. Consequently there was then 

 much difficulty in arriving at a correct understanding of the species 

 represented here and mistakes were inevitable, but considering the diffi- 

 culties above mentioned they were not numerous, and are most noticeable 

 in genera, which even now are only beginning to be understood. 



This work is intended to include all species of the higher plants found 

 growing wild within the limits of Jackson County, and embraces the re- 

 sults of all the botanizing done here up to the present time. All species 

 enumerated in previous works and not included herein are omitted for 

 some good reason, either because their occurrence could not be verified, 

 because of erroneous determinations, or because the forms then regarded 

 as distinct on further study have been proved not to be so. While as 

 much care as possible has been taken to make this work accurate and 

 complete, yet it must be recognized that no manual or flora ever pub- 

 lished has entirely met these requirements, and further study and inves- 

 tigation will certainly reveal the necessity for corrections in and addi- 

 tions to this. 



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