46 



A popular manual for those students who are satisfied to know 

 the genus to which a plant belongs or who wish only to recog- 

 nize the great aggregates might be ad\'antageously prepared, but 

 the flora for the real student is )'et many years in the future. 



In selecting Los Angeles and vicinity as the subject of a local 

 flora, Mr. Abrams has shown discrimination and foresight. His 

 book is the first attempt to classify the plants of that populous 

 and educated center, outside of mere lists of names and localities. 

 The book ought to be much used, but unfortunately he has 

 written it more for the rare scientist than for the numerous ama- 

 teurs. His adoption of the metric system in a book designed to 

 reach the public will militate against its use. The general public 

 neither knows nor wants to know this system, and many are 

 prejudiced against it because it is foreign. There is not one 

 person in a thousand to whom millimeter, centimeter, etc., 

 convey any idea. This difficulty might be obviated by the in- 

 troduction of a card showing these dimensions. Reforms that 

 go into the every-day life of an entire people can be only grad- 

 ually brought about. Those enthusiasts whose ideals lead them 

 to force reforms prematurel}' have to suffer for their cause. 



The book is neatly gotten up in a convenient size, the type and 

 arrangement are good, the families are according to the system 

 of Engler and Prantl, and, in general, the modern American sys- 

 tem of nomenclature is used, but not the extreme dividing of fam- 

 ilies and genera such as prevails in a recent publication. Where 

 changes in generic names occur, the former well-known synonym 

 is always given both in the text and index. In species-making 

 the author has been conservative, especially in some groups that 

 are in great need of revision. In these cases the descriptions are 

 frequently adapted instead of being original. This appears more 

 sensible than giving an original description to a plant whose name 

 is uncertain or to a name where the plant is not distinctly rec- 

 ognized. 



Of course it is not possible to include cvcr}^ sj)ccies within the 

 limits, and so additions will be cropping up all the time. During 

 a brief visit to Pa.sadena in May I saw I'io/a practnorsa on Mt. 

 Wilson; Epipactis gi^antca along a small shady stream a short 



