INTRODUCTION 



This book was written primarily on account of the great need for 

 some such work in the schools of the Northwest. Geographically it 

 covers Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the coastal region of south- 

 western British Columbia. 



The usual limited spring flora omits so many plants that the user 

 must know beforehand the name of the particular plant whose name 

 he is seeking, in order that he may find by the index whether the book 

 includes or omits it. This is absurd. Usually there is a species de- 

 scription, whose necessary brevity often makes it do equally well for 

 a number of species not included. 



In this book the keys are complete so far as they go, except in a very 

 few genera of grasses, in which the limits are expressly stated. This 

 will enable teachers to hand out for analysis plants they do not them- 

 selves know. This is specially desirable in the Northwest, where 

 teachers may move to other schools only a hundred miles away and 

 find a tremendous change in the flora. It is unreasonable in the 

 Northwest to expect teachers of botany to know all the local plants, 

 even though they may have specialized in the subject in an under- 

 graduate course. 



The distinguishing characteristics of a plant are mostly given in the 

 keys. Species descriptions are little more than a repetition of these, 

 together with a number of others too general to distinguish anything 

 definitely. It is a waste of space to repeat so often in species descrip- 

 tions, while omitting so much that is wanted in the keys in an elemen- 

 tary flora, since small cost, and therefore small size, is one of the primary ■ 

 requisites. 



The persistent and regrettable tendency of taxonomic botanists to 

 elevate varieties to specific rank has resulted in the separation of the 

 species of many genera on such minute or trifling characteristics that 

 in the opinion of the writers it is not advisable in many cases for the 

 beginner to go beyond the genus. 



Many of the common cultivated crop plants, the bad weeds, and the 

 medicinal plants are indicated by a few words. 



The derivation of the generic name is given after the genus descrip- 

 tion. This often helps to associate the name with some characteristic 

 of the plants. 



3 



