PREFACE 



The purpose of this Flora is to provide, especially for young 

 people in high schools, a ready means for the identification of the 

 more common and wide spread spring flowering plants. 



Many species, locally abundant, are omitted. The aim has been 

 to include those of chief ecological importance, and of not too 

 great taxonomic difficulty, in the range as a whole; those which 

 "every amateur botanist should know". Besides these, he should, 

 of course, know those of local importance. The intentional omis- 

 sions on account of taxonomic difficulties are of grasses, sedges, 

 rushes, and of most willows and hawthorns. 



High school teachers generally feel the need of making their 

 pupils acquainted with as many of the frequent and important 

 plants as opportunity permits. Field or laboratory studies with 

 this end in view are conducted to better advantage in the spring, 

 at the end of the course, than at its beginning, in fall or mid-year. 

 It is believed that this book, with its one comprehensive key and 

 its abundant illustrations, may help in the accomplishment of this 

 end more directly than the complete manuals. 



The key is almost strictly dichotomous throughout and deals 

 only with such characteristics as are readily observable in spring. 



There are brief descriptions of 380 familiar plants -which flower 

 before July in the North Central and Eastern States. 



Henry Chandler Cowles 

 John Gaylord Coulter 



