viil INTRODUCTION 



next; higher orders following ; the most complex, the compa 

 sites, coming last. But these gradations are not visible in the 

 flowers themselves, a lily appearing to be a nobler plant than 

 a daisy. And it seemed to me advisable in a popular work to 

 keep to the familiar order of Gray's choosing, till the natural 

 order has generally superseded the old arrangement in works 

 on botany. Where possible, English names have been given 

 to plants. The spelling, use of capitals, compound words, 

 Latin or Greek botanical names, are given according to the 

 latest auihorities. Initials and abbreviations of authors' or 

 botanists' names affixed to the names of flowers are omitted., 

 as being of no interest to popular readers. The accents over 

 Latin n^mes are placed over the accented syllables. The 

 grave accent signifies a long vowel ; the acute a short vowel. 



In the descriptions of species, the color of the flower is 

 first given, then the shape, size, and outline of leaves, and the 

 time of blossoming are indicated. These are three obvious 

 tests which can be applied to any plant. The second para- 

 graph describes the flower, fruit, height of plant, inflorescence, 

 etc. In the separate chapter indexes, the color of each species 

 is mentioned. If it is desired to identify a flower, after de- 

 termining by its locality the chapter to which it should be re- 

 ferred, select through the index those descriptions which agree 

 in color, and further apply the tests which appear in the first 

 paragraph, then those in the second. A rapid reading will 

 determine whether the flower in hand agrees or not with the 

 description in the text. 



I wish to mention the realistic and artistic drawings from 

 natural flowers with which the text is illustrated, and which 

 will aid in identifying species. They were drawn by Mr. Ben- 

 jamin Lander, the eminent painter-etcher of New York, whose 

 art productions are so well known in this country and Europe. 



Trees are omitted from this book, also grasses, sedges, 

 rushes, and pond weeds, together with non-flowering plants, 

 such as horse-tails and ferns. 



