A HANDBOOK OF NEBRASKA GRASSES. 
BY E, MEAD WILCOX, GEORGE K. K. LINK, AND VENUS W. POOL." 
INTRODUCTION. 
The true grasses belong to the one family Poaceae, often 
called Gramineae, and constitute a very well defined natural 
group of plants. This family comprises upward of 3,000 species 
distributed among about 300 genera. From the economic point 
of view the family is of supreme importance thru the fact that 
here belong the cereals, which supply a large part of the food 
of man, and the forage grasses which are so important as feed 
for our domesticated animals. 
The genera and species are for the most part separated by 
artificial characters—a fact which renders their study and iden- 
tification extremely difficult even for the expert. The experience 
of the authors has convinced them that much of this difficulty is 
to be credited to the “keys” found in our common manuals. 
Theoretically a key is intended to assist one in properly identi- 
fying a plant, but actually many of the keys, upon close inspec- 
tion. are found to contain so many vague and contradictory 
statements that they can be depended upon only by the expert 
who, on account of his working knowledge, makes slight use of 
the keys. 
It occurred to the senior author some years ago that an illus 
trated key might solve many of these difficulties. An accurite 
illustration conveys a more definite idea of any particular struc- 
ture and leaves less room for doubt than any number of words. 
In fact, the serious and annoying inaccuracies of most keys to 
the grasses became more and more apparent as the work of pre. 
paring the illustrations progressed. The authors are fully con- 
vineed that illustrated keys of the type here employed will prove 
useful in many other groups of plants. 
The nomenclature here employed is largely that of the 
seventh edition of Gray’s Manual—tho our purpose has not been 
to insist upon any particular name but to provide means whereby 
the student can with some certainty attach to any given plant 
some one name which has been properly authorized. 
* Resigned November 1, 1911. 
BUL. 148, AGR. EXP. STATION OF NEBR. VOL. XXVII, ART. V. 


