PREFACE 



This bulletin is a brief account of the Flora of San Antonio 

 and its relation to the invironment growing out of an effort to 

 aid beginners in the High Schools of San Antonio in identifying 

 and learning the habits and economic value of the flowering 

 plants of this vicinity. It is intended to guide anyone who wishes 

 to become better acquainted with our flowers. It recounts the 

 most striking botanical features but does not attempt to give a 

 complete ecological survey of the climatic and physical features. 

 The sketches concerning each flower will place, as far as possible, 

 the economic use, or promise of usefulness, of the plant, its 

 poisonous or baneful qualities, obstruction or help that it yields to 

 crops or pastures. Innocent plants wrongfully accused of being 

 poisonous or being a nuisance will have their titles cleared. Old 

 Mexican and Indian names are recorded when possible as im- 

 portant data in the plant's association with man. Furthermore, 

 all, that is herein w r ritten, is offered as generous tribute to the 

 wealth, beauty and splendor of Texas flowers and to San An- 

 tonio, the royal residence in court of the Southwestern floral 

 kingdom. 



There is no literature primarily for the Flora of this region. 

 Coulter's Manual of Western Texas is very good but has been 

 out of print now fully ten years. Small's Flora of Southeastern 

 United States is too difficult and too bulky for anyone but the 

 technical botanist, nor does it include all the plants in this 

 region. All other works, including Lewis' Trees of Texas, 

 Mackensen 's Trees and Shrubs of San Antonio and Vicinity, and 

 Young's Key to Families of the Wild Plants of Austin, Texas, 

 are excellent but do not give information on the conspicuous 

 flowering plants of this particular locality. 



The territory includes the region in and about San Antonio 

 and extending about twenty miles north of this city and as far 

 as fifteen miles to the south. The work can be used farther in all 

 directions in neighboring counties but the author makes no 

 claims that it will be complete. 



