In this little book a very large number of the commoner wild flowers
growing in the United States, west of the Rocky Mountains, are pictured
and described. It is the first attempt to supply a popular field book
for the whole West. The field is vast, including within its limits all
sorts of climate and soil, producing thousands of flowers, infinite in
variety and wonderful in beauty, their environment often as different
as that of Heine's _Pine and Palm_. In such strange homes as the Grand
Canyon and the Petrified Forest of Arizona, or the deserts of Utah
and southern California, we find the oddest desert plants, forced to
curious expedients in order to sustain life amidst almost perpetual
heat and drought, but often displaying blossoms of such brilliance
and delicacy that they might well be envied by their more fortunate
sisters, flourishing beside shady waterfalls, in a "happy valley"
like Yosemite, or a splendid mountain garden, such as spreads in
many-colored parterres of bloom around the feet of Mt. Rainier. On the
wind-swept plains hundreds of flowers are to be found; many kinds of
hardy plants brighten the salty margins of the sea cliffs, or bloom
at the edge of the snow on rocky mountain peaks, while quantities of
humble, everyday flowers border our country roadsides or tint the hills
and meadows with lavish color.
The field included the States of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho,
Nevada, Utah, and Arizona and to designate this whole field the term
West is used in this book. The term Northwest designates Washington,
Oregon, northern Idaho, and northern California, and the term Southwest
covers southern California and Arizona. The flowers found only in
the Rocky Mountains are not included, and it may be noted here that
exceedingly few of the western flowers cross the Rockies and are found
in the East.
This is the only fully illustrated book of western flowers, except Miss
Parsons's charming book, which is for California only. The drawings
have all been made from life. Allowance must be made for differences in
appearance, owing to locality, and the text should be consulted for the
size, as, on so small a page, some of the plants must be drawn smaller
than others.
Almost all technical botanical terms have been translated into ordinary
English, as this book is intended primarily for the general public,
but as a large number of the plants given have never before been
illustrated, or even described, except in somewhat inaccessible or
technical publications, it is hoped that the scientist also may find
the contents both interesting and useful.
The nomenclature used, with few exceptions, is that of the American
Code. Where these names differ greatly from those in common usage the
latter are given as synonyms in brackets, making the book more useful
to all readers. The botanical names are marked with an accent. Two
accents are used, the grave (`) to indicate the long English sound of
the vowel, such as the "i" in "violet," and the acute (´) to show the
short sound, such as the "i" in "lily."
Professor J. J. Thornber, of the University of Arizona, is responsible
for the botanical accuracy of the text and his knowledge and patient
skill have made the book possible.
Thanks are due for most valuable assistance in the determination
of a very large number of specimens to Miss Alice Eastwood, of the
California Academy of Sciences. Also to Dr. W. L. Jepson of the
University of California; Professor A. O. Garrett, of Salt Lake City;
Professor A. R. Sweetser, of the University of Oregon; Mr. S. B.
Parish, of San Bernardino, Cal.; Mrs. Henshaw, of Vancouver, B. C.;
Dr. A. Davidson, of Los Angeles; and Mr. Marcus E. Jones, of Salt Lake
City. Also for advice and assistance to Dr. N. L. Britton, and Dr. H.
M. Richards of New York; to Dr. Livingston Farrand, of Colorado; Mr.
C. R. Orcutt, of San Diego; Mr. Carl Purdy, of Ukiah, Cal.; Professor
Flett, of Mt. Rainier National Park; Miss Winona Bailey, of Seattle;
Professor J. H. Paul, of Salt Lake City; and many other kind friends.
The arrangement is that originated by Mr. Schuyler Mathews, in his
_Field Book of American Wild Flowers_, which has been found very
popular in the East, but, in this book, most of the genera, as well as
the species, have been very briefly described.