Flowering Plants: Pokeweeds, Four-o'clocks, Carpetweeds, Cacti, Purslanes, Goosefoots, Pigweeds, and Pinks

Preface

Preface Several volumes in the Illustrated Flora of Illinois series will be devoted to dicotyledonous flowering plants; this volume is the seventh one. It follows publication of one on ferns, six on monocotyledonous plants, and six on other dicots. The concept of the Illustrated Flora of Illinois is to produce a multivolumed flora of the plants of the state of Illinois, which will include algae, fungi, mosses, liverworts , lichens, ferns, and seed plants. For each kind of plant known to occur in Illinois , complete descriptions, illustrations showing diagnostic features, distribution maps, and ecological notes will be provided. Keys to aid in identification of the plants will be presented. An advisory board was created in 1964 to criticize, evaluate, and make suggestions for each volume of the Illustrated Flora during its preparation. The board consists of botanists eminent in their area of specialty—Dr. Robert F. Thorne, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden (flowering plants) and Dr. Rolla M. Tryon Jr., University of South Florida (ferns). There is no definite sequence for publication of the Illustrated Flora of Illinois. Volumes will appear as they are completed. Herbaria from which specimens have been studied for this volume are located at Eastern Illinois University, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois State Museum , Knox College, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Morton Arboretum, the New York Botanical Garden, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the United States National Herbarium, University of Illinois, and Western Illinois University. In addition, some private collections have been examined. The author is indebted to the curators and staffs of these herbaria for the courtesies extended. I am deeply grateful to the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation for their generous support that made this volume possible. The illustrations for each species in this volume, depicting the habit and the distinguishing features, were prepared by Paul W. Nelson of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. My daughter Wendy Preece prepared the maps and also prepared Mr. Nelson’s illustrations for publication. My wife, Beverly, assisted me in several of the herbaria and typed all the drafts of the manuscript. Without the help of all those individuals and organizations mentioned above, this book would not have been possible. The Illustrated Flora of Illinois ...