The Flowering Plants: Flowering Rush to Rushes

Preface

PREFACE After having worked with various aspects of the Illinois Flora for over a decade, I came to the realization that not a great amount of information was known about all the Illinois Flora, and that which was known was of a nature which was virtually useless to the average person wanting to know about the plants of this state. Thus the idea was conceived to attempt something that had never before been aecomplished for anyone of the United Stutes-a multivolumed flora of the state of Illinois, to covel' every group of plants, from algae and fungi through flowering plants. In addition to an account with keys of every plant known to occur in Illinois, there would be provided illustrations showing the diagnostic characters of each species. An advisory board was set up in 1964 to screen, criticize and make suggestions for each volume of The Illustrated Flora of Illinois during its preparation. The board is eomposed of taxonomists eminent in their area of specialty-Dr. Gerald W. Prescott , Michigan State University (algae), Dr. Constantine J. Alexopoulos, University of Texas (fungi), Dr. Aaron J. Sharp, University of Tennessee (bl'yophytes), Dr. Rolla M. Tryon, Jr., The Gray Herbarium (ferns), and Dr. Robert F. Thome, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden (flowering plants). This author is editor of the series, and will prepare many of the volumes. Specialists in various groups will be asked to prepare the sections of their special interest. There is no deflnite sequence for publication of The Illusb'ated Flora of Illinois. Rather, volumes will appear as they are completed . xv THE ILLUSTRATED FLORA OF ILLINOIS FLOWERING PLANTS f[owerina rusb to rusbes ...