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Desert Types.

(For names of species, see page 7.)

NATURE LOVER’S SERIES

ASPECTS   OF
P L A N T   L I F E

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
THE   BRITISH   FLORA


BY
ROBERT LLOYD PRAEGER

AUTHOR OF
“OPEN-AIR STUDIES IN BOTANY,” “IRISH TOPOGRAPHICAL BOTANY,”
“A TOURIST’S FLORA OF THE WEST OF IRELAND,”
“WEEDS,” ETC.


WITH COLOURED FRONTISPIECE AND NUMEROUS
BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS


LONDON
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING
CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1921
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PREFACE

In the following chapters an attempt is made to deal, in a quiteelementary way, with some of the wider aspects of plant life—to discussquestions which arise in the mind from a contemplation of the vegetationwhich clothes with a green mantle the surface of our own country. Noessay is made to enumerate or define the plants to be met with in thedifferent types of ground, or in the different geographical areas, whichgo to make up the British Isles: there are already plenty of excellenthandbooks and local floras in which that aspect of native plant life istreated. The vegetation is taken rather as a whole, and its whence, andwhen, and how are considered with as little of technical phraseology asthe subject allows. The influence on plants of their physicalenvironment, and the intimate inter-relations of the vegetable kingdomwith the other great manifestation of organic life, the animal kingdom,are briefly considered, as is also the unique relation existing betweenthe plant world and the human race.

These chapters are intended to be used in conjunction with simpleobservations in the field, such as any person of enquiring mind,unversed in science, may{4} be tempted to make during idle hours on asummer holiday.

To Professor G. H. Carpenter and Mr. W. B. Wright I am indebted forsuggestions and emendations where I have trespassed on the domains ofzoology and geology respectively.

R. Ll. P.
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