The Front Range of Colorado is one of America's most famous and spectacular summer playgrounds. Thousands of people from all over the nation visit our Rocky Mountains each year to enjoy the scenery and the many types of recreational activities the region provides. Not among the least of the scenic attractions to be found here are the lavish displays of wild flowers in the mountain meadows and alpine heights; the vast expanses of cool, green forested lands; the brilliant splashes of autumn color of our aspens and sumacs; and the endless rolling grasslands of the eastern plains. There are very few places in the United States where so many types of vegetation are crowded into such a relatively small area, and where in the space of a few minutes time one may alternately bake in the climate of the desert, and shiver in the climate of the far north. Learning to recognize the plants is a first step toward understanding a flora. Endless vistas of opportunity to study emerge as one becomes aware that we really know little about our flora beyond the identity of the species. Their life histories, uses, migrations, significance to aboriginal cultures, and so on, are largely uncharted. Amateurs can find much satisfaction and may make real contributions to science by delving deeply into the field. The species descriptions, delicate line drawings, color photographs, plant keys, reference materials, and glossary in Rocky Mountain Flora offer an outstanding starting point for the pursuit of botany in the Rockies.
