Plants of Eldorado Canyon State Park

Heracleum maximum, Cow Parsnip (also known as Indian Celery or Pushki) is the only member of the genus Heracleum native to North America. Its classification has caused some difficulty, with recent authoritative sources referring to it variously as Heracleum maximum or Heracleum lanatum , as H. linatum, or as either a subspecies, H. sphondylium subsp. montanum, or a variety, H. sphondylium var. linatum, of the Common Hogweed (H. sphondylium). The classification given here follows ITIS. less ↑

Malva neglecta is an annual growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is also known as common mallow in the United States and also buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, dwarf mallow and roundleaf mallow. Although often considered a weed, this plant is often consumed as a food. This is especially true of the seeds, which contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat. The plant is an invasive species in the United States. less ↑

Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name Aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, Quakies, mountain or golden aspen, trembling poplar, white poplar, popple, and even more names. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 meters (82 feet) tall, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden to... less ↑

Salix exigua (sandbar willow, narrowleaf willow, or coyote willow; syn. S. argophylla, S. hindsiana, S. interior, S. linearifolia, S. luteosericea, S. malacophylla, S. nevadensis, and S. parishiana) is a species of willow native to most of North America except for the southeast and far north, occurring from Alaska east to New Brunswick, and south to northern Mexico. less ↑

Salix scouleriana (Scouler's willow; syn. S. brachystachys Benth., S. capreoides Anderss., S. flavescens Nutt., S. nuttallii Sarg., S. stagnalis Nutt.) is a species of willow native to western North America, from south central Alaska east to western Northwest Territory, central Manitoba, and the Black Hills of South Dakota, and south through the Rocky Mountains to Coahuila, and along the coast through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, an less ↑

Salix lutea is a species of willow known by the common name yellow willow. It is native to North America, including central Canada and parts of the western and central United States, with the exception of the Great Basin. It can be found in moist and wet habitat types, such as riverbanks, meadows, and gullies. It is a shrub up to 7 m tall, sometimes forming colonial thickets or becoming erect and treelike. The lance-shaped leaves... less ↑

Viola canadensis is more commonly known as Canadian white violet, Canada violet, tall white violet, or white violet. As its name suggests, it is a species of violet which bears white blooms. The flowers are white, with yellow bases and sometimes streaks of purple. The petals are purple tinged on the backside. The leaves are heart shaped, with coarse, rounded teeth. It is native to Canada and the eastern United States. It is threatened or endangered... less ↑

Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River (USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii). It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea level in the north up to 11,000 ft (3,400 m) in the Sierra Nevada. less ↑

Euphorbia myrsinites (myrtle spurge, also known as creeping spurge, "donkey tail" or broad-leaved glaucous spurge), is a succulent species of the spurge (family Euphorbiaceae), native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, from Italy east through the Balkans to the Crimea and Turkey. It has been artificially introduced as a decorative garden plant in other areas, especially North America. less ↑

Hypericum perforatum, known as perforate St John's-wort, common Saint John's wort and St John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. The common name "St John's wort" may be used to refer to any species of the genus Hypericum. Therefore, Hypericum perforatum is sometimes called "common St John's wort" or "perforate St John's wort" to differentiate it. It is a medicinal herb with antidepressant activity and anti-inflammatory propert less ↑

Lithospermum incisum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by several common names, including narrowleaf stoneseed, fringed gromwell, narrowleaf puccoon, and plains stoneseed. It is native to much of central Canada and the United States, where it is known from many types of habitat. It is a hairy perennial herb growing from a taproot and woody caudex. It produces a cluster of stems up to about 30 centimeters long. The stems are... less ↑

Mertensia ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names tall fringed bluebells and streamside bluebells. It is native to the western United States, where it often grows in moist habitat, such as subalpine meadows and creeksides. It often carpets large areas of meadow and hillside with blue-green foliage and sweet-scented bluebell blooms. It is a perennial herb producing a cluster of erect stems from a thick, branching caudex.... less ↑

Oxalis stricta, called the common yellow woodsorrel (or simply yellow woodsorrel), common yellow oxalis, upright yellow-sorrel, lemon clover, or more ambiguously and informally "sourgrass" or "pickle plant", is a herbaceous plant native to North America, parts of Eurasia, and has a rare introduction in Britain. It tends to grow in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas as both a perennial and annual. Erect when young, this plant later be less ↑

Alyssum desertorum is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name desert madwort. It is native to Europe and Asia, and it is found in parts of western North America as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. This is a hairy annual herb producing upright stems up to about 20 centimeters tall. It produces small yellowish flowers and round, notched fruits a few millimeters long. The seeds are winged... less ↑

Lepidium campestre (field pepperwort or field pepperweed) is an annual plant in the Brassicaceae or mustard family, native to Europe, but commonly found in North America as an invasive weed. The most notable characteristic of field pepperweed is the raceme of flowers which forks off of the stem. These racemes are made up of first small white flowers and later green, flat and oval seedpods each about 6 mm long and 4 mm wide. Each seedpod... less ↑

Barbarea orthoceras is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name American yellowrocket. It is native to North America, including much of Canada and the western United States, as well as parts of Asia. It grows in moist areas such as meadows and riverbanks. This is a perennial herb producing a stiff, branching stem to heights between 10 and 60 centimeters. The leaves are a few centimeters long and generally... less ↑

Rorippa palustris is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family. It is widespread and native to parts of Africa, and much of Asia, Europe and Eurasia, North America and the Caribbean. It can also be found in other parts of the world as an introduced species and a common weed, for example, in Australia and South America. It is an adaptable plant which grows in many types of damp, wet, and aquatic habitat. It... less ↑

Boechera stricta (syn. Arabis drummondii, Boechera drummondii, Turritis stricta) is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Drummond's rockcress. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada, and the western and northeastern United States. It can be found in many habitat types, including disturbed areas. It is a biennial or perennial herb growing one or more erect stems from a small caudex. The stems less ↑

Chorispora tenella is a species of plant in the mustard family known by several common names, including purple mustard, blue mustard, musk mustard, and crossflower. This mustard is native to Eurasia but is well known in other parts of the world, particularly in temperate regions, as an introduced species and a noxious weed. This is an annual herb reaching a maximum of half a meter in height and covered abundantly in sticky foliage. The four tiny... less ↑

Capsella bursa-pastoris, known by its common name shepherd's purse because of its triangular flat fruits, which are purse-like, is a small (up to 0.5 m) annual and ruderal flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is native to eastern Europe and Asia minor, but is naturalized and considered a common weed in many parts of the world, especially in colder climates, including British Isles, where it is regarded as an archaeophyte, North America and China, but... less ↑

Camelina microcarpa is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by several common names, including littlepod false flax and small seed false flax. It is native to Europe and Asia, and it is common across the globe as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It is known as a weed of grain crops such as wheat and rye. This is an erect annual herb producing a branched or unbranched stem 30... less ↑

Descurainia sophia is a member of the mustard family. Common names include flixweed, herb-Sophia and tansy mustard. It reproduces by seeds. Its stem is erect, branched, and 4 to 30 inches high. It was once given to patients suffering from dysentery and called by ancient herbalists Sophia Chirurgorum, "The Wisdom of Surgeons," on account of its healing properties. It is the type species of the genus Descurainia and of the rejected genus Sophia less ↑

Hesperis matronalis is a herbaceous plant species in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. It has numerous common names, including dame's rocket, damask violet, dame's-violet, dames-wort, dame's gilliflower, night-scented gilliflower, queen's gilliflower, rogue's gilliflower, summer lilac, sweet rocket, mother-of-the-evening and winter gilliflower. less ↑

Arabis glabra, commonly known as tower rockcress or tower mustard, is a tall, slim, grey-green plant with small creamy flowers at the top of the stem. It usually grows on poor chalky or sandy soils, in open situations. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and it is widespread in North America where it is also probably native. It can be found in many other parts of the world as an introduced species. less ↑

Sisymbrium altissimum is a species of Sisymbrium. The plant is native to the western part of the Mediterranean Basin in Europe and Northern Africa and is widely naturalized throughout most of the world, including all of North America. It was probably introduced into North America by a contaminant crop seed. The plant grows in soils of all textures, even sand. The plant germinates in winter or early spring. The blooming time is lengthy, and after maturity... less ↑

Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species in the genus Ribes. It is native to Canada, most of the United States (except the southeast) and northern Mexico. The variety Ribes aureum var. villosum is sometimes considered a full species, Ribes odoratum. less ↑

Ribes cereum is a species of currant known by the common names wax currant and squaw currant (R. c. var. pedicellare is known as whisky currant). It is native to western North America, including British Columbia and much of the western United States, where it grows in several types of habitat, including mountain forests in alpine climates, sagebrush, and woodlands. It can grow in many types of soils, including sandy and clay substrates, serpentine soils, and... less ↑

Lithophragma parviflorum is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family known by the common name smallflower woodland star. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to California to South Dakota and Nebraska, where it grows in several types of open habitat. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing erect or leaning with a naked flowering stem. The leaves are mainly located low on the stem, each cut into three... less ↑

Micranthes odontoloma is a species of flowering plant known by the common name brook saxifrage. It is native to much of western North America, where it can be found in many types of moist and rocky habitat types. It is a perennial herb growing from a caudex and rhizome system. It produces a clump of leaves with rounded, toothed, or scalloped blades on long, thin petioles. The branching inflorescence arises on a slender, erect peduncle up... less ↑

Parthenocissus vitacea (syn. P. inserta), also known as Thicket Creeper, False Virginia Creeper, Woodbine, or Grape Woodbine, is a woody vine native to North America, in southeastern Canada (west to southern Manitoba) and a large area of the United States, from Maine west to Montana and south to New Jersey and Missouri in the east, and Texas to Arizona in the west. It is present in California, but it may be an introduced species that far... less ↑

Vitis riparia Michx, with common names riverbank grape or frost grape, is a native American climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed across central and eastern Canada and the central and northeastern parts of the United States, from Quebec to Texas, and eastern Montana to Nova Scotia. There are reports of isolated populations in the northwestern USA, but these are probably naturalized. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest t less ↑

Carex aquatilis is a species of sedge known by the common names water sedge and leafy tussock sedge. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows in many types of mountainous and Arctic habitat, including temperate coniferous forest, alpine meadows, tundra, and wetlands. There are several varieties of this species, and it is somewhat variable in appearance. It produces triangular stems reaching heights between 20 centimeters and 1.5... less ↑

Carex siccata, also referred to as Carex aenea and Carex foenea, common names include bronze sedge, dry land sedge, Fernald's hay sedge, hay sedge, and hillside sedge, is a species of Carex native to North America. It is listed as extirpated in Pennsylvania, endangered in New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Vermont, threatened in Maine and Tennessee, special concern in Connecticut, and sensitive in Washington (state). less ↑

Carex vulpinoidea is a species of sedge known by the common name fox sedge or American fox-sedge. It is native to North America, including most of Canada, the Dominican Republic, the United States and parts of Mexico, and it is known in Europe and New Zealand as an introduced species. The sedge lives in wet and seasonally wet habitat, and grows easily as a roadside weed. It produces clumps of stems up to a meter tall.... less ↑

Carex occidentalis is a species of sedge known by the common name western sedge. It is native to the southwestern United States and parts of the west as far north as Montana. It grows mainly in dry habitat such as woodland and grassland. The plant produces very narrow stems up to about 90 centimeters in maximum height, sometimes with rhizomes. The inflorescence produces a cluster of several rounded flower spikes. The pistillate flowers are covered in... less ↑

Eleocharis palustris, the common spike-rush, creeping spike-rush or marsh spike-rush, is a species of mat-forming perennial flowering plants in the sedge family Cyperaceae. It grows in wetlands in Europe, North Africa, northern and central Asia (Siberia, China, Mongolia, Iran, Nepal, etc.) and North America (United States, Canada, Greenland, northern Mexico). Eleocharis palustris is not easily distinguished from other closely related species and is extrem less ↑

Scirpus microcarpus is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names panicled bulrush, smallfruit bulrush, and barberpole bulrush. It is native to North America, where it can be found throughout the northern and western regions, from Alaska across Canada to the northeastern United States, in most of the central and western states, and in Baja California. It grows in many types of moist and wet habitat. It is a perennial... less ↑

Dichanthelium oligosanthes (common names: Heller's rosette grass, fewanther obscuregrass, few-flowered panicgrass) is a frost tolerant perennial wild grass species found primarily in the contiguous United States with specimens also reported in British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, as well as south of the Rio Grande in northern Mexico. It is found most frequently in partially shaded glens within woods, recently cut forests, and grassy banks. The species is prim less ↑

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a North American prairie grass. Little bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass and is prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). It is a warm-season species, meaning it employs the C4 photosynthetic pathway. less ↑