Observation of the Month

Coastal Woodfern (Dryopteris arguta) Dryopteridaceae
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13574361

This observation of Coastal Woodfern (Dryopteris arguta) by mikethebirder is an example of what to photograph in order to optimize identification of a plant on iNaturalist. For ferns, it is important to photograph the topside and underside of the frond. In this observation, if you select the photo of the underside of the frond and click to enlarge it, you can easily see the shape, arrangement, and color of the small round structures, called sori, which are often valuable clues in the identification of ferns. Having the observer's hand near the blade in the photos provides scale. A ruler or other object could also be used for this purpose. Some plant observations submitted to iNat do not include photographs of characteristics which are essential for identification. Often only distant photos with little detail are provided. That's why we have posted Photographing Plants for iNaturalist, including guidelines for plants in general and specific guidelines by plant family. You don't have to be a serious photographer with a fancy camera to take excellent ID-quality photos of plants! If you follow the guidelines, cell phone photos can, in most cases, provide the information needed for identification.

Posted on July 1, 2018 07:51 PM by milliebasden