Central Oregon plant ID notes
One of the goals of this project is to provide ID tips for troublesome plant groups in Central Oregon and adjacent areas, mostly based on things that are easily confused or that are common misidentifications on iNaturalist. This is aimed at plant enthusiasts who don't keep several floras on their desk at all times, so I'll try to minimize the botanical jargon.
Here's an index of the individual topics. Common sources cited are listed below. Feel free to correct, comment, or argue as needed for any of these posts
- "Arrow-leaved" balsamroots
- Rabbit-brushes, goldenbrushes, and friends (future)
Wishlist (groups that would be good to have a guide for -- suggest a topic in the Comments.)
- Mistletoes
- Common mosses
- Small purple monkeyflowers (Diplacus sect. eunanus)
- ...
Please feel free to add comments to these posts with questions, corrections, or additions. We also invite anyone to contribute their own ID notes, although one of the project managers will need to give you posting permission.
FNA: Flora of North America (online), http://beta.floranorthamerica.org
FoO: Meyers, SC, et al. (2015, 2020, 2022?) Flora of Oregon. BRIT press (3 vols. planned)
OFP: Oregon Flora Project, https://oregonflora.org, the online companion to FoO.
FPNW2: Hitchcock, CL, and Cronquist, A (2018) Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd edition. Univ. Washington Press
IMF: Cronquist, A, et al. (various years) Intermountain flora: vascular plants of the intermountain west, USA. New York Botanical Garden (6 vols.)
eJeps: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2020. Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/
Comments
I still think that the Ericameria/Chrysothamnus bunch is the most problematic and my understanding of how important they are to the ecosystem continues to grow. They are late summer and even fall sources of nectar for many insects, and home to several undescribed gall-forming species. Getting the correct ID for these plants is critical for teasing apart the relationships of the gall-formers.
https://oregonflora.org/taxa/index.php?taxon=776
https://oregonflora.org/taxa/index.php?taxon=600
I was recently pointed towards a great resource for Sagebrush identification by @pogonodon
"Sagebrush Identification, Ecology, and Palatability Relative to Sage-grouse"
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/21434 which has a field key to the 23 Low and Big Sagebrush taxa
I would love to see something like this for the Rabbitbrushes and Goldenbushes!
@hkibak Thanks for the comment, and for finding this journal! Obviously, I haven't gotten as far as I had initially planned. I still hope to get to the rabbitbrushes, maybe this winter.
Are you familiar with Leila Shultz's "Pocket Guide to Sagebrush" (PRBO Conservation Science, 2012)? I'm not sure if it's still in print, but a digital version is available at https://works.bepress.com/leila_shultz/4/
Thanks for the guide - I'm not familiar with it. But it looks great! I'm now listening to the YouTube webinar that supports it.
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