Plant Profiles

From the Bottom (species) Up

Starting With a Specimen

First, I Take Pictures

The plant profiles section starts with my pictures. I hike all over the Bay Area and Northern California. Along the trail, I select plants to photograph for identification. I often try to guess. I may think I know a plant, and I'm looking for confirmation. Sometimes, like the Calochortus albus - White Globe Lily, I have absolutely no idea. When I get home, I crop the photos so that the most pertinent parts are clear.

Then, I Go Go iNaturalist

I seriously love this site. I recommend it over every other plant ID app that I've ever seen. It is not only great at IDs but there's a fantasttic community to back it up. If you're not already a member, join (it's free). I upload all the pictures I take of a single specimen (and I alwas take more than one), and see what it suggests.

Next, Research

I get into the nitty gritty with my books and websites. On the web, I always look at other observations of the species on iNaturalist, Wikipedia, and if available, eflora and Calflora. These are the links I always add to the Plant Profile page. If I'm confident, I tag my iNaturalist observation with an ID and wait for the community to confirm.

And Learning

In the process, I always deepen my knowledge - not just about the specific plant in question, but also about the traits, the botanical vocabulary, other species that look alike, or that are closely related. At the end, I try to distill the important bits, and that's what ends up on the Plant Profiles page.

So Far, Here's What I've Profiled

phylum: Tracheophyta
- class: Magnoliopsida
  - order: Asterales
    - family: Asteraceae
      - subfamily: Carduoideae
        tribe: Cardueae (Cynareae)
        sub-tribe: Carduinae
        genera: Carduus, Cirsium, Cynara, Silybum (Purple Spiny Thistles) {partial} {coming soon}
  - order: Caryophyllales
    - family: Polygonaceae
      - subfamily: Polygonoideae
        genus: Rumex (Dock and Sorrel)
  - order: Malvales
    - family: Malvaceae
      - subfamily: Malvoideae
        genus: Malva (Mallow)

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