I have a BUNCH of photos of many TX wildflowers I've taken over the last 10 years. I'm finally at a point where I'm going to assemble these into a large poster and have it laminated. Prior to this I would like to get all these identified (to genus and species and common name). Rather than scrolling through the different categories in the this forum, is there any one (or two) books that some one could recommend that would assist me? I've got a good background in botany, however, in my old age I'm too lazy to work my way through taxonomic keys unless absolutely necessary. I could start posting these a few at a time also. Any thoughts/comments on this. Thanks folks.
Identification of TX native wildflowers
http://www.wildflower.org/ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center hope link works, chuckl
By the way- read the sticky at the top by Frostweed- it has awesome links as well
The book that Kitt recommended is a very excellent one, since they are listed by color it makes a lot simpler.
You can also post some pictures and we can try to identify them for you.
Josephine.
I'm always up for identifying native wildflowers. That's what drew me to this site in the first place. Actually, Josephine's sticky helped me to ID a few even the plant identification forum couldn't figure out! I'd like to think I know most of them, well at least the more common ones now. I'd like to see that poster when you finish :)
This message was edited Jan 18, 2014 6:41 PM
Thanks for your comments. I'll get a copy of the book and see how far I can progress with ID's. I'll probably post some of the photos in the near future also since I'm rather pleased with some of them.
Please do post them, we would love to see them.
Well I purchased the Wildflowers of Texas, but found it a little limiting. Many of the photos are not very high quality (not that mine are either) but I would like to have seen some inset photos with closeups of the flowers. I have found it helpful for many identifications. Anyway, I'm posting some of mine in hopes that you kind folks will be able to assist me with identifications. So here goes (and to be continued). I suspect the cactus is an Opuntia species, but not sure which one. By the way, all of my photos are from Wise County, just northwest of Decatur, TX.
1, 4 and 5 are milkweed.
The second picture is Krameria laceolata
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=KRLA
The third one Opuntia engelmanii although there are variations and I am not an expert on cactus.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OPENE
The two orange milkweeds most likely are Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly milkweed
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASTU
The green milkweed is Asclepias viridis Green milkweed
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ASVI2
I hope that helps, but no book has everything, so keep buying books and reading it all helps.
Josephine.
Great pictures Skunkbay! Glad to see the milkweed, hope it comes back this spring for the Monarchs. I can't grow the native A. tuberosa but keep trying.
On another note the first pic shows a Great Hairstreak butterfly and the other a Gray Hairstreak!
I thought this was a Brown-Eyed Susan, but it doesn't look right due to the fewer petals. Is this something else? Thanks
It looks like Brown-Eyed Susan to me, Rudbckia hirta can be very variable.
If you look at the pictures on this link you will find some with 8 petals like yours.
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/species.php?id_plant=RUHI2
Thank you for the confirmation.
You are welcome.
For all my nice experts out there - what's this one?
Sorry forgot to complete the message. Is this Spotted Beebalm?
I think it is, if you look at this picture of Monarda punctata, Spotted Beebalm, you will see the little spotted flowers close to the stem, does yours have those?
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=31733
I guess it depends on the stage the plant is at when you observe it, as you can see by the many pictures on the page.
There are four different varieties of Spotted Beebalm listed at the wildflower center
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=Spotted+beebalm&newsearch=true&family=Acanthaceae
although these others are less common.
We made a trip to Fayetteville yesterday and the wildflowers along the roads are incredible! I was driving or I would have taken more but photos really don't do them justice. There were massive fields of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, phlox, wine cups, and several others that I don't know.
I wish I could have seen them, I guess Louisiana has had more rain than we have around here.
I am afraid with this drought we won't have many this year.
We went to Fayetteville, Texas, near La Grange. Don't worry, I hadn't ever heard of it either!!
Gorgeous wildflowers! Thanks for sharing.
Is this white milkweed?
No, it is called Old Plainsman http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=10428
Thank you....again!
I'm not having any luck with the ID on this one either. Please help.
That is Ruellia humilis, Low Wild Petunia
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RUHU
Thanks Josephine. One more and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the week. Can you confirm this as being Prairie Spiderwort, or did I flunk the class again? Sorry, not the best of photos. By the way, hi, I'm Bob.
Yes Bob, It is Spiderwort, one of my favorite wildflowers.
Thank you Frostweed, you're a great resource.
Missouri primrose or close relative?
It is a primrose, may be this one;
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=7386
Couple of things that don't seem to match are the flower buds, stamen length and flower size. The buds are not elongated like the other primrose photos, the stamens appear to be much shorter and the flower size (if I recall correctly) was only about 1 inch. I'll see if I can relocate this one the next time I go out to the Decatur area and get more complete information. Thanks again.
Looks like it might be a Calylophus species.
It could be, the leaves look too wide for it, but who knows? There are so many variations it is hard to tell sometimes. Check this list, you might find a match
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=Calylophus&newsearch=true&family=Acanthaceae
Here's another one I have no idea on its ID. Very small flower, maybe 1/4 inch.
I thought I could find this one easily - or not!
It could be one of the Bluets, maybe one of these;
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?search_field=Bluets&newsearch=true&family=Acanthaceae
I am pretty sure your yellow one is this one; http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OERH
Torrey's nightshade or silver-leaf nightshade??
