Forbs Plants Wildland Plant Identification Rangeland Ecology & - - PDF document

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 1

Forbs Plants

Wildland Plant Identification

Rangeland Ecology & Management 351

7 Major Forbs

Family Genus species Common Name Character ASTEREA Solidago missouriensis Missouri Goldonrod (Per / Nat) EUPATORIEAE Liatris punctata Dotted Gayfeather (Per / Nat) HELIANTHEAE Baileya multiradiata Desert Marigold (Per / Nat) HELIANTHEAE Ratibida columnifera Prairie Coneflower (Per / Nat) FABACEAE Oxytropis lambertii Purple Locoweed (Per / Nat) RANUNCULACEAE Delphinium

• ccidentale

Tall Larkspur (Per / Nat) SCROPHULARIACEAE Penstemon glaber Sawsepal Penstemon (Per / Nat)

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 2

Solidago missouriensis

– 1.5 to 4 feet tall – Creeping rhizome or woody based – Leaves

• Alternate, simple
• Margins entire or

serrate

– Stems

• Reddish-green
• Simple or rarely

branching

ASTEREAE

Missouri Goldenrod

– Numerous seed heads

• n one side of re-

curved branches

Solidago missouriensis ASTEREAE

Missouri Goldenrod

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 3

Liatris punctata EUPATORIEAE

Dotted Gayfeather

• flowers purple/lavender in

axil of leaves

• Surface of leaves

distinctly punctate

• Leaves linear
• Thick bulb below the soil

surface

• Flowers axillary
• Purple/lavender

corolla

• Thick, punctate

bracts

• Ciliate margins

Liatris punctata EUPATORIEAE

Dotted Gayfeather

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 4

Baileya multiradiata

– Forb – 10-50 cm tall – Woody caudex on top

• f taproot

– Leaves in basal rosette

• Crowded, whorl of

leaves at the base and alternated above

HELIANTHEAE

Desert Marigold

– Flowers

• Bright yellow
• Limbs 3-toothed at tip
• Ray flowers; numerous

disk flowers

Baileya multiradiata HELIANTHEAE

Desert Marigold

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 5

• Leaves deeply cleft

to midrib, with stiff hairs

• Stems from a

woody caudex on top of taproot

Ratibida columnifera HELIANTHEAE

Prairie Coneflower

• Ray flowers yellow
• r red
• Disk flowers brown

and in a cylindrical column

Ratibida columnifera HELIANTHEAE

Prairie Coneflower

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 6

Oxytropis lambertii

– Forb – 13 inches tall – Compound leaves in basal rosette – Leaves and stems arise directly from a branching base

FABACEAE

Purple Locoweed

– Flowers April to August – Purple/Blue – Flowers elevated above leaves on stem – Leaves and stems arise directly from a branching base – Flowers “irregular”

Oxytropis lambertii FABACEAE

Purple Locoweed

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 7

Delphinium occidentale

– ~3 feet tall – Tall hollow stems – Forb – Leaves

• Palmately divided

RANUNCULACEAE

Tall Larkspur

• Purple irregular flowers
• Flowers have spur-like

projection

• Inflorescence
• raceme
• short petioles

Delphinium occidentale RANUNCULACEAE

Tall Larkspur

Wildland Plant Identification REM 351 – University of Idaho 8

Penstemon glaber

– ~2 ft. tall – Leaves opposite – Basal leaves lacking or quite small – Forb

SCROPHULARIACEAE

Sawsepal Penstemon

– Flowers bluish-purple

• r pink, pale internally

– Irregular – Leaves

• Not hairy
• Somewhat of a

waxy leaf surface

Penstemon glaber SCROPHULARIACEAE

Sawsepal Penstemon