Wildland Plant Identification

REM 351 – University of Idaho 1

Forbs Plants

Wildland Plant IdentificationRangeland 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 occidentale 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 on 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, punctatebracts

• 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

of 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 or 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

SCROPHULARIACEAESawsepal Penstemon

– Flowers bluish-purple or pink, pale internally

– Irregular– Leaves

• Not hairy• Somewhat of a

waxy leaf surface

Penstemon glaber

SCROPHULARIACEAESawsepal Penstemon