Native Plant Identification

Books

Flowering Plants of New Mexico by Robert DeWitt Ivey

spectacle-pod

This is, without a doubt, one of the most consulted references in the state for people interested in this state’s native plants. The first edition appeared in 1983.  Over the next 25 years, four more editions appeared, culminating with the 5th edition in 2008. When DeWitt was 85, he told me that the 5th would be his last and wanted all proceeds from the sale of his book to go to his wife, Vivian. During his last years, he and I discussed the future of his important book.  He recognized the significance of his artistic abilities and scientific accuracy to both botanists and, more importantly, to those not interested in the intricacies of botanical science.  He felt that it was important to keep his work alive.  We discussed the possibility of producing the book digitally.

My wife, Betty, and I completed the conversion of his book to digital format.  The 5th edition of Flowering Plants of New Mexico is now available at Lulu.com for $36.00 plus shipping.  When a book is ordered, it will be printed by Lulu within two or three days and then delivered via FedEx in about five days.

–Gene Jercinovic

 

NPSNM Booklets

New Mexico Thistle Identification Guide by Robert Sivinski

New Mexico has 12 native thistle species, which are important for birds and insects but often become collateral damage in the war against non-native noxious weeds. This colorful and informative NPSNM publication, a free PDF file (15 MB), helps you distinguish native from non-native thistles in New Mexico and adjacent regions.

Learn more and download here.  Make a booklet by printing double-sided on 8.5” x 11” paper, then fold in half and staple or stitch the crease.

 

New Mexico Milkweeds edited by Marcia Corl

All species reported from or likely to exist in New Mexico, compiled by Marcia Corl of our Las Cruces chapter from public sources. View or download here.

 

Websites

Wildflowers of New Mexico by George Miller https://npsnm.org/wildflowersnm/

Southwest Colorado Wildflowers (whole  four corners region) by Al Schneider website

Gila Flora by Dr. Russ Kleinman, WNMU Dale A. Zimmerman Herbarium website

New Mexico Flora, images by Patrick Alexander on his polyploid.net website

SEINet Arizona – New Mexico Chapter includes species descriptions, maps, illustrations, herbarium collection, and specimen records https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php

Herbarium specimens can help with plant identification of similar species. Herbaria at New Mexico State University, San Juan College, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, the University of New Mexico, and Western New Mexico University have searchable databases of their specimens at SEINet.  Click on the link: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php
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The University of Texas at El Paso also has a searchable database on SEINet: