Species Information

Observation Library

Plant Name Library

Can I contribute observations anonymously?
No. Calflora is an online library of plant information. All information must have a source to be listed in references.
 

Where do my observations go?
Observations are converted into appropriate formats and stored in a database. Additional copies of your observation may be forwarded to appropriate individuals and agencies responsible for managing particular areas, projects, or plant groups. For example, observations of rare plants may be forwarded to the California Department of Fish and Game as well as the Rare Plant Program of the California Native Plant society.

How do I get my observations back?
When you want to see all of the observations you have contributed, go to the Search for Plant Observations page, and search for all observations with your name as the Observer. To download observations from this page, choose plain text in the DISPLAY section. The results can be pasted directly into a spreadsheet.
 

Are contributed observations reviewed?
Incoming observations are reviewed by Calflora staff to ensure no gross error; however, correctness of identification is NOT reviewed. The reliability of the observation is entirely the responsibility of the contributor. Calflora now has an annotation system to allow for expert input and review of observations. Please contact us if you are interested in contributing your knowledge, or helping to work on this system.
 

How do I register to contribute Plant Observations?
First, register as a Calflora user (here), then, as a Calflora contributor (here). The contributor registration form asks for certain information about your background and experience with plants. Once you have completed the contributor registration process, you may contribute observations.
 

How do I change my personal profile?
You may update your profile at any time. Click here to update your profile.
 

Didn't I already register to contribute information to CalPhotos?
Because CalPhotos is a separate organization, you need to register separately with Calflora.
 

How do I add a plant observation?
Once you have registered as a Calflora contributor (here), you may contribute observations using the Observation Entry application.

Bring up the Observation Entry application here. Data fields written in green are required to make a valid observation. For an explanation of any field, click on the name of that field.

To choose a plant, go to the Scientific Name field, and type the first three letters. A typeahead name finder is anabled for over 30,000 California plant names. Choose your plant from the list of matching plant names that appears below the field. A typeahead name finder is also enabled for common name.

Choose a location on the map. The map starts outside Fresno. Click on the map to get close to the area of your observation, then zoom in to pick a precise point. Change from "Terrain" view (upper right) to "Map" view in order to see additional street names. If you change to the "Hybrid" or "Satellite" view, you may be able to identify certain trees, rock formations, or buildings to help find your exact location.

Below the map on the left side is a button called "Map Features." Press this button to open the Map Features panel. To see local parks and open space areas on the map, select the OPEN SPACE theme. You can see the name of an open space area by rolling the mouse over a purple sign in the center of the area. Click on the purple sign for more information about the area.

When you have described your observation as completely as possible, press the SAVE button. Your observation will be immediately available to other Calflora users.

NB: If you would like to contribute a large collection of observations in a format such as a spreadsheet, database, or MS Word document, Calflora staff would be happy to work with you directly (contact).

How can I see other observations of the same plant in the general area of my observation?

1. Bring up the Observation Entry application here.
2. Enter / choose the name of the plant.
3. Move the map to the general area, and zoom in appropriately.
4. Press the Show Observations button (lower left of the map).
5. In the Show Observations panel, uncheck your name, check the name of the plant, check "in map area", and press Search. If no records are found, zoom out a bit and try again.
6. To see information about a particular record, click on (native) or (non-native) on the map, and an information window will appear.
    
   For instance, suppose you are interested in Baccharis pilularis in the Santa Cruz area. Press the Show Observations button and the Show Observations panel opens up. Uncheck your name. Check "in map area," and "of Baccharis pilularis". Press the Search button. The relevant observations appear in a table and on the map as triangular markers . Roll the mouse over one of these markers to see the record number and scientific name. Click on the marker to bring up an information window about the record, including a photo if available. Click view this observation inside the information window to see the complete record.

How do I add a checklist of observations?
How do I add a place to view California native plants?

Bring up the Checklist Entry application here. This application is very similar to the Observation Entry application. To add plants, press the Plant List button, and enter plants one by one using the typeahead name finder for either scientific or common names. Or, if you already have plant names in another document, you can copy and paste the names directly into this application -- the analyzer will report back which names it was unable to find, if any (see below).

Typically this application will be used to enter a checklist (or floristic survey, or bontanical inventory) of plants growing wild at a discrete location.

But, it can also be used to enter other places where native plants can be seen, such as native plants gardens or restoration sites. Many of the 3000+ locations available in the Places to view California Native Plants application were entered with the Checklist Entry application.
 

Example: Steve Tyron maintains a beautiful webpage describing the Traverse Creek Botanical Area in El Dorado Co., which includes a long plant list from G. Ledyard Stebbins, Don Smith, and others. It appears here as a checklist on Calflora:   Traverse Creek in the Places to view California Native Plants application, with map Traverse Creek in the Checklist Entry application, with map Traverse Creek on the Observation Detail page  (press the green Photos link to see photos). People using the various search mechanisms on Calflora (for instance What Grows Here?) will find out that these plants grow here, and will be directed back to Steve's page for more information about the area.

The Sidalcea bloom © 2009 Steve Tyron




How to add an existing list of plants to a checklist record

Bring up the Checklist Entry application here. Enter a new checklist, or start editing an existing checklist.
A. Add a list of plants from a web page:

Enter the URL of the web page into the PLANT LIST SOURCE web page field.   Press the scan for plant names link. If the scan is successful, the application will report how many plants were found on the page. The plant list panel will open, showing plant names.   If the scan is not successful, you may still be able to get plant names out of the web page using this procedure: Copy the relevant text from the web page. Go to the CNPLX checklist entry page, and paste the relevant text into the text area. Press the Scan button. On the CNPLX results page, copy the entire table of plant names. Paste these names into the Checklist Entry application as described in B. below.


B. Add a list of plants from another document:

Press the Plant List button. The plant list panel will open.   Press the Add a list of names button. The paste text panel will open.   If the source document is a spreadsheet, and all the scientific names are in one column, select the column and copy the contents. Otherwise, select and copy scientific names from the source document.   Click in the text area inside the paste text panel. Paste your copied text into the text area (control V or Edit / Paste).   Press the ADD button.   Those scientific names which can be resolved will be added to the list. Names that cannot be resolved will continue to be shown in the text area. If any names were not resolved because they were misspelled, you can use the typeahead name finder to find the correct spelling and add them to the list.


Close the plant list panel, and press the SAVE button. (Questions? Please write to us).

How do I indicate whether or not there is public access to the location?

The Checklist Entry application has a field called Access, indicating whether or not the public can visit this site. Please set the value of this field accurately, so that people who might like to visit a place are properly forewarned. There is a choice of three values:
 

public access	The public may visit this site, subject to business hours and/or seasonal restrictions. A fee may be required (eg. at a State Park).
restricted access	It may be possible to visit this site by special arrangement. For many preserves, access is limited to a few pre-arranged, docent-led hikes each year, and/or volunteer work days.
no access

Can I add photographs to my observations?
Yes! Calflora is not currently set up to store photographs, but if you have put photos of the plant you observed somewhere stable on the web, then you can associate the URL of those photos with an observation record. To do so, press the Photos button, and enter

1. URL: the web address of your photo. This could be a on your own website, or on a public photo service like CalPhotos, Flickr, or Picasa. Note that if your photos are on CalPhotos, it is only necessary to enter the CalPhotos ID (a number like 0000 0000 0000 0000).
2. Credit: the year the photo was taken, and the name of the photographer. If you are not the photographer, please get permission from the photographer before adding the photo.
3. Caption: an explanation of the photo. The presumption is that the photo was actually taken at the location described in the observation.

Photos associated with an observation can be viewed on the Calflora Observation Detail page. For example, here is the Observation Detail page showing an observation of Sidalcea malviflora from the trail east from Shell Beach, Sonoma County coast. (Press the green Photos link to see photos.) The photo on the right is associated with this observation record on Calflora, and is stored on Flickr.

Sidalcea malviflora © 2009 J Malpas

To edit an observation you have already entered, first bring up the application here. Press the Show Observations button (lower left of the map). In the Show Observations panel, check your name, uncheck "in map area," and press the Search button. A table of your recently entered observations should appear. Find the observation of interest, and press the "view" link in front of it. When the observation appears, press "Edit this observation" (next to that SAVE button.)

If necessary, you may also delete an observation you have contributed. (If you have any questions, please contact Calflora staff.)

Working with the Bay Area Early Detection Network (BAEDN), Calflora has developed a weed entry application. This application has some additional fields (such as infested area) useful for weed datasets. It is intended for users with some training from BAEDN or partner organizations.

You may also enter weed observations using the observation entry application.

1. Documenting species not previously known from a county or area.
2. Documenting new weeds to an area, especially invasive weeds targeted for early removal.
3. Further documenting plants previously predicted or reported to occur in an area, but that currently lack expert documentation or specimens.
4. Confirming the continuing presence of plants not observed in the last 25 years in a county/area.
5. Filling in distribution 'holes' for species. For example, California poppy is presumed to grow in every county of California, however there are still several counties that have no documented or voucher based records available.

California Department of Fish and Game maintains negative observation data for rare plants. Please contact them to report negative search results for rare plants.
 

I want to contribute a large set of observations.
If you would like to contribute a large set of observations, Calflora staff would be happy to work with you directly (contact).
 

Why can't the system find my species name?
The intention of Calflora is to track plants occurring in the wild in California, either native or naturalized. Thus, many horticultural plants are not present in the database.

Also, scientific names of plants do change occasionally. Calflora attempts to keep track of these changes in the Plant Name Library (aka synonymy database). Thus, it should not matter if you enter a scientific name no longer in current use -- Calflora users should be able to find your observation via synonomy options available on the Calflora search pages.

If you are entering a plant name in the Observation Entry application (or entering plant names one-by-one in the Checklist Entry application), the scientific name typeahead feature will check your name against about 12,000 plant names, and let you if it is not found (this is a way of eliminating spelling mistakes). However, even if your plant name is not found, the databse will still accept it.

If you are using the Checklist Entry application, and plant to paste in a list of names, you can see a preview of which names the scanner will find. Enter your list into the CNPLX Nomenclature Analyzer. (This is also a good way to find spelling errors.)
 

Why are repeat observations for the same plant in the same area useful?
Observations of the same plant in the same area by various observers are useful in the sense that, the more observations, the stronger the evidence of the presence of that plant. Also, repeat observations of plants that have not been seen in 5 years or more are a valuable way to reconfirm the continued health and persistence of a local population.
 

I encountered an error or unexpected result while contributing -- what do I do?
Please contact us with any problems, questions, or suggestions on the system so that we may improve it for your use. Please be prepared with the following information, if possible.

What browser and version are you using?
Why kind of computer and operating system?
What did you do immediately prior to the problem?
Please include your name, email, and the date of contribution if possible.

How can I identify plants?
Please contribute only observations for plants that you can comfortably and confidently identify.

Identifying plants is a lot like reading books... there are some books that are easy to read, and some that are hard. Likewise some plants are easy to identify, and some are more difficult. You generally get better at reading by tackling progressively harder books, expanding your vocabulary and learning as you go.

Calflora has a tiny staff that is committed to helping you learn more about plants, but unfortunately we do not have the resources to identify plants. There are many other resources available to help expand the number of plants you recognize. If your plant was growing in the wild, you can try contacting your local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Botanical Garden, or herbarium (to find your local California herbarium, search Index Herbariorum, and use "California" for state). You can also try joining the California Native Plant Discussion Group administered by Greg McCann. Also, the people who work at native nurseries can be very helpful in identifying local plants.

If your plant was NOT growing in the wild, you should try asking at your local plant nurseries or Botanical Garden.The UC Davis Herbarium also offers plant identification services to the public for a fee.
 

How can I confirm tricky plant identifications?
One way to go is to obtain permission to collect a specimen of the plant in question, and share that specimen with experts in that plant group. Another way is to take a lot of pictures, and show them to the same experts.
 

What information do you need for observations?
The most basic information that is needed is

• Who: Which person(s) made the observation and identification?
• What is the scientific name of the plant?
• When was the observation made?
• Where was the plant observed?

I've observed a plant that I think needs some attention, who do I talk to?

Rare/Endangered/Threatened Plants:

• California Native Plant Society.
• California Department of Fish and Game

Weeds, Invasives, or other Pest Plants

• California Invasive Plant Council,
• your local Weed Management Area,
• UC Cooperative Extension office.

When will my observation show up on the maps?
(For instance, a new county record for a species.)
Your observation report will be added to the observations database as soon as you save it. It will be reflected immediately in a Search for Plant Observations for the relevant species, and will show up as a point on the map shown in the Calflora Map Viewer and What Grows Here? applications.
 

How do I find out the Latitude, Longitude, or UTM for the location I was at?
The new Observation Entry page has an embedded Google Map. If you can find where you were when you saw the plant on this map, just use that location. On the other hand, if you used a portable GPS unit when you made the observation, you can enter the coordinates of your observation as either latitude / longitude or as UTM.
 

What is 'datum', and why do I need to be aware of it?
A 'datum' is a frame of reference when plotting locations on a globe.

Just as "Hollywood" can be "Hollywood, California" or "Hollywood, Florida", Latitude / Longitude and UTM can be in "NAD 1927" or "NAD 1983". Properly defined, NAD 27 is North American Datum of 1927. A reference point datum based on the Clarke Ellipsoid of 1866, a fixed position and orientation were named starting at Meade's Ranch in Kansas. Based upon this information latitudes and longitudes were calculated for all points based primarily on triangulation. NAD 1983 is a datum based on the GRS 80 Ellipsoid, and fixed position and orientation at the center of the earth. The measurements used in NAD 27 were adjusted- this time using a computer. This results in a different latitude and longitude for a location when compared to its NAD 27 values, with the difference often amounting to hundreds of feet.

Most quality maps with latitude, longitude, or UTM measurements on them also display which datum was used. For example, most USGS Maps display the datum in the lower left hand corner, along with what projection they used (Projections are methods to display features of the round earth on flat paper with minimum distortion.) Most older USGS maps are NAD 27. Many newer maps and most GPS unit readings are NAD 83. Using the wrong datum can cause your location to be off as much as 100 meters (325 feet). If your precision is much less than this, then choosing the correct datum is less critical.
 

Should I give an imprecise location for rare plants I observe?
Since Calflora is a library, we leave it up to the contributing author -- you -- to decide what level of precision you want to share. Some people feel that information increases the vulnerability of rare plants to vandalism or poaching; others feel that the only way to protect these species is to know exactly where they are to protect them and educate the public about them.

You have a wide range of choice in reporting locations.

Less Precise	More Precise
Mt. Hamilton, Alameda County	Lazy Creek Road, 2.1 miles south of the intersection with Peralta Avenue just outside the town of Rattlesnake Bluff, under canopy of lone valley oak
at Lat/Long 39.75, -121.75 with a precision of plus or minus 1 mile	at Lat/Long 39.75213441, -121.75042231 with a precision of plus or minus 1 meter

For research purposes, the more precise the location, the better.

For certain populations of plants determined to be especially vulnerable, Calflora reserves the right to alter the submitted location to make it deliberately imprecise. This step has been taken very occasionally in order to minimize the threat to the population from the possibility of plant predation.