Scientific name: Sphaeralcea species Common name: globemallow Family:  Malvaceae -mal-VAY-see-eee. Common name: mallow Genus:  Sphaeralcea - sfeer-AL-see-uh. Common name: globemallow Species featured:  Sphaeralcea angustifolia - an-gus-tee-FOH-lee-uh. Common name: narrowleaf globemallow  Sphaeralcea coccinea - kok-SIN-ee-uh.  Common name: scarlet globemallow  Sphaeralcea fendleri  - [...]

Scientific name: Proboscidea parviflora Common names: doubleclaw, devil’s claw, unicorn plant Family: Pedaliaceae (Sesame family, formerly Martyniaceae) Article by Jeanne Gozigian There is nothing that I love better than a good mystery!  Curled up in my comfy recliner chair and covered with [...]

Scientific name: Muhlenbergia asperifolia Common name: alkali muhly Family: Poaceae Article by Susan Bruneni Muhlenbergia asperifolia (Photo by Janice Tucker) Visitors to Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve always marvel at the late summer and early fall color. This year many were displaying [...]

Scientific name: Sempervivum species, Sempervivum tectorum  (sem-per-VEE-vum tek-TOR-um) Common names: hen and chicks, houseleek,  devil’s beard, Thor’s beard, thunder plant, healing blade and numerous others Family:  Crassulaceae -  stonecrop  (krass-yoo-LAY-see-ee) by Janice Tucker Hen and chicks at Santa Fe Botanical [...]

Scientific name: Agave parryi Common names: Parry’s agave, mescal agave Family: Asparagaceae, sub-family Agavoideae Photo by Jeanne Gozigian. Also mentioned: American century plant (Agave americana), monument plant (Frasera speciosa) Article by Jeanne Gozigian Look up in the sky!  It’s a bird, [...]

Scientific name: Yucca faxoniana Common name: Faxon yucca Plant family: Asparagaceae Article by Susan Bruneni Photos by Patrick Alexander, Botanist, Bureau of Land Management, Las Cruces District Office Yucca faxoniana in flower. Photo by Patrick Alexander, Botanist, Bureau of Land Management, Las Cruces District [...]

Scientific Name:  Dalea purpurea Prairie purple clover flower close up (Dalea purpurea). Photo by Janice Tucker Common name: purple prairie clover Plant Family:  Fabaceae (bean) Article and photos by Janice Tucker The color purple arrived on the scene when [...]

Scientific name: Anemopsis californica Synonyms: A. californica var. subglabra Close-up of bloom, stem and leaves of yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) at Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve by Janice Tucker. Common names: lizard’s tail, yerba mansa Family: Saururaceae (common name: Lizard’s tail) [...]

For this month's "Plant of the Month" article, we'll be taking a closer look at a fascinating community of organisms that are living closely with plants throughout the ecosystem, however often overlooked - lichens. The following article describes how all [...]

Scientific name: Amelanchier utahensis Common name: Utah serviceberry Plant Family:  Rosaceae - rose Text by Janice Tucker. Photographs by Janice Tucker, Tony Frates and David Salman A. Utahensis in Salt lake County Utah courtesy of SEINet Arizona New Mexico [...]

Scientific name: Zinnia grandiflora Synonym: Crassina grandiflora Common names: prairie zinnia, golden eye, plains zinnia, little golden zinnia, Rocky Mountain zinnia, yellow zinnia Family: Asteraceae (Compositae) Article by Jeanne Gozigian Zinnia grandiflora flower (Photo credit: Janice Tucker) We recently moved [...]