Castilleja spp., photo by Adriana Hernandez
The vascular plant list records native and non-native vascular plants known to occur — or have occurred — in the area of the Preserve.
Introduction to the Vascular Plant List
The vascular plant list records native and non-native, naturalized vascular plants known to occur — or have occurred (historical records are considered those more than 25 years ago) — in the area of the Preserve. Almost all plants (98%) are documented by one or more herbarium vouchers in the Oakmead Herbarium or, occasionally, in other herbaria. Without an herbarium voucher, the identification of a taxon may remain in doubt. In very few cases, because of small occurrence size, a taxon is represented by digital photographs and/or a partial collection, e.g., single flower displaying diagnostic characters (DOC in the "document type" field). There are even fewer plants listed based solely on reports by qualified botanists (REP in the "document type" field).
Scientific names generally follow the Jepson eFlora. We also reference plants and/or names, including some hybrids, not treated therein, e.g., Elymus x hansenii, Quercus x jolonensis. Also, following the Marin Flora, 2nd ed, 2007: “We include here as naturalized species those that are established and have a true competitive status without cultivation whether the plant is aggressively spreading or seems only passively and locally established. . . . Experience has shown that the waifs of today may become the weeds of tomorrow." Waifs, i.e., plants appearing for a season or two but not persisting, hybrids, unconfirmed reports, and those names earlier included based on misidentification are on separate lists. Documented plants that have gone missing or are in danger of doing so are also listed as disappearances and declines. Many of the identification notes are compliments of Dylan Neubauer, 2013, Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Santa Cruz County, California, 2nd ed.
Abbreviations & Symbols
Documentation Type and Plant Status:
SPEC—Specimen at the Jasper Ridge herbarium (JROH). Plant is presumed present unless otherwise noted; Calflora observations with photos also usually available.
spec—Historical specimen but no recent or current documentation (recent ~25 years of herbarium team surveys).
SPEC$—Specimen, at herbaria other than Jasper Ridge.
spec$—Historical specimen at herbaria other than Jasper Ridge, but no recent or current documentation (recent ~25 years of herbarium team surveys).
DOC—Documented, plant observed and/or photographed by herbarium team but not vouchered.
REP—Reported, usually by more than one observer with detailed location information. No known specimen; unconfirmed by herbarium team.
rep — No documentation post-1993 (recent ~25 years of herbarium team surveys).
Rare, Naturalized, Waif, Hybrid, etc.:
« officially listed rare/endangered (CNPS, State, or Federal listing) in bold italics. Names in bold italics without symbol « are Locally Rare native taxa
* non-native species naturalized in California
! California native species not native to the Preserve or surrounding area
N—persistent at JRBP and not mentioned or mentioned and not given taxonomic status in TJM2
W—persistent, sometimes reproducing at JRBP and considered a waif in our bioregion according to TJM2. Waif designates a taxon occurring as a garden escape, agricultural weed, or non-native species that does not become naturalized in our region, but may be naturalized in other parts of California
x—hybrid
Misc. Abbreviations and Acronyms:
aff. (affinis) = an indication that identification is uncertain. Abbreviation seldom used in our lists and related documents = having affinity with, closely related to: (1) differs clearly from the holotype, but may fall within the limits of variation of the species, or (2) relates a new undescribed taxon to a named taxon; see Open Nomenclatural Terms
Cal-IPC = California Invasive Plant Council
cf. (confer) = an indication that identification is uncertain. Abbreviation seldom used in our lists and related documents. Probably belongs to the identified taxon, but the determination is uncertain or provisional; see Open Nomenclatural Terms
CNPS = California Native Plant Society
CNPS Inventory R&E Plants = California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants
California Consortium = Consortium of California Herbaria
fl, fls (Fl, Fls) = flower(s), floral, flowering
FNA = Flora of North America [online]
JRBP = Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University
RANK = California Rare Plant Rank, see below
SM = San Mateo County
ssp. = subspecies = subsp.
syn. = synonym (synonomy)
TJM1 = The Jepson Manual, Hickman et al., 1993
TJM2 = The Jepson Manual, 2nd ed., Baldwin et al., 2012