Flora of Oregon

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"A new Flora of Oregon, with its accompanying plant Atlas, will encourage further plant exploration and will heighten public appreciation for the state's heritage of botanical diversity."
- Dr. Kenton Chambers

Introduction
    A flora is the primary reference manual for determining the scientific names of plants. The Flora of Oregon will be a one-volume manual of the vascular plants of Oregon, and will include identification keys, illustrations, and species descriptions. The new flora will have line drawings for each species, and indicate whether a plant is native or if it is a species of conservation concern. Numerous taxa will be included in a flora for the first time. It will be published in book form and online.
    The electronic version of the new flora will be to connect all facets of the Oregon Flora Project. Software will link the databases and images, and allow the user to gather many types of information about the plants in question. Such a comprehensive set of information on the plants of Oregon has never before been available!

Why Oregon needs a new flora
     The Flora of Oregon will be important for professional botanists, teachers, students and plant lovers. Accurate and up-to-date knowledge about the plants of Oregon is critical for natural resource managers and academic researchers. Currently, there is no modern flora of Oregon! Over four decades of biosystematic research and plant exploration have rendered the most recent flora (Peck 1961) out of date. Newly described species, those whose ranges have extended into Oregon, and weedy species will be presented in the new flora. Having one current reference that covers the entire state will aid in our understanding of Oregon’s plant diversity.

The people involved
     The Oregon Flora Project is based at the Department of Botany & Plant Pathology of Oregon State University, and is directed by Dr. Scott Sundberg. It is guided by 21 volunteer scientists, including OSU Herbarium Director Dr. Aaron Liston and Professor Emeritus Kenton Chambers. Most of the work on the Flora Project is done by volunteers—individuals of all ages and skill levels. Funding for this work comes from federal agency grants, foundations, companies, and plant-oriented societies. The Native Plant Society of Oregon (NPSO) has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Oregon Flora Project since its inception. Our website is hosted by the Northwest Alliance of Computational Science & Engineering at OSU. The hundreds of individual donors and volunteers that have helped shape the character of this project are a vital element in the development of this botanical resource.

How can I help?
If you are interested in helping out the Oregon Flora Project, contact:

Dr. Linda Hardison Oregon Flora Project Department of Botany & Plant Pathology Oregon State University/ 2082 Cordley Hall Corvallis, OR 97331 (541) 737-4338 hardisol@science.oregonstate.edu