This site uses photographic illustration to show the plant details that are required to make plant identifications to the level of species. In addition to the photos and a (usually) brief summary text, each species page will contain links to other informative web sites describing that species. The plan is to post a modest catalog of flora identifying species found in SE Iowa—not a complete flora of our region but rather a growing collection of photos and information about some of the plants that you might find in the woods, prairies, parks, and roadsides. These plants will, individually, have a wider distribution and for the most part will be characteristic of the flora of the upper midwestern U.S.
A navagation bar appears at the top of each page. The light brown box is the, "You are Here" indicator. The other boxes offer a way to jump around the site. If you are new to the botanical sciences, the introduction page will provide a short background about the range and variety of plant interests and a few links to supporting information. The Species Index page will provide links to individual species pages, each with one or more photographs and a short description of features used to identify the plant.
Thanks for stopping by,
R.W. Lutz, Ph.D