prairie plants of washington state

ask me if you want any other lists, or visit the burke herbarium website its awesome.

john dalelio 

Agoseris elata [1](tall agoseris, tall goat-chicory)
(= Agoseris elata in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Scapose, mostly glabrous, stout perennial, 2-7 dm. tall, with milky juice.
Distribution: In the Cascades and westward, Washington to California.
Habitat: Meadows and open woods, from the valleys to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Agoseris grandiflora [2](large-flowered agoseris, large-flower goat-chicory) ]-->
(= Agoseris grandiflora in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Scapose, stout perennial, 2-7 dm. tall, somewhat hairy when young, the juice milky.
Distribution: British Columbia to California, east to Idaho and Nevada.
Habitat: Meadows and other open places in the lowlands and at moderate elevations in the mountains, often is dry areas.

Arenaria serpyllifolia [3](thyme-leaf sandwort)
(= Arenaria serpyllifolia in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Distribution: Introduced in most of the United States
Habitat: Weed in various habitats

Artemisia campestris [4](field sagewort) <!
(= Artemisia campestris in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Scarcely odorous, biennial or perennial from a taproot, 1-10 dm. tall, highly variable.
Distribution: Circumboreal, extending south in North America to Oregon, Arizona, Michigan and Vermont.
Habitat: Open places, often in sandy soil.

Artemisia ludoviciana [5](white sagebrush, gray sagewort)
(= Artemisia ludoviciana in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Aromatic, rhizomatous perennial, 3-19 dm. tall, simple up to the inflorescence, white-woolly at least above.
Distribution: Common east of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest; found in much of the United States and southern Canada
Habitat: Fairly dry areas from the foothills to high elevations in the mountains

(common sandweed)
(= Athysanus pusillus in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Crepis occidentalis [6](largeflower hawksbeard, western hawksbeard)

(= Crepis occidentalis in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Stout perennial from a taproot and short, woody base, stems 1-3, 0.5- 4 dm. tall, the herbage densely grey-woolly, at least when young, with milky juice.
Distribution: Chiefly east of the Cascades, southern British Columbia to California, east to South Dakota and New Mexico.
Habitat: Dry, open places, mostly in the foothills and plains.

[7]Crocidium multicaule [8](common spring-gold, gold star) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Crocidium multicaule in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Delicate, several-stemmed annual, about 1.5 dm. tall, glabrous except for woolly tufts in the leaf axils.
Distribution: Both sides the Cascades from British Columbia to California; more common east
Habitat: Dry, open areas at low elevations, especially shrub-steppe

Cryptantha intermedia [9](Clearwater cryptantha, common cryptantha, clearwater cat's eye) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Cryptantha intermedia var. grandiflora in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Stiff-hairy annual, the simple or branched stem 0.5-5 dm. tall.
Distribution: Washington to California, east to Idaho and Arizona
Habitat: Moderately dry, open slopes

(spring draba, spring whitlow-grass) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Draba verna vars. boerhaavii, verna in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Small annual herb 5-20 cm tall. One of the earliest species to bloom in spring; plants are small; leaves all basal with branched hairs; flowers white with 4 deeply notched petals.
Distribution: Throughout much of North America; Eurasia.
Habitat: Shrub-steppe, grasslands, and open disturbed areas at low to middle elevations.

Erigeron oreganus [10](gorge fleabane, gorge daisy, Oregon fleabane) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Erigeron oreganus in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Perennial from a stout, woody base and root, the lax stem 5-15 cm. long, covered with glands and loose, sticky hairs.
Distribution: Columbia River Gorge, more common on the Oregon side.
Habitat: Moist shady cliffs and ledges.

Erigeron salishii [11](Star Peak fleabane, Salish daisy) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(taxon is not treated in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)

Erigeron speciosus [12](aspen fleabane, splendid fleabane) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Erigeron speciosus in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Perennial from a short, woody base, 1.5-8 dm. tall, the stems clustered, amply leafy, glabrous below the inflorescence.
Distribution: British Columbia to Oregon, east to Wyoming; more common west of the Cascades.
Habitat: Open woods or openings in wooded areas, foothills to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Erysimum capitatum [13](sanddune wallflower, rough wallflower, prairie rocket) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Erysimum asperum in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Distribution: Chiefly east of the Casacades, Alaska to California, east to Ohio and Texas
Habitat: Often in sandy soil, plains to moderate elevations in the mountains

Githopsis specularioides [14](common bluecup) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Githopsis specularioides in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Annual herbs, the much-branched stems up to 3 dm. tall, the herbage glabrous or with fine, stiff hairs.
Distribution: Both sides of the Cascades, from southern Washington to southern California.
Habitat: Dry, open places in the valleys and foothills.

Grindelia integrifolia [15](Puget Sound gumweed, Willamette Valley gumweed, Puget Sound gumplant) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Grindelia integrifolia var. integrifolia in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Perennial from a taproot and a branched, short, woody base, 1.5-8 dm. tall, usually covered with long, soft, curved hairs.
Distribution: British Columbia to northern California, along the coast, and in the Puget Trough as far south as the head of Willamette Valley.
Habitat: Salt marshes and rocky shores along the coast, and various non-maritime habitats in the Puget Trough.

Lepidium oxycarpum [16](forked pepperweed, sharpfruited pepperwort) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Lepidium oxycarpum in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)

Minuartia tenella [17](slender stitchwort) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Arenaria stricta in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)

Opuntia fragilis [18](brittle prickly-pear) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Opuntia fragilis in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Distribution: British Columbia to California, east to Michigan and Texas
Habitat: Dry,open, often sandy soil

Rudbeckia hirta [19](blackeyed Susan) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Rudbeckia hirta in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Biennial or short-lived perennial, 3-10 dm. tall, rough-hairy throughout.
Distribution: Found in most of the United States, but native in the central states and introduced in the Pacific Northwest.
Habitat: Open meadows and disturbed places.

Senecio neowebsteri [20](Olympic Mountain ragwort) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Senecio neowebsteri in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)

Sericocarpus rigidus [21](Columbian white-topped aster, rigid white-topped aster) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Aster curtus in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Distribution: West of the Cascades from southern Vancouver Island, BC, to southwest Oregon, but chiefly in Washington
Habitat: Prairies andopen areas at low elevations

Solidago missouriensis [22](Missouri goldenrod) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Solidago missouriensis in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Glabrous perennial from a creeping rhizome, 2-9 dm. tall.
Distribution: Southern British Columbia and western Washington, east to Ontario and Tennesee.
Habitat: Rather dry, open places, from the valleys and plains to fairly high elevations in the mountains.

Solidago simplex [23](Mt. Albert goldenrod) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Solidago spathulata in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Glabrous perennial from a short woody base or short rhizome, 0.5-8 dm. tall, usually more or less glutinous at least in the inflorescence and peduncles. The similar S. multiradiata always has ciliate petioles (hairs along each edge), S. simplex never has these rows of hairs.
Distribution: Alaska to California, east to Minnesota and Texas
Habitat: Open, slightly moist areas from coastal dunes to alpine meadows

Stellaria nitens [24](shiny chickweed, shiny starwort) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Stellaria nitens in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)

Symphyotrichum chilense [25](Pacific aster, common California aster) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Aster chilensis in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Fibrous-rooted perennial from a rhizome or branched base, the stems 2-10 dm. tall, pubescent at least above.
Distribution: Both sides of the Cascades, Washington to California, east to Montana and New Mexico.
Habitat: Dry, open places in the valleys and plains, to moderate elevations in the mountazins.

Symphyotrichum hallii [26](Hall's aster) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Aster chilensis ssp. hallii in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Fibrous-rooted perennial from a rhizome or branched base, the stems 2-10 dm. tall, pubescent at least above.
Distribution: West of the Cascades in Washington and, more commonly, in Oregon.
Habitat: Dry, open places in the valleys and plains.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae [27](New England aster) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Aster novae-angliae in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Stout perennial from a very short, thick rhizome and numerous fibrous roots, the stems 5-20 dm. tall, clustered.
Distribution: Native to eastern United States, introduced as an ornamental sndf occasionally escaping in the Pacific Northwest.
Habitat: Roadsides and disturbed areas where somdwhat moist.

Triodanis perfoliata [28](clasping Venus' looking-glass, clasping-leaf venus'-looking-glass) <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->
(= Triodanis perfoliata in Flora of the Pacific Northwest)
Erect annual herbs, the stems erect, usually simple, 1-6 dm. tall, the surface rough.
Distribution: Throughout the United States and adjacent areas of Canada and Mexico.
Habitat: Various habitata, from the valleys and plains to moderate elevations in the moutains.