Description

University of Washington Herbarium at theBurke Museum, the authors of WILDFLOWERS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST,and High Country Apps have partnered to produce the new WASHINGTONWILDFLOWERS plant identification app for mobile devices. This freeINTRO app demonstrates the app's full functionality with a samplingof 32 species; including images, species descriptions, range maps,bloom period, and technical descriptions. The full app covers 870common wildflowers, shrubs, and vines found in Washington andadjacent areas of British Columbia, Idaho, and Oregon. The majorityof species included are native, but introduced species common tothe region are covered as well. The app does not need an Internetconnection to run, so you can use it no matter how remote yourwanderings take you.

The number of species covered and wealth of information includedsets a new standard for wildflower identification apps. Thoughprimarily designed for amateur enthusiasts, the breadth of contentin WASHINGTON WILDFLOWERS also makes it appealing to moreexperienced botanists. Users can browse the species list by commonor scientific name (and even by family!) to locate a plant andaccess the related information. However, most users will want torely on the easy-to-use search key to accurately identify plants ofinterest.

The key's interface is broken down into nine simple categories:growth habit (e.g., wildflower, shrub, vine), flower color, monthof year, geographic region, habitat, leaf arrangement, leaf type,duration (annual, biennial, perennial), and origin (native orintroduced). Select choices in as many or as few categories as youwish. As you do so, the number of species found is displayed at thetop of the page. Once done selecting, the click of a button returnsa list of thumbnail images and names for potential matches. Usersscroll among the species on the list and tap a thumbnail image toaccess additional photos, descriptions, and range maps.

WASHINGTON WILDFLOWERS includes supporting documents withextensive information on the ecoregions of Washington, descriptionsof habitats found across the state, wildflower destinations withbest time to visit, insights into how the climate influences theplant communities found here, as well as detailed instructions onhow to use the app. Users will also find an extensive glossary ofbotanical terms, along with labeled diagrams of leaves, flowers,and inflorescences. Finally, detailed descriptions can be found foreach family contained in WASHINGTON WILDFLOWERS. Tapping on afamily name brings up a list of images and names for all species inthe app belonging to that family.

Washington and its adjacent areas are home to diverse landscapescontaining a wealth of wildflowers, shrubs, and vines. WASHINGTONWILDFLOWERS will appeal to individuals of all ages who travel tosuch areas and are interested in knowing the names and naturalhistory of the plants that they encounter. WASHINGTON WILDFLOWERSis also a great educational tool for learning more about plantcommunities, botanical terms, and how to identify plants ingeneral. A portion of revenues from the app supports conservationand botanical exploration in the region.