Pictures are no substitute for seeing identified plants in the flesh. In El Paso, most can be seen at the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at the Centennial Museum on the University of Texas campus. Others located elsewhere in the Chihuahuan Desert should, if possible, see the plants in the wild with a knowledgeable guide. Some of the plants on the list below are important or prominent players in the Chihuahuan Desert, others are components of the flora but play relatively minor roles. Those marked by an asterisk (*) belong in the former group and students are expected to be able to identify and know basic data concerning them. If the * is in front of a family name, students should to be able to recognize any typical member of the family whether or not there are individual genera or species marked in the list.
Sources that can characterize the plant families generally require knowledge of specialized terms (jargon). The website covers many (but not all) of the families the students are responsible for and has a minimum of jargon (and what it has is defined). Most identification keys and summaries require flowers, since there is a great deal of convergence in vegetative structures. Again, experience in the field with a knowledgeable guide is the best approach for those not versed in botany.
Last Update: 25 Jun 2006