This page covers the following in this order:
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This page started out because I wanted to identify a plant and keep a site where I bookmarked all the useful sites I found - but it snowballed! Now it's a resource beyond what I need - but I hope it will be helpful to those wanting to identify a plant. It continues to be a work in progress - I have an idea to reference different plant families! THANKS to all the members of the Botanical Artists Facebook Group - who have been an enormous help in suggesting relevant sites that they find useful and use. Caveat - I'm not a botanist and it may well include mistakes in terms of terminology or taxonomy - however I'm learning! Please contact me if you spot a mistake. |
One of the critical issues with plants is that names can change over time.
Hence you need to
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More about Names
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The Plant List - a working list of all known plant species. This listing of species of Vascular plant (flowering plants, conifers, ferns and their allies) and of Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) aims to be comprehensive in due course.
The Plant List includes:
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The World Flora Consortium aims to develop an online database - based on ongoing projects to map the Flora of different countries.
Links to Flora specific to certain Countries can be found below. |
Organisations about Plants and Plant Life Info.
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Image Database of Plants
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A comprehensive source of reference and the standard work for identifying wild vascular plants of the British Isles. 4,800 taxa are now covered in varying degrees of detail
First published in 1991 this book is now on its third edition. It is published by one of the most reputable publishers in this field. In order to avoid lugging a big heavy book around when working in the field you can also access it via its Kindle version - which can then be accessed via both a normal computer and a tablet/iPad. |
This is a VERY LARGE BOOK (1,266 pages) and hence it is also not cheap.
Available Formats: * Paperback * Flexibound - for the heavy user * Kindle edition - for use in the field Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Edition: 3 edition Publication date: 1 April 2010 Average customer rating out of 5 stars: 4.5 (UK only) Ranks #10 in books about Plant Sciences in UK BUY THIS BOOK New Flora of the British Isles
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Databases
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BSBI Information
'Plantlife' Resources
Other Flora / Sites
The Wild flower Society Resources
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Organisations
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BEST FOR UK BASED BOTANICAL ARTISTS
This is the book I use to try and identify cultivated horticultural plants and flowers. The main reason I use this book is because the plants are well illustrated and organised in a way which enables me to find the correct plant very easily.
For example The Plant Catalogue section lists plants and flowers by genus, species, size and colour. I find that methodically working my way through the catalogue I can very often find a plant. |
Hardcover: 744 pages
Publisher: DK Publication date: 1 Sept. 2010 RECOMMENDED: In the UK this book is the
BUY THIS BOOK RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers
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SCOTLAND
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Flora of Scotland - Wikimedia Commons Resources
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Wild plants in Europe are under severe threat with a significant loss of plant species and habitat taking place. Although being a subject of concern, plant conservation has less support from politicians and the public than other threatened groups, such as pandas, whales or birds. |
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Acta Plantarum resources
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Flora Italiano - over 8,000 species includes Botanic Cards by species and a checklist by region of species present in
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Italy- Wikimedia Resources
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This book is the standard field guide to the flowers, fruit trees, grasses and ferns found in the countries bordering the Mediterranean.
2500 plant species are described in relation to the area it covers - Portugal, Spain, France, Corsica, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, the Balkans, Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. |
Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: A&C Black; Edition: second (revised) Publication date: 7 Jun. 2004 Average Customer Rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars by 46 customer reviews (UK) BUY THIS BOOK |
NORTH AMERICA Flora of North America - Nearly 20,100 species of vascular plants and bryophytes grow outside of cultivation in North America north of Mexico. The aim of FNA is to have one published reference source with information on the names, taxonomic relationships, continent-wide distributions, and morphological characteristics of all plants native and naturalized found in North America north of Mexico.
Plants database
Smithsonian
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eFloras - North America - Online Volumes for families of flora found in North America
Online Volumes
Native Plants ONLY
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FLORIDA
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MISSOURI
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VIRGINIA
From the perspective of a botanical artist, I viewed this project as a great exercise in a constant daily practice of drawing plant specimens and learning their important characteristics. Learning to identify plants and understanding their relationships (learning plant families is a great place to start) is key to making a convincing drawing or painting.
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This book came about due to a collaboration between Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project Inc. and Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press.
It documents approximately 3,200 taxa in 200 families and features 1,400 captioned, scaled, and botanically accurate illustrations. It took 10 years to produce and weighs in at 7lbs! |
Lara Call Gastinger was the botanical illustrator for this project. I saw her work exhibited at the RHS Botanical Art Show where it won a Gold Medal!
Hardcover: 1572 pages
Publisher: Botanical Research Inst of Texas; Publication date: 1 edition - November 15, 2012 BUY THIS BOOK Flora of Virginia
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Harvard - Latin American Plant Initiative (LAPI) - LAPI, the Latin American Plant Initiative, is an international partnership of herbaria working to create a coordinated database of information and images of the plants of Latin America.
CHILE
ECUADOR
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Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile
by authors: Martin Gardner, Paulina Hechenleitner, and Josefina Hepp Castillo and Illustrators Gulnar Eksi, Isik Guner and Hulya Korkmaz This book has brilliant illustrations. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the botanical illustrations completed for this book by Gulnar and Isik which came to the RHS Botanical Art Shows where they won RHS Gold Medals each time theye were showed.
Paperback: 202 pages
Publisher: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; Publication date: 1st edition (9 Oct. 2015) BUY THIS BOOK |
CHINA
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See also Flora of China | Wikimedia Commons
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NEPAL AND HIMALAYAS
See also llustrations of Himalayan plants | Wikimedia Commons
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![]() Magnolia campbellii flowers. Original caption: "Plate IV. Flowering specimen of Magnolia Campbellii. Fig. 1. Flower with the perianth removed, showing the stamens and spike of ovaries. 2. Stamens. 3. Stigma :—magnified. | Hooker, Joseph Dalton; Cathcart, John Fergusson; Fitch, Walter Hood: Illustrations of Himalayan plants p.27.
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States and Territories
NEW SOUTH WALES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN ISLANDS
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Featured Plants of Australia
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Acacia is a genus of around 1200 species; 954 are currently recognised as occurring in Australia – from coastal zones and mountains to the dry inland. Collectively the Australian species are known as 'wattles'. |
NEW ZEALAND
Wikipedia/Wikimedia Resources |
Begonia
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Zingiberaceae
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NEWS
News Blog about artists, awards, exhibitions etc. |
EXHIBITIONS
- Calls for Entries - Exhibitions around the world - Online Exhibitions - RHS Exhibitions - Hunt Exhibitions ORGANISATIONS
- Botanical Art Societies - national / regional / local - Florilegium & Groups - Botanical Art Groups on Facebook |
EARN
- Tips and Techniques - Best Botanical Art Instruction Books - Directory of Teachers - Directory of Courses - Online Botanical Art Courses - Diplomas and Certificates - Talks, Lectures and Tours ART MATERIALS (Paper / Vellum) BOTANY FOR ARTISTS - Scientific Botanical Illustration - Best Botany Books for Artists - Plant Names & Botanical Latin BOTANIC GARDENS & Herbaria |
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