These maps represent the areas within which a given plant may be found...in its ecologic niche. An alpine plant such as Sedum roseum will only be found in those high mountain areas within its indicated range...not necessarily throughout the bredth of the "distribution". Most are native to the western states. Some, such as Phytolacca (Poke), have established stable "colonies", even though native to eastern North America.

Face it: these are gross representations of subtle reality. 652 X 787 bit images of a million+ square miles can only crudely approximate. Still, it is interesting to see patterns and to understand the type of locality a plant prefers to grow within...perhaps to aid in cultivation, perhaps to aid in photographing, or even gathering.

As to gathering, tread carefully.
- Cypripediums, Calypsos and such should NOT be gathered...ever.
- Cimicifuga elata grows over a far greater area than Salvia leucophylla, but the first is rare, the second profuse.
- Drosera (Sundew) may LOOK abundant on a pretty map, but actually consist of a few stands of several dozen plants still surviving the last ice age...and drainage canals.

These maps, therefore, represent the range of an individual plant, NOT the abundance of that plant. These maps are derived from a couple of dozen current and out of print botany and range manuals and my own 30 years of personal experience in the field. This is yet another example of my preparing a new book...and getting obsessive about some small part of it...I always figure if it interests ME, it might interest YOU. A few of these plants may seem obscure, but I feel they are important medicinal plants, nonetheless.

I have included some alternate latin names and common names, as well as some of the charming and unique "Weberisms" found in some current Colorado plant manuals.

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Acacia greggii - Catclaw Acacia
Acalypha californica - California Copperleaf, Yerba del Cancer
Acalypha lindheimeri - Yerba del Cancer
Achillea millefolium - Yarrow, Plumajillo
Achlys triphylla - Vanilla Leaf
Aconitum columbianum - Western Aconite, Monkshood
Actaea arguta - Actaea rubra, Red Baneberry
Adiantum capillus-veneris - Common Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum pedatum - Western or Northern Maidenhair Fern
Adoxa moschatellina - Musk Root
Aesculus californica - California Buckeye
Agrimonia gryposepala - Hairy Agrimony
Agrimonia striata - American Agrimony
Ambrosia ambrosioides - Canyon Ragweed, Burro Sage
Ambrosia artemisiifolia - Wormwood-leaved Ragweed, Roman Wormwood
Ambrosia trifida - Great Wormwood
Anaphalis margaritacea - Pearly Everlasting
Anemone occidentalis - Pulsatilla occidentalis, Western Pasqueflower, Western Pulsatilla
Anemone patens - Pulsatilla ludoviciana, P. hirsutissima, P. patens, Pasqueflower, Pulsatilla
Anemone tuberosa - Desert Anemone
Anemopsis californica - Yerba Mansa
Angelica arguta - Angelica lyallii, Pacific Angelica, Lyall's Angelica
Angelica genuflexa - Kneeling Angelica
Angelica grayi - Gray's Angelica
Angelica hendersonii - Beach Angelica
Angelica pinnata - Western Angelica
Apocynum androsaemifolium - Spreading Dogbane
Apocynum cannabinum - Dogbane, Indian or Canadian Hemp
Aralia californica - California Spikenard
Aralia nudicaulis - American "Sarsaparilla"
Aralia racemosa - Aralia bicrenata, Spikenard
Arctium minus - Lesser Burdock
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - Uva-Ursi, Bearberry
Aristolochia californica - California Snakeroot
Aristolochia watsonii - Indian Root, Raiz del Indio
Arnica cordifolia - Heartleaved Arnica
Arnica latifolia - Side-flowered Arnica
Artemisia douglasiana - California Mugwort
Artemisia franserioides - Altamisa, Mountain Mugwort
Artemisia frigida - Silver or Fringed "Sage"
Artemisia ludoviciana - Estafiate, Sagewort
Artemisia tridentata - Sagebrush (Colorado: Seriphidium tridentatum )
Asarum caudatum - Pacific Wild Ginger
Asclepias asperula - Inmortal, Antelope Horns, Spider Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa - Showy Milkweed
Asclepias subulata - Desert or Rush Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa - Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Milkweed
Asparagus officinalis - Garden Asparagus
Astragalus americanus - Northern Astragalus
Avena fatua - Wild Oats
Balsamorhiza sagittata - Balsam Root
Berberis fendleri - Western Barberry, Palo Amarillo
Brickellia californica - Hamula, Prodigiosa (N.M.)
Brickellia grandiflora - Hamula, Prodigiosa (N.M.)
Bryonia alba - Bryonia dioica, Bryony
Bupleurum americanum - American Bupleurum (Colorado: Bupleurum triradiatum Adams ssp arcticum )
Bursera microphylla - Elephant Tree, Torote
Cacalia decomposita - Psacalium decompositum, Maturin, Maturique
Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird-of-Paradise, Tabachin
Caltha leptosepala - White Marshmarigold (Colorado: Psychrophila leptosepala )
Calypso bulbosa - Calypso Orchid
Campsis radicans - Trumpet Creeper, Trumpet Vine
Castela emoryi - Chaparro Amargosa
Ceanothus cuneatus - Buckbrush, Red Root
Ceanothus fendleri - Deer Brush, Red Root
Ceanothus greggii - Desert Ceanothus, Red Root
Ceanothus herbaceum - Grub Root, Jersey Tea, Red Root
Ceanothus velutinus - Snowbrush, Red Root
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Button Bush
Cercocarpus spp. - Mountain Mahogany
Chilopsis linearis - Desert Willow, Mimbre
Chimaphila umbellata - Pipsissewa
Chlorogalum pomeridianum - Amole Lily
Cichorium intybus - Chicory
Cimicifuga elata - Western Black Cohosh, Western Bugbane
Clematis hirsutissima - Leather Flower, (Colorado: Coriflora hirsutissima )
Clematis ligusticifolia
Conopholis alpina, var. mexicana - Mexican Squaw Root
Coptis occidentalis - Western Goldthread
Corallorhiza maculata - Coral Root, Crawley
Cornus stolonifera - Cornus sericea, Red Osier (Colorado: Swida sericea )
Corydalis aureus - Corydalis aurea, Golden Smoke
Crataegus columbiana - Crataegus douglasii var. douglasii, Columbia Hawthorn
Crataegus douglasii - Crataegus rivularis, Crataegus douglasii var. rivularis - Douglas or Black Hawthorn
Crataegus erythropoda - Cerro Hawthorn
Cupressus arizonica - Including Cupressus arizonica var. glabra - Arizona Cypress
Cymopterus fendleri - Cymopterus acaulis var. fendleri, Chimaja
Cynoglossum officinale - Hound's Tongue
Cypripedium calceolus - Yellow Lady Slipper
Cypripedium montanum - Mountain Lady Slipper
Cytisus scoparius - Scotch Broom
Darlingtonia californica - California Pitcher Plant, Cobra Lily
Dicentra formosa - Western Bleeding Heart
Drosera rotundifolia - Round-leaved Sundew
Dyssodia papposa - Pague, Fetid Marigold
Echinacea angustifolia - Echinacea, Kansas Snakeroot
Encelia farinosa - Brittlebush, Incienso
Ephedra californica - California Ephedra, Mormon Tea
Ephedra nevadensis - Nevada Ephedra, Mormon Tea
Ephedra torreyana - Popotillo, Torrey's Ephedra
Ephedra trifurca - Desert Ephedra
Ephedra viridis - Green Ephedra, Mormon Tea
Epilobium angustifolium - Chamaenerion angustifolium, Great Willow Herb, Fireweed (Colorado: Chamerion danielsii )
Epipactis gigantea - Giant Helleborine, Stream Orchid
Eremocarpus setigerus - Croton setigerus, Turkey Mullein
Eriodictyon angustifolium - Narrow-leaved or Mogollon Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon californicum - Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon crassifolium - Thick-leaved Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon tomentosum - Woolly Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon trichocalyx - Pacific Yerba Santa
Erodium cicutarium - Storksbill, Filaree, Alfilirillo
Eschscholtzia californica, and friends - California Poppy
Euonymus occidentalis - Western Wahoo
Eupatorium herbaceum - Ageratina herbacea, Mata, Western Thoroughwort
Eupatorium maculatum - Gravel Root, Joe Pye
Fallugia paradoxa - Apache Plum, Ponil
Fouquiera splendens - Ocotillo
Fremontia californica - Fremontodendron californicum, California Slippery Elm, Flannel Bush
Galium aparine - Cleavers
Garrya flavescens - Silk Tassel
Garrya wrightii - Wright's Silk Tassel
Gentiana affinis - Pleated Gentian, (Colorado: Pneumonanthe affinis )
Gentiana calycosa - Explorer's Gentian
Gentiana parryi - Parry's gentian (Colorado: Pneumonanthe parryi )
Gentiana simplex - Gentianopsis simplex, Western Fringed Gentian
Gentiana thermalis - Gentianopsis thermalis, Northern Gentian
Geranium richardsonii - Richardson's Geranium
Geranium viscosissimum - Sticky Geranium
Glycyrrhiza lepidota - American Licorice
Goodyera spp. - Rattlesnake Plantain
Grindelia aphanactis - Grindelia nuda var. aphanactis, Grindelia, Yerba del Buey
Grindelia squarrosa - Grindelia, Gumweed
Gutierrezia sarothrae - Snake Broom, Escoba de la Vibora
Haplopappus laricifolius - Ericameria laricifolia, Turpentine Bush
Hedeoma oblongifolia, etc. American Pennyroyal, Poleo Chino
Helenium hoopsii - Dugaldia hoopesii, Golden Sneezeweed, Yerba Del Lobo
Heracleum lanatum - Cow Parsnip, Yerba del Oso (Colorado: Heracleum sphondylium L. ssp montanum )
Heterotheca grandiflora - Telegraph Weed
Heterotheca psammophila - Heterotheca subaxillaris, Camphor Weed
Heuchera micrantha - Pacific Alum Root
Heuchera parvifolia - Alum Root
Humulus americanus, H. lupulus - Humulus lupulus var. neomexicanus, Humulus lupulus ssp americanus, American Hops, Hops
Hypericum formosum - Hypericum scouleri, Hypericum scouleri ssp. scouleri, Western St. Johnswort
Hypericum perforatum - St. John's Wort
Hyptis emoryi - Desert Lavender
Iris missouriensis - Western Blue Flag
Jatropha cardiophylla - Sangre de Drago
Jatropha macrorhiza - Purga Macha
Juglans major - Juglans microcarpa var. major, Arizona Walnut
Juniperus communis - Juniperus sibirica, Common Juniper
Juniperus monosperma - One-seeded Juniper (Colorado: Sabina monosperma )
Kallstroemia spp. - Arizona Poppy, Contrayerba (N.M.)
Kalmia microphylla - Kalmia polifolia ssp. microphylla, Western Mountain Laurel
Krameria grayi - White Rhatany
Krameria lanceolata - Krameria secundiflora, Prairie Rhatany
Krameria parvifolia - Krameria erecta, Desert Rhatany, Range Rhatany
Larrea tridentata - Chapparral, Creosote Bush, Gobernadora, Hediondilla
Ledum glandulosum - Western Labrador Tea
Leonurus cardiaca - Motherwort
Lepechinia calycina - Pitcher Sage, Wood Balm
Leucanthemum vulgare - Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Oxe-Eye Daisy
Liatris punctata - Cachana, Gayfeather
Ligusticum filicinum - Feather-leaf Osha
Ligusticum grayi - Gray's Lovage
Ligusticum porteri - Osha, Chuchupatle, Porter's Lovage, Colorado Cough Root
Linaria vulgaris, L. dalmatica - Toadflax, Butter-and-Eggs
Linum lewisii - Prairie Flax (Colorado: Adenolinum lewisii )
Lithospermum arvense - Buglossoides arvensis, Corn Gromwell
Lithospermum multiflorum - Stoneseed, Puccoon
Lithospermum ruderale - Western Gromwell, Western Stoneseed
Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
Lomatium dissectum - Leptotaenium dissectum, Lomatium
Lycium pallidum - Pale Wolfberry
Lycopus americanus - Bugleweed
Lycopus asper - Lycopus lucidus, Rough Bugleweed
Lycopus uniflorus - Lycopus virginicus var. pauciflorus, Northern Bugleweed
Mahonia aquifolia - Berberis aquifolium, Oregon Grape
Mahonia fremontii - Berberis fremontii, Desert Barberry, Algerita
Mahonia haematocarpa - Berberis haematocarpa, Red Barberry
Mahonia nervosa - Berberis nervosa, Shiny Oregon Grape
Mahonia repens - Berberis repens, Rocky Mountain Oregon grape, Yerba de Sangre, Creeping Holly
Mahonia trifoliata - Berberis trifoliata, Algerita
Mahonia wilcoxii - Arizona or Chiracahua Oregon Grape
Malva neglecta - Mallow, Cheeseplant, Malvas
Marrubium vulgare - Horehound, Marrubio
Matricaria matricarioides - Pineapple Weed (Colorado: Lepidotheca suaveolens )
Medicago sativum - Alfalfa
Melilotus spp. - Sweet Clover
Mentha arvense - Mentha canadensis, Brook Mint, Poleo
Mentha pulegium - European Pennyroyal
Mentha spicata - Mentha viridis, Spearmint, Yerba Buena
Menyanthes trifoliata - Buckbean, Marsh Trefoil
Mirabilis multiflora - Wild Four O'clock, Maravilla
Monarda menthaefolia - Monarda fistulosa ssp. fistulosa var. menthifolia (?!), Oregano de la Sierra, Wild Oregano
Monardella odoratissima - Mountain Balm, Mountain Mint
Myrica californica - California Bayberry
Nepeta cataria - Catnip
Nicotiana attenuata - Coyote Tobacco
Nuphar polysepalum - Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala, Yellow Pond Lily
Oenothera hookeri - Hooker's Primrose, (Colorado: Oenothera elata ssp hirsutissima )
Oplopanax horridum- Echinopanax horridus, Devil's Club
Orobanche fasciculata, O. ludoviciana - Broomrape (Colorado: Aphyllon fasciculatum )
Osmorhiza occidentalis - Sweet Root
Paeonia californica, P. brownii - California or Western Peony
Pedicularis bracteosa - Bracted Lousewort, Wood Betony
Pedicularis canadensis - American Lousewort, Wood Betony
Pedicularis groenlandica - Elephant's Head, Wood Betony
Pedicularis parryi - Parry's Lousewort, Wood Betony
Pedicularis racemosa - Parrot's Beak, Wood Betony
Peganum harmala - Syrian or African Rue, Soma (maybe)
Petasites frigidus, var palmatus - Petasites palmatus, Western Coltsfoot
Petasites sagittatus - Arrowleaf Coltsfoot
Phytolacca americana - Poke
Pinus edulus - Piñon Pine
Pinus ponderosa - Ponderosa Pine
Pluchea odorata (camphorata) - Camphor Weed
Polygala alba - White Milkwort, Plains Senega
Polygonum bistortioides - Bistort, (Colorado: Bistorta bistortoides )
Polypodium glycyrrhiza - Polypodium vulgare var. occidentale, Licorice Fern
Populus tremuloides - Aspen
Prunella vulgaris - Self Heal, Heal All
Prunus virginiana - Prunus melanocarpa, Choke Cherru, Wild Cherru, Capulin (Colorado: Padus virginiana ssp melanocarpa )
Ptelea trifoliata - Wafer Ash, Hop Tree
Purshia tridentata - Bitterbush, Quinine Bush
Rhamnus californica - Frangula californica, Coffee Berry, California Buckthorn
Rhamnus purshiana - Frangula purshiana, Cascara Sagrada
Rhus trilobata - Squawberry, Lemita, Skunkbush, (Colorado: Rhus aromatica ssp trilobata )
Romneya coulteri - Matilija Poppy
Rosa woodsii - Wood's Rose
Rubus idaeus - Rubus strigosus, Red Raspberry
Rudbeckia laciniata - Cutleaf Coneflower (Colorado: Rudbeckia ampla )
Rumex acetosella - Sheep Sorrel (Colorado: Acetosella vulgaris )
Rumex crispus - Yellow Dock
Rumex hymenosepalus - Canaigre, Red Dock
Sagittaria cuneata - Arumleaf Arrohead
Sagittaria latifolia - Broadleaf Arrowhead
Salvia apiana - White Sage
Salvia clevelandii - Cleveland's Sage
Salvia columbariae - Chia Sage
Salvia leucophylla - Purple Sage
Salvia mellifera - Black Sage
Salvia spathacea - Hummingbird or Pitcher Sage
Satureja douglasii - California Yerba Buena
Scrophularia californica - California Figwort
Scrophularia lanceolata (including Scrophularia montana )- Western Figwort
Scutellaria brittonii - Britton's skullcap
Scutellaria galericulata - Scutellaria epilobiifolia, Marsh Skullcap
Scutellaria lateriflora - Skullcap
Scutellaria resinosa - Scutellaria wrightii, Plains Skullcap
Scutellaria tesselata - Scutellaria potosina, var, tesselata, Arizona Skullcap
Sedum roseum - Sedum integrifolium, Rhodiola rosea, Roseroot, Goldenroot, Yellowroot Stonecrop (Colorado: Rhodiola integrifolia )
Simmondsia chinensis - Jojoba
Smilacina racemosa - False Solomon's Seal (Colorado: Maianthemum amplexicaule )
Smilax californica - California Sarsaparilla, California Greenbriar
Smilax herbacea - (including the dubious Smilax lasioneuron ) Carrion Flower, Plains Sarsaparilla
Solanum dulcamara - Bittersweet Nightshade
Sphaeralcea ambigua - Yerba del Negro, Desert Globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea - Yerba del Negro, Scarlet Globemallow
Sphaeralcea fendleri - Yerba de la Negrita, Fendler's Globemallow
Sphaeralcea parvifolia - Yerba del Negro, Smallflowered Globemallow
Stillingia sylvatica - Stillingia, Queen's Root
Swertia radiata - Frasera speciosa, Monument Plant, Green Gentian, Cebadilla (N.M.)
Tanacetum parthenium - Chrysanthemum parthenium, Feverfew
Tanacetum vulgare - Tansy, Ponso
Taraxacum officinalis - Dandelion
Thamnosma montana - Turpentine Broom
Thelesperma gracile (megapotamicum) - Cota, Navajo or Hopi Tea
Thermopsis montana - Thermopsis rhombifolia var. montana, Mountain Pea, Golden Banner
Trichostema lanatum - Woolly Blue Curls, California Romero
Trifolium pratense - Red Clover
Trillium ovatum - Pacific or Western Trillium
Umbellularia californica - California Bay, Oregon Myrtle
Urtica dioica - Urtica gracilis, Urtica holosericea, Urtica lyallii, Stinging Nettles
Vaccinium myrtillus - Whortleberry
Vaccinium ovatum - Pacific or Evergreen Huckleberry
Vaccinium parvifolium - Red Huckleberry
Vaccinium scoparium - Grouse Whortleberry
Vaccinium uliginosum - Bog or Western Blueberry
Valeriana acutiloba - Valeriana capitata, Cutleaf Valerian
Valeriana arizonica - Valeriana acutiloba var. ovata, Arizona Valerian
Valeriana edulis - Tobacco Root
Valeriana occidentalis - Western Valerian
Valeriana sitchensis - Sitka Valerian
Veratrum californicum - California False Hellebore, (Colorado: Veratrum tenuipetalum )
Verbascum thapsus - Great Mullein
Verbena bracteata - Prostrate Vervain
Verbena gooddingii - Glandularia gooddingii, Goodings or Southwest Vervain
Verbena hastata - American Blue Vervain
Verbena macdougalii - New Mexico Vervain
Verbena stricta - Hairy Blue Vervain
Verbesina encelioides - Añil del Muerto (Colorado: Ximenesia encelioides )
Viburnum edule - Viburnum pauciflorum, Mooseberry Viburnum
Viburnum ellipticum - Western Viburnum
Xanthium strumarium - Cocklebur

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