So far we have more than 260 different wildflowers seen on
hikes in the database. For each wildflower you will find a web reference
with photo to make it easy for you to verify that your photo is of the
flower listed. In addition, Marilyn has developed a Picasa web album so
that you can quickly review thumbnail photos or a slide show of all the
flowers organized by color. See this under Flowers, ref lib or this
link.
To Add Flower Sightings
To add a list of flowers seen on a particular hike, first make a list of
the flowers you saw and their Latin names. Then go to the hike description
page on the aschg.org website. (You can be sure of accessing the correct
hike description by using the hike schedule tab to choose the hike and date
on which you want to report flower sightings.) Once at the hike description
page, go to the supplemental page (highlighted in blue, column two). Choose
the option add flower sighting. First enter the date of the hike, then begin
choosing the flowers you saw from the list that appears alphabetically by
Latin name. Hold down the control key on your keyboard and you will be able
to choose as many flowers as you wish. When you have finished press do action
and your list will appear with flower color, Latin and common names.
To Add a Photo to the Flowers List
Log onto the hiking website and click on
Flowers, list under Flora-Fauna.
Find the Latin name for the flower in your photo.
Click on that link and a page for that flower will appear.
Click on the web reference to verify that your photo matches the flower on
the page.
Click on the link "Add" a picture.
Check that your filename is no longer than 73 characters total.
Follow the instructions and enter the data requested on the form.
Include in the title the date and hike on which you took the photo,
or at least the region where you found the flower.
The flower editor will contact you if there are questions about your
entry.
NOTE that the website sometimes runs out of short term
memory (don’t we all) and occasionally will show an error message instead
of adding your photo. If that happens, send a message to the webmaster to
report the problem, which he can then fix.
To Add a New Flower to the ASCHG Flowers List
It is quite possible that your flower will be new to the list.
Check the Picasa web album (link above), the Flowers, ref
lib tab or the current Flowers, list on the hiking
website to see if your
flower is already on the list. You need to log in to see these.
Locate a similar photo in one of the recommended wildflower
books or web resources given at the end of the Flower list on the
hiking website but also shown below.
Wildflowers of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains of Central New
Mexico by Larry J. Littlefield and Pearl M. Burns
Flowering Plants of New Mexico by Robert DeWitt Ivey
Note both the common and Latin name used in your photo
source as well as the web reference. You may want to verify that the
flower grows in New Mexico by using the U.S. Department of Agriculture
website http://plants.usda.gov/java/;
enter the Latin name in the search box and check the map that appears.
If your flower is a new one, go to the hiking
website, log in, mouse over
Flora-Fauna, then then click on Flower, add.
On the input form, enter Latin Name (copy and paste from the
website to reduce typos), Common Name, choose the Color
and select an Editor to review your entry. For web reference, copy
and paste the URL of the website you used to verify the sighting.
Click on either of the two Action buttons at the bottom of
the input form. The website will send an email message to the flower
editor you chose that a new flower is available for review.
After you have added a flower to the list, you can add supporting photos
taken by you or other hikers.
What about Mystery Flowers?
Marilyn has kindly agreed to keep a file of mystery
wildflower photos that all of us can try to identify. If you have a
wonderful photo of a flower you cannot identify, send the photo to
Marilyn, together with when and where you took the photo. We will let you
know if we solve the mysteries.
The current group of mystery flowers is at the link cited
below and on the ASCHG website under Flora-Fauna. If you think you know
the identity of a mystery flower, send an email to Ken or Judie by the end
of the month. Include the mystery flower ID (for example PK2), common
name, Latin name and a book or web reference. We expect to add new
mystery flowers each month.