The Botany program collects and manages information on Wyoming plant diversity,  maintaining the Wyoming Plant Species of Concern list, plant species contents of the Wyoming Field Guide, and executing botany projects across the state that advance our understanding of plant diversity. Our work is centered on but not limited to species of highest Wyoming Conservation Concern, including their conservation status, distribution, habitat requirements, adaptations and life history. We work with state and federal agencies, Rocky Mountain Herbarium and others to collect information from field research, federal agency surveys, and scientific literature to enhance our understanding of Wyoming plants.

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Program highlights

• Collect information on all Threatened and Endangered, petitioned, and previous Category 2 plant species in the state (105 species) and other plant species of conservation concern
• Prepare Wyoming Field Guide text and graphics, and https://wyndd.org/gallery/ graphics, for all Plant Species of Conservation Concern and for entire flora
• Contribute to vascular flora documentation and interdisciplinary biodiversity studies
• Collaborate with Rocky Mountain Herbarium in representing Wyoming’s vascular plants
• Collaborate with experts in representing nonvascular flora (bryophytes, lichens)

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Expertise

• Field research including surveys, monitoring, habitat analyses for all taxonomic groups in diverse ecosystems
• Identification, taxonomic standards and practices, in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Flora of North America, Plants Database and ITIS
• Biogeography and metrics of biodiversity
• Partner and technical committee participant with federal agencies statewide

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2023 Program Focus

• Build information on plants of highest conservation concern via field research:

  • Artemisia biennis var. diffusa (Mystery wormwood)
  • Astragalus diversifolius (Meadow milkvetch)
  • Boechera pusilla (Small rockcress)
  • Ericameria winwardii (Winward’s goldenweed)
  • Physaria pachyphylla (Thickleaf bladderpod)

• Compile information to represent current state conservation ranks in core WYNDD products

  • Species additions to 2024 Plant Species of Conservation Concern
  • Species deletions from 2024 Plant Species of Conservation Concern
  • Any other species with significant ranking information changes
• Promote database expansion to include invasives, the native flora collectively, and nonvasculars
• Provide news and educational resources for partners and the public