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Taxonomic Checklist

Taxonomy is the science of organism relatedness. New discoveries change our understanding of those relationships and consequently how we name plants. Our Checklist captures this knowledge and is periodically updated to reflect the latest botanical research.

Access the information of the Oregon Vascular Plant Checklist in these ways:

  • Download the current checklist (Version 2.2)
  • Download the checklist including only plants native to Oregon.
  • Download to view taxonomic changes, additions, and deletions between published versions of the Checklist.
  • Access the Interactive Taxon Search.
  • Download to view glossary of terms used.

The birth of a flora starts with a checklist of names

The Oregon Vascular Plant Checklist provides a framework of scientific names for all vascular plant taxa growing in the wild in our state for which a confirmed voucher exists, including native, naturalized, non-naturalized, and sporadic taxa. The Checklist’s taxonomy is reflected throughout the OregonFlora website, and it serves as a primary source for the Flora of Oregon.

The Checklist presents the plant diversity of Oregon. It is a living document that is continuously revised to reflect current research and information. Preparation of the original Checklist began in 1994; it involved many contributing taxonomists (most of whom volunteered their expertise), as well as volunteers, student workers, and OregonFlora staff.

What’s the difference between the Checklist and Flora of Oregon?

comparing the OregonFlora checklist against the Flora of Oregon printed volumes
All Oregon taxa growing in the wild: native, naturalized, not naturalized (exotic), sporadic
All Oregon taxa from the Checklist that are native or naturalized

The Flora of Oregon recognizes 4,778 taxa (distinct vascular plants) that grow in our state in the wild and without cultivation. We estimate 4,380 taxa will have detailed descriptions once Flora of Oregon is completed.

The Oregon Vascular Plant Checklist presents 10,655 scientific names that are reflected throughout our website tools. These include accepted native and naturalized taxa and their synonyms, as well as non-naturalized (exotic), and sporadic taxa having a confirmed voucher that documents its occurrence in our state.

What are confirmed vouchers?

Example of voucher for a specific taxon

Herbarium specimens (vouchers) of Oregon collections give physical evidence that a taxon exists in our state. If identified or reviewed by a botanist for OregonFlora, we call them “confirmed vouchers”. These give tangible proof that the taxon has been found in Oregon. The OSU Herbarium is our primary repository for Oregon confirmed vouchers. Like most herbaria, the collections are accessible to the public through arranged visits or online.