Vascular Plants

Includes all flowering plants, conifers, ferns and fern-allies.


Browse by scientific name:

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Scientific names beginning with I:
13 genera
31 species, 3 subspecies and varieties
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Idahoa scapigeraflatpod, scalepod
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Idaho, and Nevada.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Annual
Ilex aquifoliumEnglish holly
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, also in scattered locations in eastern North America.
Habitat: Spread by birds, mostly forested areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iliamna longisepalalong-sepal globemallow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to Chelan, Kittitas, and Douglas counties.
Habitat: From sagebrush desert to ponderosa pine forest openings at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iliamna rivularisstreambank globemallow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Montana and Colorado.
Habitat: Somewhat moist areas, often along seasonal stream banks, foothills to forest openings at mid-elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Impatiens aurellavaried jewelweed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in eastern Washington; southeastern British Columbia to southeastern Washington, east to western Montana.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens capensisspotted jewelweed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Northwest Territories to Oregon, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist woods, lake, pond, and stream edges, and other wetland areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced; not native west of the Rocky Mountains
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens ecornutaspurless jewelweed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to northwest Oregon, east to Montana.
Habitat: Moist, shady woods.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens glanduliferapoliceman's helmet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Escaped from cultivation in disturbed forest edge at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens noli-tangereboreal jewelweed, western touch-me-not
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in northwestern Washington; Alaska to northwestern Washington, east in Canada to Manitoba; circumboreal.
Habitat: Moist woods.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens ×pacificaPacific jewelweed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to Oregon, also in California, Idaho, Colorado, east in Canada from Alberta to the Atlantic Coast; introduced in Europe.
Habitat: Wet areas including wetlands, sloughs, forest edges, and disturbed areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Impatiens parviflorasmall-flowered jewelweed, small-flowered touch-me-not
Distribution: Currently (2016) known from west of the Cascades crest in Washington from King County (only); southwestern British Columbia, western Washington and northwestern Oregon; also occurring in eastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed forest edge and understory at low elevations, often where at least seasonally moist.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Inula heleniumelecampane, inula
Distribution: Known in Washington from a single location east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, also in central and eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Ionactis stenomeresRocky Mountain ankle-aster, Rocky Mountain aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; southeastern British Columbia to northeastern Washington, east to Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: Open hillsides and forest openings, from to fairly high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Ipomopsis aggregatascarlet gilia
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Oklahoma and Texas.
Habitat: Open or lightly wooded, drier meadows and rocky slopes, lowlands to fairly high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial
ssp. aggregata – scarlet gilia, skyrocket
Ipomopsis congestaball-head gilia, many-flowered gilia
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest on the eastern border of Washington; Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Dry, open areas at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
ssp. congesta – ball-head gilia, many-flowered gilia
Iris foetidissimastinking iris
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; also in southwestern British Columbia and California.
Habitat: Fields, forest edge, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iris germanicabearded iris, German iris
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, scattered eastward to eastern North America where widely distributed.
Habitat: Fields, ditches, forest edge, and other disturbed areas where escaping from cultivation at low elevation.
Origin: Introduced from southern Europe
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iris missouriensiswestern blue flag, Rocky Mountain iris
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, but also known from the Puget Sound area; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Common in vernally moist meadows, especially in sagebrush and Ponderosa pine forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iris pseudacoruspale yellow iris
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but more common west of the crest; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho and Montana; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Wetlands, lake and pond margins, irrigation ditches, backwaters, and other wet places where often disturbed; invasive.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iris tenaxOregon flag, tough-leaf iris
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California.
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, open oak and coniferous forests, at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. tenax – Oregon flag, tough-leaf iris
Isoetes bolanderiBolander's quillwort
Distribution: Ocurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Shallow water of pools, montane to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes howelliiHowell's quillwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Britich Columbia to California, east to northwestern Montana and Utah.
Habitat: Plants amphibious, in and around temporary lakes and pools, generally at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes maritimamaritime quillwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the outer coast; Alaska to Washington, east to southwestern Alberta; also in eastern Asia.
Habitat: Aquatic, sometimes in tidal habitats, from the lowlands to montane.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes minimamidget quillwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Kittitas and Spokane counties; south-central British Columbia to Washington;
Habitat: Seasonally moist swales and vernal pools at middle elevations among open conifer forest or sagebrush-steppe.
Origin: Native
Spores: June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes nuttalliiNuttall's quillwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Plants terrestrial; wet prairies, balds, open wet ground at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes occidentaliswestern quillwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Submerged in ponds and lakes, often in deep water, from the lowland to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes tenellabristle-like quillwort, spiny spored quillwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also eastward to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: In shallow water or along shorelines of ponds and lakes, from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Isoetes ×truncata
Origin: Native
Isolepis cernualow club-rush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in and near coastal marine waters; Alaska to northern Mexico; irregularly cosmopolitan.
Habitat: Fresh or brackish marshes, and beaches, shores, and cliŽs near coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Isolepis setaceaEurasian bulrush, bristle-leaf sedge
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Lowland shores and ditches.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and Africa
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Iva axillarisdeeproot, poverty weed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Great Lakes region.
Habitat: Dry, often alkaline places, in the valleys, plains and foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-September
Growth Duration: Perennial