PLANTS Advanced Search

About the Advanced Search and Download

Search the PLANTS database and display the results

Search the PLANTS database and download the results without display

Contents

General Instructions
Part A: PLANTS Core Data Fields
Part B: Characteristics Data Fields

General Instructions

The PLANTS Advanced Search is designed to give our users complete flexibility in displaying and downloading the data. A few general hints follow:

You can select more than one value within a field by using the Control key.
"Any" in the search means that any values will be reported in the results; it is equivalent to "all."
The general interaction of field values is OR within a field and AND between fields. If you select two States from the State and Province field you will get the plants that occur in either state, and if additionally you select L48 Native in Native Status you will get only plants that occur in either of those two states and are native to L48, the lower 48 U.S. states.
- However, the interaction between State and Province and County—two different fields—is AND so that you can select states as well as counties from surrounding states.
The interaction between PLANTS Core Data Fields and Characteristics Data Fields is AND, therefore selecting criteria for any Characteristics Data Fields will restrict results to the 2500 or so important conservation plants for which we have these data.
We have attribute data such as Growth Habits or Characteristics Data only for Accepted names, except for the Legal Status fields. If legal status such as protection or prohibition is attached to a name that we consider a synonym, that status is reported with the synonym, not its Accepted counterpart.
You must display a field if you want to be able to sort on it.
Requests for too much information will tax our server, be slow to appear, and may overwhelm your browser.

Contents

Part A: PLANTS Core Data

Field Names

Choices and Values

Notes

1. Distribution

PLANTS Floristic Area or Not

Choose PLANTS Floristic Area, a variety of sub-areas, or Not in PLANTS Floristic Area.

PFA Sub-Area Code	Description
L48	Lower 48 States
AK	Alaska
HI	Hawaii
PR	Puerto Rico
VI	U.S. Virgin Islands
CAN	Canada
GL	Greenland (Denmark)
SPM	St. Pierre and Miquelon (France)
NA	North America (non-vascular use only)

The PLANTS database contains native and naturalized plants of the PLANTS Floristic Area (PFA), which consists of North America and all additional U.S. territories and protectorates. Vascular plant distributions are mapped at the state and province level, and by U.S. county. Our checklists for the non-vascular mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens cover all of North America north of Mexico; no additional distribution data are currently available for these plants. Checklist and plant distribution by island and island group for the U.S. territories and protectorates in the PFA Pacific Basin area are in preparation but are not yet included at PLANTS. The total number of PFA accepted taxa at the rank of binomial and below is about 38,000. PLANTS also has about 5000 vascular plants that do not occur spontaneously (i.e., are not naturalized) in the PFA; these are selected if you choose Not in PLANTS Floristic Area. Most of these are of economic importance, and many of them are cultivated within the PFA.

State and Province

Choose one or more states or provinces.

Postal Code	Country
USA	U.S. States
AL	Alabama
AK	Alaska
AZ	Arizona
AR	Arkansas
CA	California
CO	Colorado
CT	Connecticut
DE	Delaware
DC	District of Columbia
FL	Florida
GA	Georgia
HI	Hawaii
ID	Idaho
IL	Illinois
IN	Indiana
IA	Iowa
KS	Kansas
KY	Kentucky
LA	Louisiana
ME	Maine
MD	Maryland
MA	Massachusetts
MI	Michigan
MN	Minnesota
MS	Mississippi
MO	Missouri
MT	Montana
NE	Nebraska
NV	Nevada
NH	New Hampshire
NJ	New Jersey
NM	New Mexico
NY	New York
NC	North Carolina
ND	North Dakota
OH	Ohio
OK	Oklahoma
OR	Oregon
PA	Pennsylvania
RI	Rhode Island
SC	South Carolina
SD	South Dakota
TN	Tennessee
TX	Texas
UT	Utah
VT	Vermont
VA	Virginia
WA	Washington
WV	West Virginia
WI	Wisconsin
WY	Wyoming
USA+	U.S. Territories and Protectorates
PR	Puerto Rico
VI	Virgin Islands
CAN	Canada Provinces and Territories
AB	Alberta
BC	British Columbia
MB	Manitoba
NB	New Brunswick
	Newfoundland and Labrador
LB	Labrador
NF	Newfoundland
NT	Northwest Territories
NS	Nova Scotia
NU	Nunavut
ON	Ontario
PE	Prince Edward Island
QC	Québec
SK	Saskatchewan
YT	Yukon
DEN	Denmark
GL	Greenland
FRA	France
SPM	St. Pierre and Miquelon

We have distribution data for the vascular plants only, so if you restrict your search by either State and Province or County distribution, all other plants will be omitted from the results.

County

Choose up to a maximum of 256 counties.

The interaction between State and County is OR (in contrast to the general interaction between search fields, which is AND). This lets you pick a state in addition to a county in a different state and get the plants that occur in either. However, most people who search on County will be interested in county distribution for only one state, and should leave State and Province set at Any. Do not choose a state from State and Province if you are interested in only the counties in that state. The choice list is restricted to those states and counties for which we have county-level distribution data. Regardless of source, county distribution data are notoriously incomplete and can only be considered preliminary. For a broader idea of what may grow spontaneously in a particular county you may want to include adjacent counties that are phytogeographically similar in your search.

Contents

2. Taxonomy

Category

Choose one or more of these broad taxonomic Categories.

Category	Category Name
DI	Dicot
FN	Fern
GA	Green alga
GY	Gymnosperm
HN	Hornwort
HS	Horsetail
LC	Lichen
LV	Liverwort
LY	Lycopod
MO	Monocot
MS	Moss
QU	Quillwort
PS	Whisk-fern

Symbol

Enter as many Symbols separated by commas into this text entry box as you like up to a limit of 500 characters. Wildcard characters (* and _) must be entered explicitly.

Downloads are automatically accompanied by the Accepted Symbol and Synonym Symbol in separate columns. Synonym Symbol is blank for accepted names; together these two symbols link synonyms to their accepted counterparts. If you want the symbol for each name--regardless of whether it is accepted or a synonym--in only one column, choose to Include Symbol in your download.

Scientific Name

Enter a Scientific Name into this text entry box if you wish. Wildcard characters (* and _) must be entered explicitly. Options: (1) Include Accepted Names and Synonyms or Accepted Names Only; (2) Include Only Hybrids or Only Non-Hybrids; (3) Include only taxa of a particular rank or ranks; (4) Return only taxa of a particular rank or ranks; (5) Display All Synonyms in Report.

Scientific name, without authors, is included in every search result by default. If you want all the descendents of a genus returned, you must use the wildcard (*) after the genus name. The interaction is complex between Option (1) Include Accepted Names and Synonyms or Accepted Names Only, and Option (5) Display all Synonyms. You can omit synonyms from the search but then include all the synonyms that apply to the resulting Accepted names by choosing to Include Accepted Names Only and Display all Synonyms. Likewise, you can include Accepted names and Synonyms in the search and exclude the synonyms of the Accepted names that result from the display. All synonyms are shown with their accepted counterparts. If you search on any of the Legal Status fields you will get all the resulting plants that meet your criteria, including synonyms, even if you exclude synonyms from both the search and the display. This is because legal status is attached to some names that we consider synonyms, and the status applies legally only to that name not to its Accepted counterpart. Option (3) Include Rank is useful if you want to query only names of a particular rank, and Option (4) is useful if you want only certain ranks in your results; using these two options simultaneously should be done with care.

Author Name

Enter an author name into this text entry box if you wish. Wildcard characters (* and _) must be entered explicitly. Options: (1) Display Authors in Scientific Name; (2) Display Authors and Scientific Name in Separate Fields; (3) Include only taxa of a particular rank or ranks.

Option (1) provides each name part with its authority in a single string. Option (2) provides the authorities for each name part in a separate field. Option (2) will be used most commonly if you intend to subsequently download results for further analysis or use.

Common Name

Enter a Common Name into this text entry box if you wish. Wildcard characters (* and _) must be entered explicitly.

Genus Name

Enter a Genus Name into this text entry box if you wish. Wildcard characters (* and _) must be entered explicitly.

Family

Choose one or more Families.

Order

Choose one or more Orders.

Class

Choose one or more Classes.

Division

Choose one or more Divisions.

ITIS TSN

Enter as many ITIS TSN's (Integrated Taxonomic Information System Taxonomic Serial Numbers) separated by commas into this text entry box as you like.

Contents

3. Ecology

Duration

Choose one or more Durations.

Code	Duration
AN	Annual
BI	Biennial
PR	Perennial
UN	Unknown

Some plants have different Durations depending on environment or location, so a plant can have more than one value. Multiple values are reported in order of increasing longevity in nature.

Growth Habit

Choose one or more Growth Habits.

Code	Growth Habit
FB	Forb/herb
GR	Graminoid
LC	Lichenous
LI	Liana
NP	Nonvascular
SH	Shrub
SS	Subshrub
TR	Tree
VI	Vine

Some plants have different Growth Habits depending on environment or location, so a plant can have more than one value. Multiple values are reported roughly in order of decreasing frequency in nature.

Native Status

Choose Native Status conditions for the Native Status jurisdictions. In the PLANTS searches including the Advanced Search, the various values have been collapsed onto the two primary values (Native and Introduced), but the results will return the actual values. See below for all the values and how they map onto the two primary search values.

Code	Native Status Jurisdiction
L48	Lower 48 States
AK	Alaska
HI	Hawaii
PR	Puerto Rico
VI	U.S. Virgin Islands
CAN	Canada
GL	Greenland (Denmark)
SPM	St. Pierre and Miquelon (France)
NA	North America (non-vascular Native Status is at this level only)

Code	Native Status
	Native:
N	Native
N?	Probably Native
NI	Native and Introduced - some infra-taxa are native and others are introduced
NI?	Native and Probably Introduced - some infra-taxa are native and others are probably introduced
	Introduced:
GP	Garden persistent - persists around gardens and old habitations, not naturalized
GP?	Probably Garden persistent - persists around gardens and old habitations, not naturalized
I	Introduced
I?	Probably Introduced
N?I	Probably Native and Introduced - some infra-taxa are probably native and others are introduced
W	Waif - an ephemeral introduction, not persistently naturalized
W?	Probably a Waif - an ephemeral introduction, not persistently naturalized

We have broken the PFA into Native Status jurisdictions to try to improve our information about where plants are native. A plant that is native to any part of a Native Status jurisdiction (e.g., L48, the lower 48 states) is considered Native, even if some populations within that area are introduced. Thus the L48 Native Status value for smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) is N (Native) despite the existence of introduced populations on the West Coast. However, a plant like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is considered Native and Introduced since it has some infra-taxa that are native to L48 and some that are introduced there. Plants that do not occur in the PFA do not have Native Status values in PLANTS, though they may be cultivated or used as ornamentals within the PFA.

Contents

4. Legal Status

If you search on any of the Legal Status fields you will get all the resulting plants that meet your criteria, including synonyms, even if you exclude synonyms from both the search and the display. This is because legal status is attached to some names that we consider synonyms, and the status applies legally only to that name.

Federal Noxious Status

Restrict results to plants with or without Federal Noxious Weed status.

Code	Noxious Description
NW	Noxious weed
Q	Quarantine

Federal Noxious Common Name

This is the common name used by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program. It may differ from the name used by PLANTS.

State Noxious Status

Restrict results to plants with or without State Noxious Weed status, or to status in particular states.

Code	Noxious Description
ADW	"A" designated weed
AW	A list (noxious weeds)
BDW	"B" designated weed
BW	B list (noxious weeds)
CAT1	Category 1 noxious weed
CAT2	Category 2 noxious weed
CAT3	Category 3 noxious weed
CAW	Class A noxious weed
CBW	Class B noxious weed
CCW	Class C noxious weed
CW	C list (noxious weeds)
IAP	Invasive aquatic plant
IB	Invasive, banned
ILAP	Invasive aquatic plant
INB	Invasive, not banned
NAW	Noxious aquatic weed
NP	Noxious plant
NUW	Nuisance weed
NW	Noxious weed
NWSPQ	Noxious weed seed and plant quarantine
P	Prohibited
PAP1	Prohibited aquatic plant, Class 1
PAP2	Prohibited aquatic plant, Class 2
PIB	Potentially invasive, banned
PINB	Potentially invasive, not banned
PIS	Prohibited invasive Species
PN	Public nuisance
PNW	Prohibited noxious weed
PP	Plant pest
PR	Permit required
PRNW	Primary noxious weed
Q	Quarantine
QW	Q list (temporary "A" list noxious weed, pending final determination )
RGNW	Regulated noxious weeds
RNPS	Regulated non-native plant species
RNW	Restricted noxious weed
SNW	Secondary noxious weed
SP	Sale prohibited
WAWQ	Wetland and aquatic weed quarantine

Be aware if you use this in conjunction with 1. Distribution. Most plants on state noxious weed lists occur in the respective states, but not all, so if you restrict results to distribution within states you may eliminate some plants from the noxious weed lists.

State Noxious Common Name

This is the common name used by each state which lists a plant as noxious. It may differ from the name used by PLANTS.

PLANTS Invasive Status

Restrict results to plants with or without PLANTS Invasive Status, or to status from particular invasive lists.

U.S.	Plant Protection and Quarantine. 2006. Federal noxious weed list (24 May 2006). USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Washington, DC. 2pp.
	USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine. 2005. Federal domestic quarantines (24 May 2006). USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine. Washington, DC.
STATE	Assorted authors. 200_. State noxious weed lists for 46 states. State agriculture or natural resource departments.
Cal-IPC	California Invasive Plant Council. 2006. California Invasive Plant Inventory. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-02 (February 2007). California Invasive Plant Council. Berkeley, California.
FLEPPC	Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. 1999. Invasive plant list (19 October 1999). Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Florida.
HEAR	USDI, Geological Survey. 1999. Information index for selected alien plants in Hawaii (20 October 2003). Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station. Makawao, Hawaii.
KY	Haragan, P.D. 1991. Weeds of Kentucky and adjacent states: a field guide. The University Press of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky. 278pp.
N'EAST	Uva, R.H., J.C. Neal, & J.M. DiTomaso. 1997. Weeds of the Northeast. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. 397pp.
NE&GP	Stubbendieck, J., G.Y. Friisoe, & M.R. Bolick. 1994. Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains. Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry. Lincoln, Nebraska. 589pp.
SEEPPC	Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. 1996. Invasive exotic pest plants in Tennessee (19 October 1999). Research Committee of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council. Tennessee.
SWSS	Southern Weed Science Society. 1998. Weeds of the United States and Canada. CD-ROM. Southern Weed Science Society. Champaign, Illinois.
WI	Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns (eds.). 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
WSWS	Whitson, T.D. (ed.) et al. 1996. Weeds of the West. Western Society of Weed Science in cooperation with Cooperative Extension Services, University of Wyoming. Laramie, Wyoming. 630pp.

Federal T/E Status

Restrict results to plants with or without Federal Threatened or Endangered status.

Code	T/E Description
E	Endangered
T	Threatened

Federal T/E Common Name

This is the common name used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Division of Endangered Species. It may differ from the name used by PLANTS.

State T/E Status

Restrict results to plants with or without State Threatened or Endangered status, or to status in particular states.

Code	T/E Description
CE	Commercially Exploited
E	Endangered
EV	Exploitably Vulnerable
X	Extirpated
FP	Fully Protected
HS	Highly Safeguarded
H	Historical
PX	Possibly Extirpated
PRX	Presumed Extirpated
PREX	Probably Extirpated
CY	Protected as a Cactus, Yucca, or Christmas tree
R	Rare
RI	Reintroduced
SA	Salvage Assessed
SR	Salvage restricted
S	Sensitive
SC	Special Concern
T	Threatened
U	Unusual
V	Vulnerable
WL	Watch list

Selects state T/E plants by where they are listed. Use this field in conjunction with 1. Distribution if you want to select state T/E plants by where they occur.

State T/E Common Name

This is the common name used by each state which lists a plant as protected. It may differ from the name used by PLANTS.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Restrict results to plants with any NWI status, one or more particular statuses, or no status.

Code	Wetland Type
OBL	Obligate Wetland
FACW	Facultative Wetland
FAC	Facultative
FACU	Facultative Upland
UPL	Obligate Upland
NA	No agreement
NI	No indicator
NO	No occurrence

Regional Wetland Indicator (Region)

Restrict results to plants that are listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as having regional wetland status within any region or one or more particular regions.

Code	Region
1	Northeast
2	Southeast
3	North Central
4	North Plains
5	Central Plains
6	South Plains
7	Southwest
8	Intermountain
9	Northwest
0	California
A	Alaska
C	Caribbean
H	Hawaii

The distributions in PLANTS do not agree perfectly with the regional distributions implied by NWI; most discrepancies exist since NWI has not been updated since 1988. Use care if you combine geographic criteria such as state distribution with Regional Wetland Indicator criteria.

Regional Wetland Indicator (Status)

Restrict results to plants with any Regional NWI status or one or more particular statuses.

Code	Wetland Type
OBL	Obligate Wetland
FACW	Facultative Wetland
FAC	Facultative
FACU	Facultative Upland
UPL	Obligate Upland
NA	No agreement
NI	No indicator
NO	No occurrence

Will usually be used in conjunction with the previous field to select one or more particular statuses within a given region or regions.

Contents

5. Additional information in PLANTS

Gallery

Restrict results to plants with or without photos or line drawings.

Fact Sheets

Restrict results to plants with or without Fact Sheets.

Plant Guides

Restrict results to plants with or without Plant Guides.

Characteristics Data

Restrict results to plants with or without Characteristics Data.

If you select Only Without Characteristics Data and then enter any criteria in Part B: Characteristics Data, the result will be null.

Contents

Part B: Characteristics Data

See Conservation Plant Characteristics Data Definitions for information about these fields and their values.

Cultivar Name: This is the formal name given to each cultivar. If no cultivar name is given then data refer to the species as a whole. There are a few plants that have only cultivar data and lack species data, but most plants with cultivar data also have separate species data.

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Disclaimers

USDA non-discrimination policy