294 distribution maps of medicinal plants found in the western United States.
Michael’s Commentary: These maps represent the areas within which a given plant may be found…in its ecologic niche. An alpine plant such as Sedum roseum will only be found in those high mountain areas within its indicated range…not necessarily throughout the breadth of the “distribution”. Most are native to the western states. Some, such as Phytolacca (Poke), have established stable “colonies”, even though native to eastern North America.
Face it: these are gross representations of subtle reality. 652×787-bit images of a million+ square miles can only crudely approximate. Still, it is interesting to see patterns and to understand the type of locality a plant prefers to grow within…perhaps to aid in cultivation, perhaps to aid in photographing, or even gathering.
As to gathering, tread carefully:
- Cypripediums, Calypsos and such should NOT be gathered…ever.
- Cimicifuga elata grows over a far greater area than Salvia leucophylla, but the first is rare, the second profuse.
- Drosera (Sundew) may LOOK abundant on a pretty map, but actually consist of a few stands of several dozen plants still surviving the last ice age…and drainage canals.
These maps, therefore, represent the range of an individual plant, NOT the abundance of that plant. These maps are derived from a couple of dozen current and out of print botany and range manuals and my own 30 years of personal experience in the field. This is yet another example of my preparing a new book…and getting obsessive about some small part of it…I always figure if it interests ME, it might interest YOU. A few of these plants may seem obscure, but I feel they are important medicinal plants, nonetheless.
I have included some alternate latin names and common names, as well as some of the charming and unique “Weberisms” found in some current Colorado plant manuals.
- Acacia greggii – Catclaw Acacia
- Acalypha californica – California Copperleaf, Yerba del Cancer
- Acalypha lindheimeri – Yerba del Cancer
- Achillea millefolium – Yarrow, Plumajillo
- Achlys triphylla – Vanilla Leaf
- Aconitum columbianum – Western Aconite, Monkshood
- Actaea arguta – Actaea rubra, Red Baneberry
- Adiantum capillus-veneris – Common Maidenhair Fern
- Adiantum pedatum – Western or Northern Maidenhair Fern
- Adoxa moschatellina – Musk Root
- Aesculus californica – California Buckeye
- Agrimonia gryposepala – Hairy Agrimony
- Agrimonia striata – American Agrimony
- Ambrosia ambrosioides – Canyon Ragweed, Burro Sage
- Ambrosia artemisiifolia – Wormwood-leaved Ragweed, Roman Wormwood
- Ambrosia trifida – Great Wormwood
- Anaphalis margaritacea – Pearly Everlasting
- Anemone occidentalis – Pulsatilla occidentalis, Western Pasqueflower, Western Pulsatilla
- Anemone patens – Pulsatilla ludoviciana, P. hirsutissima, P. patens, Pasqueflower, Pulsatilla
- Anemone tuberosa – Desert Anemone
- Anemopsis californica – Yerba Mansa
- Angelica arguta – Angelica lyallii, Pacific Angelica, Lyall’s Angelica
- Angelica genuflexa – Kneeling Angelica
- Angelica grayi – Gray’s Angelica
- Angelica hendersonii – Beach Angelica
- Angelica pinnata – Western Angelica
- Apocynum androsaemifolium – Spreading Dogbane
- Apocynum cannabinum – Dogbane, Indian or Canadian Hemp
- Aralia californica – California Spikenard
- Aralia nudicaulis – American “Sarsaparilla”
- Aralia racemosa – Aralia bicrenata, Spikenard
- Arctium minus – Lesser Burdock
- Arctostaphylos uva-ursi – Uva-Ursi, Bearberry
- Aristolochia californica – California Snakeroot
- Aristolochia watsonii – Indian Root, Raiz del Indio
- Arnica cordifolia – Heartleaved Arnica
- Arnica latifolia – Side-flowered Arnica
- Artemisia douglasiana – California Mugwort
- Artemisia franserioides – Altamisa, Mountain Mugwort
- Artemisia frigida – Silver or Fringed “Sage”
- Artemisia ludoviciana – Estafiate, Sagewort
- Artemisia tridentata – Sagebrush (Colorado: Seriphidium tridentatum )
- Asarum caudatum – Pacific Wild Ginger
- Asclepias asperula – Inmortal, Antelope Horns, Spider Milkweed
- Asclepias speciosa – Showy Milkweed
- Asclepias subulata – Desert or Rush Milkweed
- Asclepias tuberosa – Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Milkweed
- Asparagus officinalis – Garden Asparagus
- Astragalus americanus – Northern Astragalus
- Avena fatua – Wild Oats
- Balsamorhiza sagittata – Balsam Root
- Berberis fendleri – Western Barberry, Palo Amarillo
- Brickellia californica – Hamula, Prodigiosa (N.M.)
- Brickellia grandiflora – Hamula, Prodigiosa (N.M.)
- Bryonia alba – Bryonia dioica, Bryony
- Bupleurum americanum – American Bupleurum (Colorado: Bupleurum triradiatum Adams ssp arcticum )
- Bursera microphylla – Elephant Tree, Torote
- Cacalia decomposita – Psacalium decompositum, Maturin, Maturique
- Caesalpinia gilliesii – Bird-of-Paradise, Tabachin
- Caltha leptosepala – White Marshmarigold (Colorado: Psychrophila leptosepala )
- Calypso bulbosa – Calypso Orchid
- Campsis radicans – Trumpet Creeper, Trumpet Vine
- Castela emoryi – Chaparro Amargosa
- Ceanothus cuneatus – Buckbrush, Red Root
- Ceanothus fendleri – Deer Brush, Red Root
- Ceanothus greggii – Desert Ceanothus, Red Root
- Ceanothus herbaceum – Grub Root, Jersey Tea, Red Root
- Ceanothus velutinus – Snowbrush, Red Root
- Cephalanthus occidentalis – Button Bush
- Cercocarpus spp. – Mountain Mahogany
- Chilopsis linearis – Desert Willow, Mimbre
- Chimaphila umbellata – Pipsissewa
- Chlorogalum pomeridianum – Amole Lily
- Cichorium intybus – Chicory
- Cimicifuga elata – Western Black Cohosh, Western Bugbane
- Clematis hirsutissima – Leather Flower, (Colorado: Coriflora hirsutissima )
- Clematis ligusticifolia
- Conopholis alpina, var. mexicana – Mexican Squaw Root
- Coptis occidentalis – Western Goldthread
- Corallorhiza maculata – Coral Root, Crawley
- Cornus stolonifera – Cornus sericea, Red Osier (Colorado: Swida sericea )
- Corydalis aureus – Corydalis aurea, Golden Smoke
- Crataegus columbiana – Crataegus douglasii var. douglasii, Columbia Hawthorn
- Crataegus douglasii – Crataegus rivularis, Crataegus douglasii var. rivularis – Douglas or Black Hawthorn
- Crataegus erythropoda – Cerro Hawthorn
- Cupressus arizonica – Including Cupressus arizonica var. glabra – Arizona Cypress
- Cymopterus fendleri – Cymopterus acaulis var. fendleri, Chimaja
- Cynoglossum officinale – Hound’s Tongue
- Cypripedium calceolus – Yellow Lady Slipper
- Cypripedium montanum – Mountain Lady Slipper
- Cytisus scoparius – Scotch Broom
- Darlingtonia californica – California Pitcher Plant, Cobra Lily
- Dicentra formosa – Western Bleeding Heart
- Drosera rotundifolia – Round-leaved Sundew
- Dyssodia papposa – Pague, Fetid Marigold
- Echinacea angustifolia – Echinacea, Kansas Snakeroot
- Encelia farinosa – Brittlebush, Incienso
- Ephedra californica – California Ephedra, Mormon Tea
- Ephedra nevadensis – Nevada Ephedra, Mormon Tea
- Ephedra torreyana – Popotillo, Torrey’s Ephedra
- Ephedra trifurca – Desert Ephedra
- Ephedra viridis – Green Ephedra, Mormon Tea
- Epilobium angustifolium – Chamaenerion angustifolium, Great Willow Herb, Fireweed (Colorado: Chamerion danielsii )
- Epipactis gigantea – Giant Helleborine, Stream Orchid
- Eremocarpus setigerus – Croton setigerus, Turkey Mullein
- Eriodictyon angustifolium – Narrow-leaved or Mogollon Yerba Santa
- Eriodictyon californicum – Yerba Santa
- Eriodictyon crassifolium – Thick-leaved Yerba Santa
- Eriodictyon tomentosum – Woolly Yerba Santa
- Eriodictyon trichocalyx – Pacific Yerba Santa
- Erodium cicutarium – Storksbill, Filaree, Alfilirillo
- Eschscholtzia californica, and friends – California Poppy
- Euonymus occidentalis – Western Wahoo
- Eupatorium herbaceum – Ageratina herbacea, Mata, Western Thoroughwort
- Eupatorium maculatum – Gravel Root, Joe Pye
- Fallugia paradoxa – Apache Plum, Ponil
- Fouquiera splendens – Ocotillo
- Fremontia californica – Fremontodendron californicum, California Slippery Elm, Flannel Bush
- Galium aparine – Cleavers
- Garrya flavescens – Silk Tassel
- Garrya wrightii – Wright’s Silk Tassel
- Gentiana affinis – Pleated Gentian, (Colorado: Pneumonanthe affinis )
- Gentiana calycosa – Explorer’s Gentian
- Gentiana parryi – Parry’s gentian (Colorado: Pneumonanthe parryi )
- Gentiana simplex – Gentianopsis simplex, Western Fringed Gentian
- Gentiana thermalis – Gentianopsis thermalis, Northern Gentian
- Geranium richardsonii – Richardson’s Geranium
- Geranium viscosissimum – Sticky Geranium
- Glycyrrhiza lepidota – American Licorice
- Goodyera spp. – Rattlesnake Plantain
- Grindelia aphanactis – Grindelia nuda var. aphanactis, Grindelia, Yerba del Buey
- Grindelia squarrosa – Grindelia, Gumweed
- Gutierrezia sarothrae – Snake Broom, Escoba de la Vibora
- Haplopappus laricifolius – Ericameria laricifolia, Turpentine Bush
- Hedeoma oblongifolia, etc. American Pennyroyal, Poleo Chino
- Helenium hoopsii – Dugaldia hoopesii, Golden Sneezeweed, Yerba Del Lobo
- Heracleum lanatum – Cow Parsnip, Yerba del Oso (Colorado: Heracleum sphondylium L. ssp montanum )
- Heterotheca grandiflora – Telegraph Weed
- Heterotheca psammophila – Heterotheca subaxillaris, Camphor Weed
- Heuchera micrantha – Pacific Alum Root
- Heuchera parvifolia – Alum Root
- Humulus americanus, H. lupulus – Humulus lupulus var. neomexicanus, Humulus lupulus ssp americanus, American Hops, Hops
- Hypericum formosum – Hypericum scouleri, Hypericum scouleri ssp. scouleri, Western St. Johnswort
- Hypericum perforatum – St. John’s Wort
- Hyptis emoryi – Desert Lavender
- Iris missouriensis – Western Blue Flag
- Jatropha cardiophylla – Sangre de Drago
- Jatropha macrorhiza – Purga Macha
- Juglans major – Juglans microcarpa var. major, Arizona Walnut
- Juniperus communis – Juniperus sibirica, Common Juniper
- Juniperus monosperma – One-seeded Juniper (Colorado: Sabina monosperma )
- Kallstroemia spp. – Arizona Poppy, Contrayerba (N.M.)
- Kalmia microphylla – Kalmia polifolia ssp. microphylla, Western Mountain Laurel
- Krameria grayi – White Rhatany
- Krameria lanceolata – Krameria secundiflora, Prairie Rhatany
- Krameria parvifolia – Krameria erecta, Desert Rhatany, Range Rhatany
- Larrea tridentata – Chapparral, Creosote Bush, Gobernadora, Hediondilla
- Ledum glandulosum – Western Labrador Tea
- Leonurus cardiaca – Motherwort
- Lepechinia calycina – Pitcher Sage, Wood Balm
- Leucanthemum vulgare – Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Oxe-Eye Daisy
- Liatris punctata – Cachana, Gayfeather
- Ligusticum filicinum – Feather-leaf Osha
- Ligusticum grayi – Gray’s Lovage
- Ligusticum porteri – Osha, Chuchupatle, Porter’s Lovage, Colorado Cough Root
- Linaria vulgaris, L. dalmatica – Toadflax, Butter-and-Eggs
- Linum lewisii – Prairie Flax (Colorado: Adenolinum lewisii )
- Lithospermum arvense – Buglossoides arvensis, Corn Gromwell
- Lithospermum multiflorum – Stoneseed, Puccoon
- Lithospermum ruderale – Western Gromwell, Western Stoneseed
- Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Flower
- Lomatium dissectum – Leptotaenium dissectum, Lomatium
- Lycium pallidum – Pale Wolfberry
- Lycopus americanus – Bugleweed
- Lycopus asper – Lycopus lucidus, Rough Bugleweed
- Lycopus uniflorus – Lycopus virginicus var. pauciflorus, Northern Bugleweed
- Mahonia aquifolia – Berberis aquifolium, Oregon Grape
- Mahonia fremontii – Berberis fremontii, Desert Barberry, Algerita
- Mahonia haematocarpa – Berberis haematocarpa, Red Barberry
- Mahonia nervosa – Berberis nervosa, Shiny Oregon Grape
- Mahonia repens – Berberis repens, Rocky Mountain Oregon grape, Yerba de Sangre, Creeping Holly
- Mahonia trifoliata – Berberis trifoliata, Algerita
- Mahonia wilcoxii – Arizona or Chiracahua Oregon Grape
- Malva neglecta – Mallow, Cheeseplant, Malvas
- Marrubium vulgare – Horehound, Marrubio
- Matricaria matricarioides – Pineapple Weed (Colorado: Lepidotheca suaveolens )
- Medicago sativum – Alfalfa
- Melilotus spp. – Sweet Clover
- Mentha arvense – Mentha canadensis, Brook Mint, Poleo
- Mentha pulegium – European Pennyroyal
- Mentha spicata – Mentha viridis, Spearmint, Yerba Buena
- Menyanthes trifoliata – Buckbean, Marsh Trefoil
- Mirabilis multiflora – Wild Four O’clock, Maravilla
- Monarda menthaefolia – Monarda fistulosa ssp. fistulosa var. menthifolia (?!), Oregano de la Sierra, Wild Oregano
- Monardella odoratissima – Mountain Balm, Mountain Mint
- Myrica californica – California Bayberry
- Nepeta cataria – Catnip
- Nicotiana attenuata – Coyote Tobacco
- Nuphar polysepalum – Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala, Yellow Pond Lily
- Oenothera hookeri – Hooker’s Primrose, (Colorado: Oenothera elata ssp hirsutissima )
- Oplopanax horridum– Echinopanax horridus, Devil’s Club
- Orobanche fasciculata, O. ludoviciana – Broomrape (Colorado: Aphyllon fasciculatum )
- Osmorhiza occidentalis – Sweet Root
- Paeonia californica, P. brownii – California or Western Peony
- Pedicularis bracteosa – Bracted Lousewort, Wood Betony
- Pedicularis canadensis – American Lousewort, Wood Betony
- Pedicularis groenlandica – Elephant’s Head, Wood Betony
- Pedicularis parryi – Parry’s Lousewort, Wood Betony
- Pedicularis racemosa – Parrot’s Beak, Wood Betony
- Peganum harmala – Syrian or African Rue, Soma (maybe)
- Petasites frigidus, var palmatus – Petasites palmatus, Western Coltsfoot
- Petasites sagittatus – Arrowleaf Coltsfoot
- Phytolacca americana – Poke
- Pinus edulus – Piñon Pine
- Pinus ponderosa – Ponderosa Pine
- Pluchea odorata (camphorata) – Camphor Weed
- Polygala alba – White Milkwort, Plains Senega
- Polygonum bistortioides – Bistort, (Colorado: Bistorta bistortoides )
- Polypodium glycyrrhiza – Polypodium vulgare var. occidentale, Licorice Fern
- Populus tremuloides – Aspen
- Prunella vulgaris – Self Heal, Heal All
- Prunus virginiana – Prunus melanocarpa, Choke Cherru, Wild Cherru, Capulin (Colorado: Padus virginiana ssp melanocarpa )
- Ptelea trifoliata – Wafer Ash, Hop Tree
- Purshia tridentata – Bitterbush, Quinine Bush
- Rhamnus californica – Frangula californica, Coffee Berry, California Buckthorn
- Rhamnus purshiana – Frangula purshiana, Cascara Sagrada
- Rhus trilobata – Squawberry, Lemita, Skunkbush, (Colorado: Rhus aromatica ssp trilobata )
- Romneya coulteri – Matilija Poppy
- Rosa woodsii – Wood’s Rose
- Rubus idaeus – Rubus strigosus, Red Raspberry
- Rudbeckia laciniata – Cutleaf Coneflower (Colorado: Rudbeckia ampla )
- Rumex acetosella – Sheep Sorrel (Colorado: Acetosella vulgaris )
- Rumex crispus – Yellow Dock
- Rumex hymenosepalus – Canaigre, Red Dock
- Sagittaria cuneata – Arumleaf Arrohead
- Sagittaria latifolia – Broadleaf Arrowhead
- Salvia apiana – White Sage
- Salvia clevelandii – Cleveland’s Sage
- Salvia columbariae – Chia Sage
- Salvia leucophylla – Purple Sage
- Salvia mellifera – Black Sage
- Salvia spathacea – Hummingbird or Pitcher Sage
- Satureja douglasii – California Yerba Buena
- Scrophularia californica – California Figwort
- Scrophularia lanceolata (including Scrophularia montana )- Western Figwort
- Scutellaria brittonii – Britton’s skullcap
- Scutellaria galericulata – Scutellaria epilobiifolia, Marsh Skullcap
- Scutellaria lateriflora – Skullcap
- Scutellaria resinosa – Scutellaria wrightii, Plains Skullcap
- Scutellaria tesselata – Scutellaria potosina, var, tesselata, Arizona Skullcap
- Sedum roseum – Sedum integrifolium, Rhodiola rosea, Roseroot, Goldenroot, Yellowroot Stonecrop (Colorado: Rhodiola integrifolia )
- Simmondsia chinensis – Jojoba
- Smilacina racemosa – False Solomon’s Seal (Colorado: Maianthemum amplexicaule )
- Smilax californica – California Sarsaparilla, California Greenbriar
- Smilax herbacea – (including the dubious Smilax lasioneuron ) Carrion Flower, Plains Sarsaparilla
- Solanum dulcamara – Bittersweet Nightshade
- Sphaeralcea ambigua – Yerba del Negro, Desert Globemallow
- Sphaeralcea coccinea – Yerba del Negro, Scarlet Globemallow
- Sphaeralcea fendleri – Yerba de la Negrita, Fendler’s Globemallow
- Sphaeralcea parvifolia – Yerba del Negro, Smallflowered Globemallow
- Stillingia sylvatica – Stillingia, Queen’s Root
- Swertia radiata – Frasera speciosa, Monument Plant, Green Gentian, Cebadilla (N.M.)
- Tanacetum parthenium – Chrysanthemum parthenium, Feverfew
- Tanacetum vulgare – Tansy, Ponso
- Taraxacum officinalis – Dandelion
- Thamnosma montana – Turpentine Broom
- Thelesperma gracile (megapotamicum) – Cota, Navajo or Hopi Tea
- Thermopsis montana – Thermopsis rhombifolia var. montana, Mountain Pea, Golden Banner
- Trichostema lanatum – Woolly Blue Curls, California Romero
- Trifolium pratense – Red Clover
- Trillium ovatum – Pacific or Western Trillium
- Umbellularia californica – California Bay, Oregon Myrtle
- Urtica dioica – Urtica gracilis, Urtica holosericea, Urtica lyallii, Stinging Nettles
- Vaccinium myrtillus – Whortleberry
- Vaccinium ovatum – Pacific or Evergreen Huckleberry
- Vaccinium parvifolium – Red Huckleberry
- Vaccinium scoparium – Grouse Whortleberry
- Vaccinium uliginosum – Bog or Western Blueberry
- Valeriana acutiloba – Valeriana capitata, Cutleaf Valerian
- Valeriana arizonica – Valeriana acutiloba var. ovata, Arizona Valerian
- Valeriana edulis – Tobacco Root
- Valeriana occidentalis – Western Valerian
- Valeriana sitchensis – Sitka Valerian
- Veratrum californicum – California False Hellebore, (Colorado: Veratrum tenuipetalum )
- Verbascum thapsus – Great Mullein
- Verbena bracteata – Prostrate Vervain
- Verbena gooddingii – Glandularia gooddingii, Goodings or Southwest Vervain
- Verbena hastata – American Blue Vervain
- Verbena macdougalii – New Mexico Vervain
- Verbena stricta – Hairy Blue Vervain
- Verbesina encelioides – Añil del Muerto (Colorado: Ximenesia encelioides )
- Viburnum edule – Viburnum pauciflorum, Mooseberry Viburnum
- Viburnum ellipticum – Western Viburnum
- Xanthium strumarium – Cocklebur