Photo © Robert Moseley

Idaho Panhandle National Forests

Rare Plant Guide

(Click here to go directly
to the Rare Plant Guide)

Introduction. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is an ecologically rich and diverse area that contributes significantly to our national biological heritage. One example of the Idaho Panhandle's high biodiversity value is the large number of rare plant species found there. Rare plant conservation is an important management priority for the Panhandle National Forests, and this Rare Plant Guide is made possible because of their support.

Objective. The primary objective of this field guide is to assist Forest Service personnel in their identification of rare plants on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. However, the guide is available to anyone interested in rare plant conservation in northern Idaho. Printed materials on rare plant species are often quickly outdated given the dynamic nature of our knowledge of distribution, abundance, and conservation status. Production of this field guide in an easily-updated electronic format provides a solution to this problem. In addition, the electronic format will allow viewers to download individual species accounts to customize their personal reference manuals or field guides.

Contents. Most of the 50 species covered in the first edition of this rare plant guide are on the U. S. Forest Service Region 1 Sensitive plant species list for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. This guide includes 44 vascular plants and 6 nonvascular plants (4 mosses and 2 lichens). Each species account contains a description of the plant and its habitat, distributional information, field identification tips, notes on similar species, and phenology. Most accounts include photographs, a line drawing, and an Idaho distribution map.

References that contain additional or supporting information are listed at the end of nearly all the species accounts. Keys to species and more technical descriptions are available in other sources including Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest, Flora of North America, and Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest.