I am a self-studied botany hobbyist living in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I use iNaturalist to learn about and appreciate the wildlife around me and to help others do the same. Please feel free to interact with me in any way that aligns with one of those two goals.

MY OBSERVATIONS

I aim to observe and identify the wild plants present in my suburban yard each year. I also try to remain alert to fauna, funga, and other kingdoms of life along the way, but plants are my primary interest.

For my non-macro photos, I use my smartphone -- currently a Google Pixel 7 Pro. For my macro photos, I currently use an OM System Tough TG-7 -- often with a flash diffuser or ring light. Prior to 2024, I used set of four Bausch & Lomb Hastings triplet hand lenses (4x, 10x, 14x, and 20x) which I held up to my smartphone camera.

Please consider reviewing my plant, animal, fungi, chromist, or protozoan observations in need of identification. I have not yet observed any archaeae, bacteria, or viruses.

MY IDENTIFICATIONS

My long-term goal is to identify all of Nebraska's plant observations as granularly as possible. I also add coarse identifications to Nebraska's non-plant observations to help them reach the attention of those who can identify them more finely.

I regularly check for observations that are from Nebraska and (1) without an identification entirely, (2) at the rank of kingdom or above, (3) of plants I've reviewed but somehow not added an identification to, (4) of families I am familiar (or becoming familiar) with. I also regularly check for observations (5) from outside of Nebraska by people I follow of families I am familiar (or becoming familiar) with.

PLANT IDENTIFICATION

I am familiar with (or becoming familiar with) Nebraska's members of the following families of flowering plants: Molluginaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Polygonaceae (everything in tribe Polygoneae), and Urticaceae (everything except the genus Urtica).

I've observed the following families of flowering plants in my own yard and wish to become more familiar with them in the near future: Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Campanulaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Commelinaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Oxalidaceae, Poaceae, Plantaginaceae, Portulacaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, and Violaceae.

After becoming familiar with the flowering plant families I've observed in my own yard, I hope to become familiar with all other flowering plant families with members that occur in Nebraska. I also hope to one day become familiar with Nebraska's non-flowering plants, non-vascular plants, and even algae.

My primary plant identification resources are two floras and various plant glossaries:

• Flora of North America North of Mexico (1993+) by Flora of North America Editorial Committee
• The Flora of Nebraska (2nd edition, 2011) by Robert Kaul, David Sutherland, and Steven Rolfsmeier
• Plant Identification Terminology (2nd edition, 2001) by James Harris and Melinda Harris
• The Kew Plant Glossary (2nd edition, 2020) by Henk Beentje

MISCELLANEOUS

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