On my continual search to authenticate native plants in the region
of the country where I garden, my journey has taken me to paths that I would
like to share and explore further.
One of my favorite shrubs is Hummingbird bush (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii). Who is the botanist,
Wright, whom is honored with this acknowledgement?
Charles Wright (1811 - 1885) was an American
botanist, explorer, and librarian. In 1849, with the help of Asa Gray, he
joined an army expedition through Texas. Starting in Galveston they traveled to
San Antonio and then on to El Paso. In 1851 he joined the United States and
Mexican Boundary Survey team and selected plants which are included in the book, Plantae Wrightianae texano-neo-mexicanae: an account of a
collection of plants made by Charles Wright in an expedition from Texas to New
Mexico.
Plants named to honor Charles Wright,
Adenophyllum wrightii var. wrightii (Wrights dogweed), Calycoseris wrightii, Cheilanthes wrightii Wright's Lip Fern, Cirsium wrightii (Wright's marsh thistle), Datura Wrightii, Empidonax wrightii (American Gray Flycatcher), Hymenothrix wrightii, Mammillaria wrightii, Penstemon wrightii Porobolus wrightii Giant Sacaton, Potamogeton wrightii.
I am adding this book as a "go to"
resource along with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and Sally Wasowski's
book, Native Texas Plants,
for authentic native Texas plants.
During my search to find Charles Wright I found a wonderful
Library of Congress link about American Explorers, Library of Congress, Rivers, Edens,
Empires: Lewis & Clark and the Revealing of America, After Lewis and Clark.
Prologue | Before Lewis & Clark | Lewis & Clark | After Lewis & Clark
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR NATIVE TEXAS PLANTS
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR NATIVE TEXAS PLANTS
| Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center |
| Native Plant Society of Texas |
| Bibliography. | |||||||||
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