David Douglas's Discoveries & Introductions
David Douglas discovered thousands of plants, mosses and seaweeds. Many were not of interest to the Horticultural Society because they would not thrive in the British climate or were too fragile to succeed; and there was limited use of many of the mosses and seaweeds.
The list reproduced below has been compiled over many years at Glasgow Botanic Gardens, where many of Douglas's plants are grown grouped together. It details Douglas's better-known plants and does not attempt to be comprehensive or exhaustive.
“The Plants of David Douglas: What's in a Name?”
Plant names came into existence in order to avoid confusion when learning about them. All organisms have a common name and a scientific name. While scientific names are unique, common names are not. An organism (plants and animals) may have many common names, but only one internationally accepted scientific name.
For a long time, scientists faced the problem that one species of plant or animal might have many different names according to which language you spoke or where you lived. This caused all sorts of problems when scientists got together to discuss their research. They might all be talking about the same tree, but using different names, which could become very confusing.
In 1758, a Swedish biologist, Carl Linnaeus, decided that everyone should be using the same name to describe the same species. Linnaeus proposed a universal naming system using the Latin language. Known as binomial nomenclature, the naming system uses two words. The first part is the genus. A capital letter is used as the first letter. The second name is called the specific name and is always in lower case. Scientific names are italicized and common names are not.
“Pinus” (the name David Douglas gave to the tree now named for him) is the Latin word for “pie.” Softwoods and hardwoods use a cone rather than a fruit for their seeds. Conifers are evergreens, but not all evergreens are conifers. Broadleaf trees for the most part are deciduous, that is they lose their leaves each fall.
The growth in botanical knowledge since Douglas's day means that many species have been reclassified and therefore claim new names. For example, Douglas gave the name Lilium pudicum to what we now know as Fritillaria pudica. The list names the plants as they are currently known.
| Abies amabilis | Pacific silver fir, or lovely fir |
| - grandis | Grand fir, or white fir |
| - procera | Noble fir |
| - venusta | Santa Lucia fir |
| Abronia mellifera | Sand verbena |
| Acer circinatum | Vine maple |
| - macrophyllum | Broad-leaved maple |
| Agastache urticifolia | Grand hyssop or Giant hyssop |
| Amelanchier alnifolia | Saskatoon |
| - florida | |
| Amsinckia douglasiana | Fiddleneck |
| - lycopsoides | |
| Anemone hudsoniana | |
| - multifida | Cut-leafed anenome |
| Antirrhinum multiflorum | Sticky snapdragon |
| Arbutus menziesii | Madrona |
| - procera | |
| - tomentosa | |
| Arceutholobium douglasi | Western dwarf mistletoe |
| Arctostaphylos columbiana | Bearberry |
| - tomentosa | |
| Arenaria douglasii | Sandwort |
| Artemisia douglasii | |
| Aruncus americanus | Goat’s beard |
| - vulgaris | |
| Aster chilensis | Aster |
| - douglasii | |
| Astragalus agrestis | Milk-vetches (all species of Astragalus) |
| - crassicarpus | |
| - douglasii | |
| - drummondii | |
| - lentiginosus | |
| - purshii | |
| - succulentus | |
| Audibertia incana | |
| Baccharis douglasii | |
| Bartonia aurea | |
| Benthamia lycopsoides | |
| Berberis glumacea | |
| - nervosa | |
| Boisduvalia densiflora | |
| Brassavola nodosa | Lady of the night |
| Brodiaea congesta | Wild hyacinths (all varieties of Broadiaea) |
| - coronaria | |
| - douglasii | |
| Brodiaea flava | |
| - grandiflora | |
| - hyacinthina | |
| - laxa | |
| Calandrinia ciliata var. menziesii | Redmaids |
| - discolor | |
| - speciosa | |
| Calliopsis athinsiniana | |
| Calochortus albus | Mariposa lilies, cat’s ears or fairy lanterns |
| - barnardii | |
| - elegans | |
| - luteus | |
| - macrocarpus | |
| - nitidus | |
| - pulchellus | |
| - pusillus | |
| - splendens | |
| - venustus | |
| Calycanthus occidentalis | |
| Camassia esculenta | Camas lilies (all varieties of Camassia) |
| - quamash var. flora alba | |
| Carex douglasii | Sedge |
| Castilleja affinis | Paintbrush |
| - coccinea | |
| - miniata | |
| - parviflora | |
| Castanopsis chrysophylla | Golden chestnut |
| Ceanothus collinus | |
| - velutinus | |
| - - var. laevigatus | |
| Celtis douglasii | Hackberry or nettle tree |
| Chaenactis douglasii | Hoary false yarrow |
| Cheiranthus capitatus | |
| Chelone centranthifolia | Turtle head |
| - nemorosa | |
| Chorizanthe douglasii | Douglas’s water hemlock |
| Cicuta douglasii | |
| - occidentalis | |
| Clarkia amoena | |
| - amoena | |
| - elegans | |
| - gauroides | |
| - lepida | |
| - pulchella | |
| - purpurea | |
| - - ssp. quadrivulnera | |
| Clarkia purpurea ssp. | |
| - viminea | |
| - rhomboidea | |
| Clematis virginiana | Virginian clematis |
| Clintonia elegans | Corn lilies |
| - pulchella | |
| Collinsia bicolor | |
| - grandiflora | |
| - heterophylla | Chinese houses |
| - parviflora | Blue-eyed Mary |
| Collomia bellidifolia | |
| - gracilis | |
| - grandiflora | |
| - heterophylla | |
| - linearis | |
| - pinnatifida | |
| Coreopsis atkinsoniana | Tickseed |
| - douglasii | |
| Cornus stolonifera | Red-osier dogwood |
| Crataegus douglasii | Black hawthorn |
| Cryptantha flaccida | |
| Cynoglossum grande | Hound’s tongue |
| Cypripedium montanum | |
| Delphinium menziesii | Menzies larkspur |
| Dendromecon rigida | |
| Diplopappus incana | |
| Donia villosa | |
| Douglasia nivalis | Mountain pink |
| Downingia elegans | |
| - pulchella | |
| Draba douglasii | |
| Epilobium minumum | Small-flowered willowherb |
| Epipactis gigantea | |
| Erigeron speciosus | Showy fleabane |
| Eriogonum compositum | |
| - - spp. nudum | Sulphur flower |
| - douglasii | |
| - elatum | |
| - latifolium Sim | |
| - - ssp. nudum | |
| - sphaerocephalum | |
| Eriophyllum caespitosum | |
| - lanatum (leucophyllum) | Woolly sunflower |
| Erythronium grandiflorum | Glacier lily, or dog-toothed violet |
| Eschscholtzia caespitosa | |
| Eschscholtzia californica | California poppy |
| - - var. dougl. | |
| Frasera speciosa | |
| Fraxinus latifolia | |
| Fritillaria pudica | Yellow bell |
| Gaillardia aristata | Brown-eyed Susan or blanket flower |
| Garrya elliptica | Tassel bush |
| Gaultheria shallon | Salal |
| Gaura parviflora | |
| Geranium carolinianum | Carolina geranium |
| Gesneria douglasii | |
| Gilia achillaeafolia (ssp. multicaulis) | |
| - aggregata | |
| - androsaca | |
| - capitata | |
| - coronopifolia | |
| - densiflora | |
| - liniflora var. pharnaceoides | |
| - - alba | |
| - parviflora | |
| - pungens | |
| - sinuata | |
| - splendens | |
| - tenuiflora | |
| - tricolor | |
| Godetia amoena rubicunda | |
| - - vinosa | |
| - decumbens | |
| - lindleyi | |
| - quadivulnera | |
| - viminea | |
| Gomesa planifolia | |
| Greyia spinosa | |
| Harkelia congesta | Stickseed |
| Helianthus annuus ssp. lenticularis | Sunflower |
| Helonias tenax | |
| Hesperoscordon lacteum | |
| Heuchera cylindrica | Round-leaved alum root |
| - micrantha | |
| Holodiscus discolor | Ocean spray |
| Hosackia bicolor capitatum | Pink bird-foot clover |
| - crassifolia | |
| Hydrophyllum capitatum | Baldhead waterleaf |
| Hyssopus urticifolius | |
| Ipomopsis elegans | |
| Iris douglasiana | Tough-leaved or beardless |
| - tenax Dougl. | iris |
| Lasthenia californica | |
| - glabrata | |
| Lathyrus californicus | Perennial sweet pea |
| - japonicus | |
| - jepsonii ssp. californicus | |
| Layia chrysanthemoides | Tidy tips |
| Leptosiphon androsaceus | |
| - densiflorus | |
| Lespedeza capitata | |
| Limnanthes douglasii | Poached-egg plant |
| Linanthus liniflorus | |
| - - ssp. pharnaceoides | |
| Linum perenne ssp. Lewisii | Wild blue flax |
| - sibiricum | |
| Lithospermum ruderale | |
| Lonicera ciliosa | Orange honeysuckle |
| - douglasii | |
| - glaucescens | |
| - hispidula | |
| - hirsuta | Hairy honeysuckle |
| Lotus douglasii | |
| - pinnatus | |
| Lupinus albicaulis | Lupin |
| - albifons | |
| - - var. douglasii | |
| - arbustus | |
| - argenteus | |
| - - var. tenellus | |
| - aridus | |
| - benthamii | |
| - bicolor | |
| - chamissonis | |
| - densiflorus | |
| - flexuosus | |
| - grandifolius | |
| - hirsutissimus | |
| - latifolius | |
| - laxiflorus | |
| - lepidus | |
| Lupinus leptophyllus | |
| - leucophyllus | |
| - littoralis | |
| - lucidus | |
| - micranthus | |
| - nanus | |
| - obtusilobus | |
| - ornatus | |
| - plumosus | |
| - polyphyllus | |
| - - var. albiflorus | |
| - rivularis | |
| - sabinii | |
| - sericeus | |
| - succulentus | |
| - sulphureus | |
| - tristis | |
| Madia elegans | |
| Mahonia aquifolium | Oregon grape |
| Malus fissea | Pacific coast crab apple |
| - fusca | |
| Malva coccinea | Mallow |
| Malvastrum coccineum | |
| Meconella linearis | |
| Mentzelia albicaulis | Small evening star |
| - laevicaulis (Dougl.) | Blazing star |
| - lindleyi | Blazing star |
| Microseris douglasii | |
| Microsteris gracilis | Pink twink |
| Mikania scandens | |
| Mimulus alsinoides | Monkey flowers |
| - cardinalis | |
| - douglasii | |
| - floribundus | |
| - guttatus | |
| - lewisii | |
| - moschatus | |
| - roseus | |
| Montia linearis | |
| - perfoliata | |
| - spathulata | |
| Myosotis hookeri | Forget me not |
| Navarretia squarrosa | |
| Nemophila aurita | |
| Nemophila insignis | Baby blue eyes |
| - menziesii | |
| - parviflora | |
| - pedunculata | |
| Nicotiana multivalvis | Native tobacco |
| Oenothera albicaulis | Evening primrose (all varieties of Oenothera) |
| - biennis var. muricata | |
| - boothii | |
| - californica | |
| - contorta | |
| - densiflora | |
| - dentata | |
| - lepida | |
| - lindleyi | |
| - speciosa | |
| - triloba | |
| Oncidium pubes | |
| Paeonia brownii | Wild paeony |
| Pedicularis canadensis | Lousewort |
| - racemosa | |
| Penstemon acuminatus | |
| - attenuatus | |
| - breviflorus | |
| - caeruleo-purpurea | |
| - centranthifolius | |
| - confertus | Yellow penstemon |
| - deustus | |
| - diffusus | |
| - digitatifolius | |
| - fruticosus | Shrubby penstemon |
| - - var. scouleri | |
| - glandulosus | |
| - gracilis | |
| - heterophyllus | |
| - nemorosus | |
| - ovatus | |
| - procerus | Small-flowered pentstemon |
| - pruinosus | |
| - richardsonii | |
| - serrulatus | |
| - speciosus | |
| - staticifolius | |
| - triphyllus | |
| - venustus | |
| Phacelia divaricata | Heliotrope |
| - douglasii | |
| - hastata | |
| - linearis | |
| - ramosissima | |
| - tanacetifolia | |
| - viscida | |
| Phlox douglasii | Phlox |
| - longifolia | |
| - sabinii | |
| - speciosa | |
| Pholistoma auritum | |
| Picea sitchensis | Sitka spruce |
| Pinus contorta | Lodgepole pine |
| - coulteri | Big-cone pine |
| - lambertiana | Sugar pine |
| - monticola | Western white pine |
| - ponderosa | Western yellow pine |
| - radiata | Monterey pine |
| - sabiniana | Digger pine |
| Platystemon californicus | Cream cups |
| Plectris congesta | |
| Poa douglasii | Bluegrass |
| Pogogyne douglasii | |
| Pogonia pendula | |
| Polygonum douglasii | |
| Potentilla arachnoidea | Cinquefoil (all varieties of Potentilla) |
| - arguta | |
| - congesta | |
| - effusa | |
| - glandulosa | Sticky cinquefoil |
| - gracilis | Graceful cinquefoil |
| - hippiana | |
| - obscura | |
| - ontopoda | |
| - pectinata | |
| - pectinsecta | |
| - pennsylvanica | Prairie cinquefoil |
| - var strigosa | |
| Prunus emarginata | Bitter cherry |
| - pumila | |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas fir |
| - taxifolia | |
| Psoralea macrostachya | |
| - orbicularis | |
| - physodes | |
| Purshia tridentata | Antelope bush |
| Pyrus rivularis | |
| Quercus douglasii | Blue oak |
| - garryana | Garry or Oregon white oak |
| Ribes aureum | Golden currant |
| - bracteosum | Stink currant |
| - cereum | Squaw currant |
| - divaricatum | Straggly gooseberry |
| - echinatum | |
| - glutinosum | |
| - gracile | Pasture gooseberry |
| - irriguum | |
| - lacustre | Swamp currant |
| - malvaceum | Chaparral currant |
| - menziesii | Swamp gooseberry, prickly currant |
| - niveum | |
| - petiolare | Western black currant |
| - sanguineum | Flowering currant |
| - - var. glutinosum | Winter currant |
| - setosum | Red-shoot gooseberry |
| - speciosum | Fuschia-flowered gooseberry |
| - tenuiflorum | |
| - viscosissimum | Sticky currant |
| Rubus leucodermis | Black raspberry |
| - leucostachys | Black raspberry |
| - longipetalus | |
| - macropetalus | |
| - nutkanus | |
| - parviflorus | Thimbleberry |
| - spectabilis | Salmonberry |
| Salvia dorrii var. camosa | Grey ball sage |
| - pachyphylla | |
| Sanicula bipinnatifida | |
| Satureja douglasii | |
| Selaginella douglasii | |
| Senecio douglasii | |
| Sida hederacea | |
| Sidalcea malvaeflora | Marsh hollyhock |
| Silene douglasii | Douglas’ campion |
| - inamoena | |
| - ramossima | |
| Sinningia helleri | |
| Sisyrinchium douglasii | Blue-eyed grass |
| - grandiflorum | |
| Solanum douglasii | |
| Spergula arvensis | |
| Sperula ramosissima | |
| Sphaeralcea munroana | False mallow |
| Spiraea ariaefolia | |
| - douglasii | Pink spirea or hardhack |
| Stylomecon hederophylla | Flaming poppy |
| Symphoria racemosa | |
| Symphoricarpus rivularis | Snowberry |
| Synthyris reniformis | |
| Tanacetum boreale | |
| - douglasii | |
| Tellima grandiflora | Fringecup |
| Thermopsis fabacea | |
| - montana | |
| Trifolium fucatum | |
| - macrocephalum | |
| - tridentatum | |
| Triteleia laxa | |
| Vaccinuum membr anceum | Huckleberry |
| - ovatum | |
| Valerianella congesta | |
| Verbena bracteata | |
| - bracteosa | |
| Viola douglasii | |
| - praemorsa | |
| Xerophyllum tenax | Bear grass |
Douglas fir | Photo by Rick Mark |
Dicenta | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Vine maple | Photo by Rick Mark |
Grass widows | Photo by Rick Mark |
Gaillardia | Photo by Rick Mark |
Arctostaphylos | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Balsamroot Paintbrush | Photo by Rick Mark |
Red currants | Photo by Rick Mark |
Centaurea | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Sagebrush Mariposa | Photo by Rick Mark |
Philadelphus | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Xerophyllum tenax, Bear grass | Photo by Rick Mark |
Kinnikinnick | Photo by Rick Mark |
Penstemon Serrulatus | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Mimulus alsinoides, Monkey flowers | Photo by Rick Mark |
Symphoricarpus rivularis | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |
Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa balsam | Photo by Rick Mark |
Eschscholtzia californica, California poppy | Photo by Rick Mark |
Lillium pardalinum, Leopard Lily | Illustration by Helen Gilkey |