ABOUT THIS SITE
FLORA by MAX is a plant database that is being constructed for educational purposes and to help me remember the plants that I have identified. I am a professional geologist (retired from the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio in 2008) and an amateur botanist (began studying plants in 2004 as a retirement hobby). The site is under constant editing and revision - it will never be finished.
The database is not an instrument to key out plants but rather a collection of plant slides composed in Microsoft PowerPoint and converted to Adobe PDF (5.0 or greater) format (Adobe Reader is a free download from the web). The collection is arranged alphabetically based on plant families and then, within each family, alphabetically by genus and species. Because common names are often confusing, plants in the collection are arranged by their Latin scientific names but at least one common name is also given. Plant descriptions and photos are given to hopefully finalize identification in most cases to the species level.
Most of the plants in the database are wild but some are introduced. Introduced, on this site, means non-native to the United States. Many introduced plants are escapees from cultivation and "homestead" plants while others are unintentional invasives.
To use the database effectively and quickly it is important for the user to have knowledge of the plant families. One can of course simply browse the families and look for a particular plant(s). I hope you enjoy the site and perhaps you will find some old friends here.
Many plants can be easily identified to the species level, others with difficulty, and some even the experts have trouble with. So - remember, I am an amateur and there are certainly some mistakes in the database. If you should find a mistake in identification or description, please contact me.
Please do NOT send me photos to include in the database – this is a personal crusade. However, this is an educational site and I would be glad to help those wishing to get started in learning about plants.
V. Max Brown
CONTACT ME max@florabymax.net
COPYRIGHT - NO PICTURES FROM THIS SITE MAY BE USED FOR ANY COMMERICAL PURPOSES WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S WRITTEN PERMISSION - EDUCATIONAL USE WITH DUE RECOGNIATION IS CHEERFULLY PERMITTED
WE ALL STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS!