Native Plants
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia
Bill (W.D.) (1913-1996) and Dolphia Bransford (1915-2015) moved from San Angelo to Kingsland, Texas in 1950. There they established the first fish camp in the area. A carpenter, Bill built small cabins and a larger building which served as a general store.Bill was interested in photography so he and Dolphia would set out in their camper taking pictures of wildflowers and scenery along the way. After plants were photographed, Dolphia researched them and recorded their botanical name, family and common name on each slide. The Bransfords would travel for two or three months at a time and eventually visited nearly every corner of the United States and Canada. They spent 40 years pursuing their favorite pastime and stopped only when Bill’s vision diminished.
At the beginning, Bill photographed plants mostly from a distance, often too far to see enough detail necessary to identify his subjects. Dolphia encouraged him to get close-ups of the plants so that they could be identified and so that their full beauty could be appreciated. Many times he would lie flat on the ground to get the perfect shot. His extra effort shows in the quality of his photographs.
Bill enjoyed presenting prints of his photographs in collections, displaying images of entire genera or families in a single frame. In one case, it took six years of effort to get the photograph of a single species necessary to complete one of these framed collections.
Wishing to find a suitable, permanent home for their work, Mr. and Mrs. Bransford began donating their slide collection to the National Wildflower Research Center in 1987 and were privileged to enjoy Mrs. Johnson’s company on several occasions. Over the years, countless thousands of visitors to this website have enjoyed the work and study of this devoted couple.
Today, the nearly 4500 native plant slides contributed to the Wildflower Center by Bill and Dolphia Bransford remain one of the largest image collections in the NPIN Image Gallery.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to developing the premier resource for native plant images in North America through continued growth of the Plant Image Gallery. You can help us achieve our mission ...to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes... by becoming a contributor.
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |
Opuntia fragilis | Brittle Prickly Pear Fragile Prickly Pear Pygmy Prickly Pear Brittle Cactus | |
Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha | Hairspine Pricklypear Utah Grizzlybear Pricklypear | |
Oreoxis alpina | Alpine Oreoxis | |
Oreostemma alpigenum var. alpigenum | Tundra Aster | |
Orobanche bulbosa | Chaparral Broomrape | |
Orobanche californica ssp. grayana | Gray's Broomrape | |
Orobanche californica ssp. grayana | Gray's Broomrape | |
Orobanche californica ssp. grayana | Gray's Broomrape | |
Orobanche fasciculata | Clustered Broomrape Yellow Broomrape | |
Orobanche fasciculata | Clustered Broomrape Yellow Broomrape | |
Orthocarpus imbricatus | Mountain Owl's-clover | |
Orogenia linearifolia | Great Basin Indian Potato | |
Orobanche ludoviciana | Louisiana Broomrape | |
Orobanche ludoviciana | Louisiana Broomrape | |
Orobanche ludoviciana | Louisiana Broomrape | |
Orthocarpus luteus | Yellow Owl's-clover | |
Oreochrysum parryi | Parry's Goldenrod | |
Oreochrysum parryi | Parry's Goldenrod | |
Orthilia secunda | Sidebells Wintergreen One-sided Wintergreen | |
Orobanche uniflora | One-flowered Broomrape One-flower Cancer Root | |
Oxydendrum arboreum | Sourwood Sorrel Tree | |
Oxyria digyna | Alpine Mountainsorrel Mountain Sorrel | |
Oxalis drummondii | Drummond's Wood-sorrel Large-leaf Wood-sorrel Drummond's Woodsorrel | |
Oxalis drummondii | Drummond's Wood-sorrel Large-leaf Wood-sorrel Drummond's Woodsorrel | |
Oxytropis lambertii | Purple Locoweed | |
Oxytropis multiceps | Nuttall's Oxytrope | |
Oxalis oregana | Redwood-sorrel Oregon Wood Sorrel Oregon Woodsorrel | |
Oxalis oregana | Redwood-sorrel Oregon Wood Sorrel Oregon Woodsorrel | |
Oxalis oregana | Redwood-sorrel Oregon Wood Sorrel Oregon Woodsorrel | |
Oxytropis oreophila | Mountain Oxytrope | |
Oxytropis sericea | White Locoweed Silky Locoweed | |
Oxytropis splendens | Showy Locoweed | |
Oxytropis splendens | Showy Locoweed | |
Oxalis stricta | Common Yellow Oxalis Yellow Wood-sorrel Upright Yellow Wood-sorrel Yellow Woodsorrel | |
Packera anonyma | Small's Ragwort | |
Packera aurea | Golden Groundsel Golden Ragwort Butterweed | |
Paeonia brownii | Brown's Peony Western Peony | |
Paeonia brownii | Brown's Peony Western Peony | |
Paeonia californica | California Peony | |
Paeonia californica | California Peony | |
Palafoxia callosa | Small Palafox Small Palafoxia | |
Papaver californicum | Western Poppy Fire Poppy | |
Packera eurycephala var. eurycephala | Widehead Groundsel | |
Packera fendleri | Fendler's Ragwort | |
Parnassia fimbriata | Fringed Grass Of Parnassus Fringed Parnassia | |
Parnassia fimbriata | Fringed Grass Of Parnassus Fringed Parnassia | |
Packera glabella | Butterweed Cress-leaf Groundsel Yellowtop | |
Packera glabella | Butterweed Cress-leaf Groundsel Yellowtop | |
Packera greenei | Flame Ragwort | |
Palafoxia hookeriana | Sand Palafox Showy Palafox Hooker Palafoxia Sand Palafoxia Hooker's Palafoxia | |
Palafoxia hookeriana | Sand Palafox Showy Palafox Hooker Palafoxia Sand Palafoxia Hooker's Palafoxia | |
Parthenium incanum | Mariola | |
Parthenium incanum | Mariola | |
Parthenium integrifolium | Wild Quinine American Fever-few | |
Passiflora incarnata | Maypop Purple Passionflower Purple Passion Vine Apricot Vine | |
Passiflora incarnata | Maypop Purple Passionflower Purple Passion Vine Apricot Vine | |
Packera macounii | Siskiyou Mountain Ragwort | |
Packera millelobata | Uinta Ragwort | |
Packera multilobata | Lobeleaf Groundsel | |
Packera neomexicana var. mutabilis | New Mexico Groundsel | |
Packera paupercula | Balsam Groundsel Northern Ragwort | |
Parnassia palustris | Marsh Grass Of Parnassus | |
Parnassia palustris | Marsh Grass Of Parnassus | |
Packera plattensis | Prairie Groundsel Prairie Ragwort | |
Packera plattensis | Prairie Groundsel Prairie Ragwort | |
Papaver radicatum | Rooted Poppy Alpine Poppy | |
Palafoxia rosea | Rosy Palafox Rose Palafoxia | |
Palafoxia sphacelata | Othake Sand Palafoxia | |
Palafoxia sphacelata | Othake Sand Palafoxia | |
Palafoxia texana | Texas Palafox | |
Passiflora tenuiloba | Birdwing Passionflower Slender-lobe Passionflower Spread Lobe Passionflower Bird Wing Passionflower | |
Passiflora tenuiloba | Birdwing Passionflower Slender-lobe Passionflower Spread Lobe Passionflower Bird Wing Passionflower | |
Passiflora tenuiloba | Birdwing Passionflower Slender-lobe Passionflower Spread Lobe Passionflower Bird Wing Passionflower | |
Packera tomentosa | Woolly Ragwort | |
Packera tridenticulata | Threetooth Ragwort | |
Packera werneriifolia | Hoary Groundsel | |
Penstemon albidus | White Penstemon White Beardtongue Red-line Penstemon Red-line Beardtongue | |
Penstemon albidus | White Penstemon White Beardtongue Red-line Penstemon Red-line Beardtongue | |
Penstemon albidus | White Penstemon White Beardtongue Red-line Penstemon Red-line Beardtongue | |
Penstemon alluviorum | Lowland Penstemon Lowland Beardtongue | |
Penstemon alluviorum | Lowland Penstemon Lowland Beardtongue | |
Penstemon ambiguus | Pink Plains Penstemon Pink Plains Beardtongue Gilia Penstemon Gilia Beardtongue Sand Penstemon Sand Beardtongue | |
Penstemon ambiguus | Pink Plains Penstemon Pink Plains Beardtongue Gilia Penstemon Gilia Beardtongue Sand Penstemon Sand Beardtongue | |
Pectis angustifolia | Limoncillo Lemonscent Crownseed Pectis Lemon-scented Pectis Lemonscent Pectis Lemonweed Chinchweed Fetid Marigold | |
Penstemon anguineus | Siskiyou Penstemon Siskiyou Beardtongue | |
Penstemon anguineus | Siskiyou Penstemon Siskiyou Beardtongue | |
Penstemon angustifolius | Broadbeard Penstemon Broadbeard Beardtongue Whorled Penstemon Whorled Beardtongue | |
Pedicularis attollens | Little Elephantshead | |
Penstemon australis | Eustis Lake Penstemon Eustis Lake Beardtongue Slender Penstemon Slender Beardtongue | |
Penstemon azureus | Azure Penstemon Azure Beardtongue Sky-blue Penstemon Sky-blue Beardtongue | |
Penstemon azureus | Azure Penstemon Azure Beardtongue Sky-blue Penstemon Sky-blue Beardtongue | |
Penstemon baccharifolius | Rock Penstemon Rock Beardtongue Cut-leaf Penstemon Cut-leaf Beardtongue Baccharis-leaf Penstemon Baccharis-leaf Beardtongue | |
Penstemon baccharifolius | Rock Penstemon Rock Beardtongue Cut-leaf Penstemon Cut-leaf Beardtongue Baccharis-leaf Penstemon Baccharis-leaf Beardtongue | |
Penstemon baccharifolius | Rock Penstemon Rock Beardtongue Cut-leaf Penstemon Cut-leaf Beardtongue Baccharis-leaf Penstemon Baccharis-leaf Beardtongue | |
Penstemon barbatus | Scarlet Bugler Beard-lip Penstemon Beard-lip Beardtongue Red Penstemon Red Beardtongue Goldenbeard Penstemon Goldenbeard Beardtongue Saint Joseph's Staff Varita De San Jose | |
Penstemon barbatus ssp. torreyi | Torrey's Penstemon Torrey's Beardtongue | |
Pedicularis bracteosa | Bracted Lousewort | |
Penstemon buckleyi | Buckley's Penstemon Buckley's Beardtongue | |
Penstemon buckleyi | Buckley's Penstemon Buckley's Beardtongue | |
Pedicularis canadensis | Canadian Lousewort Wood Betony | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |