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 |
Physostegia purpurea | Eastern False Dragonhead | |
Physostegia purpurea | Eastern False Dragonhead | |
Phacelia purshii | Miami Mist | |
Phacelia purshii | Miami Mist | |
Phlox pulvinata | Cushion Phlox | |
Phlox pulvinata | Cushion Phlox | |
Physalis pubescens | Husk Tomato Downy Ground-cherry Downy Groundcherry | |
Physostegia pulchella | Showy False Dragonhead Beautiful False Dragon-head | |
Physostegia pulchella | Showy False Dragonhead Beautiful False Dragon-head | |
Phacelia ramosissima | Branching Phacelia | |
Phlox roemeriana | Goldeneye Phlox Golden-eye Phlox | |
Phlox roemeriana | Goldeneye Phlox Golden-eye Phlox | |
Phlox roemeriana | Goldeneye Phlox Golden-eye Phlox | |
Phacelia sericea | Silky Phacelia Purple Fringe | |
Phacelia sericea | Silky Phacelia Purple Fringe | |
Phlox speciosa | Showy Phlox | |
Phlox speciosa | Showy Phlox | |
Phacelia splendens | Patch Phacelia | |
Phlox speciosa ssp. woodhousei | Woodhouse's Phlox | |
Phlox speciosa ssp. woodhousei | Woodhouse's Phlox | |
Phlox speciosa ssp. woodhousei | Woodhouse's Phlox | |
Phlox stansburyi | Cold-desert Phlox | |
Phlox stansburyi | Cold-desert Phlox | |
Phlox stolonifera | Creeping Phlox | |
Phlox stolonifera | Creeping Phlox | |
Phlox stolonifera | Creeping Phlox | |
Phlox subulata | Creeping Phlox Moss Phlox Moss Pink Rock Pink | |
Phlox subulata | Creeping Phlox Moss Phlox Moss Pink Rock Pink | |
Phlox tenuifolia | Santa Catalina Mountain Phlox | |
Phlox tenuifolia | Santa Catalina Mountain Phlox | |
Phlox tenuifolia | Santa Catalina Mountain Phlox | |
Phlox tenuifolia | Santa Catalina Mountain Phlox | |
Phacelia vallis-mortae | Death Valley Phacelia | |
Physostegia virginiana ssp. virginiana | Obedient Plant | |
Pinguicula caerulea | Blue Butterwort Blueflower Butterwort Violet Butterwort | |
Pinguicula caerulea | Blue Butterwort Blueflower Butterwort Violet Butterwort | |
Pityopus californica | California Pinefoot | |
Piriqueta cistoides ssp. caroliniana | Pitted Stripeseed | |
Pinus contorta | Lodgepole Pine Beach Pine Pino De San Pedro Martir | |
Piperia elongata | Denseflower Rein Orchid | |
Piperia elegans ssp. elegans | Elegant Piperia | |
Piperia elegans ssp. elegans | Elegant Piperia | |
Piperia elegans ssp. elegans | Elegant Piperia | |
Picris hieracioides | Hawkweed Oxtongue | |
Picris hieracioides | Hawkweed Oxtongue | |
Pinguicula lutea | Yellow Butterwort | |
Pityopsis pinifolia | Taylor County Goldaster | |
Pinguicula pumila | Small Butterwort Bog Violet Dwarf Butterwort | |
Pinaropappus roseus | White Rocklettuce White Dandelion Pink Dandelion White Rock Lettuce | |
Pinaropappus roseus | White Rocklettuce White Dandelion Pink Dandelion White Rock Lettuce | |
Piperia unalascensis | Slender-spire Orchid Alaska Rein Orchid | |
Pinguicula vulgaris | Common Butterwort | |
Pinguicula vulgaris | Common Butterwort | |
Picradeniopsis woodhousei | Woodhouse's Bahia | |
Picradeniopsis woodhousei | Woodhouse's Bahia | |
Platanthera blephariglottis | White Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera blephariglottis var. blephariglottis | White Fringed Orchid | |
Platystemon californicus | Creamcups California Creamcups | |
Platystemon californicus | Creamcups California Creamcups | |
Platanthera ciliaris | Orange Fringed Orchid Yellow Fringed Orchid Orange Plume Bobwhite's-mocassin Owl's-head | |
Platanthera ciliaris | Orange Fringed Orchid Yellow Fringed Orchid Orange Plume Bobwhite's-mocassin Owl's-head | |
Platanthera ciliaris | Orange Fringed Orchid Yellow Fringed Orchid Orange Plume Bobwhite's-mocassin Owl's-head | |
Platanthera clavellata | Small Green Wood Orchid Small Woodland Orchid | |
Plectritis congesta | Shortspur Seablush | |
Plectritis congesta | Shortspur Seablush | |
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | Scentbottle | |
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | Scentbottle | |
Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata | Scentbottle | |
Platanthera grandiflora | Greater Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera grandiflora | Greater Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera grandiflora | Greater Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera grandiflora | Greater Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera hyperborea | Northern Green Orchid | |
Platanthera hyperborea | Northern Green Orchid | |
Platanthera hyperborea | Northern Green Orchid | |
Platyschkuhria integrifolia var. integrifolia | Basindaisy | |
Platanthera lacera | Green Fringed Orchid Ragged Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera lacera | Green Fringed Orchid Ragged Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera lacera | Green Fringed Orchid Ragged Fringed Orchid | |
Plagiobothrys nothofulvus | Rusty Popcorn-flower Rusty Popcornflower | |
Platanthera obtusata | Bluntleaved Orchid | |
Pluchea odorata var. odorata | Sweetscent Marsh Fleabane Southern Marsh Fleabane | |
Platanthera orbiculata | Lesser Roundleaved Orchid Roundleaf Rein Orchid Round-leaved Orchid | |
Platanthera orbiculata | Lesser Roundleaved Orchid Roundleaf Rein Orchid Round-leaved Orchid | |
Platanthera orbiculata | Lesser Roundleaved Orchid Roundleaf Rein Orchid Round-leaved Orchid | |
Platanthera peramoena | Purple Fringeless Orchid | |
Platanthera praeclara | Great Plains White Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera psycodes | Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid Small Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Platanthera psycodes | Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid Small Purple Fringed Orchid | |
Pluchea sericea | Arrowweed Arrow Weed | |
Platanthera sparsiflora var. sparsiflora | Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid | |
Platanthera sparsiflora var. sparsiflora | Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid | |
Platanthera stricta | Slender Bog Orchid | |
Polygala alba | White Milkwort | |
Polygonum amphibium var. stipulaceum | Water Smartweed | |
Polygonum amphibium var. stipulaceum | Water Smartweed | |
Potentilla arguta | Tall Cinquefoil White Cinquefoil Prairie Cinquefoil | |
Polygonum bistortoides | American Bistort Western Bistort | |
Polygonum bistortoides | American Bistort Western Bistort | |
Polemonium brandegeei | Brandegee's Jacob's-ladder | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |