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 |
Callirhoe alcaeoides | Light Poppymallow Plains Poppy-mallow Light Poppy-mallow Pink Poppy-mallow Light Poppy Mallow | |
Callirhoe alcaeoides | Light Poppymallow Plains Poppy-mallow Light Poppy-mallow Pink Poppy-mallow Light Poppy Mallow | |
Calochortus albus | White Fairy-lantern Fairy-lantern White Fairy Lantern | |
Calochortus albus | White Fairy-lantern Fairy-lantern White Fairy Lantern | |
Callicarpa americana | American Beautyberry French Mulberry | |
Callicarpa americana | American Beautyberry French Mulberry | |
Callicarpa americana | American Beautyberry French Mulberry | |
Calochortus amabilis | Diogenes' Lantern Yellow Globe Lily | |
Calochortus ambiguus | Arizona Mariposa Lily Doubting Mariposa Lily Arizona Mariposa Tulip | |
Calochortus amoenus | Purple Fairy-lantern | |
Calochortus amoenus | Purple Fairy-lantern | |
Castilleja ambigua ssp. ambigua | Johnny-nip | |
Castilleja angustifolia | Northwestern Indian Paintbrush | |
Castilleja angustifolia var. dubia | Showy Northwestern Indian-paintbrush Desert Paintbrush | |
Calochortus apiculatus | Pointedtip Mariposa Lily | |
Calochortus apiculatus | Pointedtip Mariposa Lily | |
Castilleja applegatei | Wavyleaf Indian Paintbrush | |
Castilleja arachnoidea | Cobwebby Indian Paintbrush | |
Castilleja arachnoidea | Cobwebby Indian Paintbrush | |
Camissonia arenaria | Fortuna Range Suncup | |
Calopogon barbatus | Bearded Grasspink | |
Calylophus berlandieri | Berlandier's Sundrops Square-bud Primrose Sundrops | |
Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius | Berlandier's Sundrops Square-bud Primrose Sundrops Square-bud Day-primrose | |
Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius | Berlandier's Sundrops Square-bud Primrose Sundrops Square-bud Day-primrose | |
Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius | Berlandier's Sundrops Square-bud Primrose Sundrops Square-bud Day-primrose | |
Calylophus berlandieri ssp. pinifolius | Berlandier's Sundrops Square-bud Primrose Sundrops Square-bud Day-primrose | |
Camissonia boothii ssp. boothii | Booth's Suncup | |
Calandrinia breweri | Brewer's Redmaids | |
Calochortus bruneaunis | Bruneau Mariposa Lily | |
Camissonia brevipes ssp. brevipes | Golden Suncup | |
Camissonia brevipes ssp. brevipes | Golden Suncup | |
Calypso bulbosa | Fairy Slipper | |
Calypso bulbosa | Fairy Slipper | |
Camissonia californica | California Suncup | |
Camissonia californica | California Suncup | |
Camissonia californica | California Suncup | |
Camissonia californica | California Suncup | |
Camissonia californica | California Suncup | |
Calochortus catalinae | Santa Catalina Mariposa Lily | |
Canbya candida | White Pygmypoppy White Pygmy Poppy | |
Camissonia cardiophylla ssp. cardiophylla | Heartleaf Suncup | |
Camissonia cardiophylla ssp. cardiophylla | Heartleaf Suncup | |
Camissonia cardiophylla ssp. cardiophylla | Heartleaf Suncup | |
Camissonia cardiophylla ssp. cardiophylla | Heartleaf Suncup | |
Camissonia cheiranthifolia ssp. cheiranthifolia | Beach Suncup Beach Evening-primrose | |
Camissonia cheiranthifolia ssp. cheiranthifolia | Beach Suncup Beach Evening-primrose | |
Camissonia cheiranthifolia ssp. cheiranthifolia | Beach Suncup Beach Evening-primrose | |
Calandrinia ciliata | Fringed Redmaids Redmaids | |
Calochortus clavatus | Clubhair Mariposa Lily | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |