For many botanists, the Annotated Checklist of the East Bay Flora (Ertter and Naumovich, 2013) is an indispensable field companion. It is a treasure trove of information about our local plants: current scientific name, accepted common name, family affiliation, whether native or non-native, special status (such as rare, unusual, or invasive), geographic distribution within our two-county area, and helpful hints to distinguish a species from close relatives. For convenience, it is pocket- or clipboard-sized, so it travels well.
We have produced two editions of the checklist since 1997, but the latest edition is now out of date. Many taxonomic changes have occurred in the past 12 years, and considerable new information has developed about the status and distribution of plants in the East Bay. Also, the checklist is out of print.
The East Bay Chapter is working on a solution. Botanist Lech Naumovich, who served as our chapter’s conservation analyst for several years, is preparing a third edition of the checklist, updating taxonomy, adding species new to Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and adding and correcting distribution and status information. He is planning to add some new features as well—more on that in another installment.
We are grateful to all of our chapter members who donated to our fall 2024 appeal. These funds will support the majority of the work to prepare and print the checklist. In addition, Save Mount Diablo’s Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program provided a grant for this project, and we appreciate their interest and support. We also acknowledge the Jepson Herbarium, which was instrumental in supporting preparation of the first and second checklist editions.
Currently, we are planning the cover design. Would you like to submit a photo for consideration for the front or back cover of the third edition of the checklist? For the front cover, we are thinking about a landscape photo with plenty of sky so the title is easily readable. A plant closeup, especially of bryophytes, would be an interesting option for the back cover. If your photo is selected, we will credit you in the checklist.
To submit a photo for consideration, email or Dropbox your full-size image (preferably 300 dpi) to Barbara Leitner at info@ebcnps.org.
—Barbara Leitner, Executive Committee Co-Chair, CNPS East Bay Chapter
July 2025
