http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3718948

You may be wondering why we would choose a non-native “weed” as the first iNat Observation of the Month of the San Diego County Plant Atlas Project. There are several reasons.

This observation is a good example of how to do an observation of a plant. One photo shows the entire plant next to the observer’s finger which provides scale. The photos are sharp enough to show details such as hairs on the leaves. Depending on a plant’s family, certain parts of the plant must be visible to determine the species. In this observation, you can see the flower straight on and also from the side, which is essential for identifying plants in the sunflower family. You can read more about “what to photograph” in a prior post below.

This observation also lets you see some of the process of how identifications are made. The observer was at first unsure of the plant’s ID; he received input from another iNaturalist who helped him figure out the species; and finally, Dr. Jon Rebman confirmed the ID.

The fact that this plant is a non-native plant does not detract from its value as an iNat observation. It is important to establish records of distribution of all plants, both native and non-native.