At least for plant identification, I encourage observers to learn jargon like this: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/glossary.html#terminal. If people learn to read keys or consult local knowledge-bases, then the identifying process is more dependable. CalPhotos can be a good resource too. In my opinion, referencing keys is the single best thing observers of plants can do. I would like it if observers made a note if a leaf feels sticky or if petals are hairy.
Information on plants found in Southern California:
Good keys include:
- Jepson eFlora taxon pages
- Flora of North America
- Cal-IPC guides —> especially for Genista monosperma (the note on the villous banner contradicts Jepson taxon page for G. monosperma, but the banner is hairy in photos by California Academy of Sciences and Jason Giessow)
- UC ANR resources
Plants that I think are not usually accurately identified (usually to the subspecies or variety level) or cannot be identified at the moment are: Eriodictyon crassifolium, Corethrogyne filaginifolia vars., Frangula, Deinandra fasciculata (there are hybrids with Centromadia or other Deinandra spp.), Rhamnus, Washingtonia robusta (can be Washingtonia x filibusta), naturalized brooms and Cytisus scoparius (USDA accepts subspecies of C. scoparius, but not Jepson eFlora), Genista Peritoma arborea (I do not see many identifications of Peritoma arborea var. globosa on iNat that are independent of my identfications), Raphanus, Mesembryanthemum (M. crystallinum was frequently misidentfied around Palo Alto and Fremont), Cakile (it feels like over 95% of observations of Cakile edentula are actually Cakile maritima), Bebbia juncea (no taxon page exists for Bebbia juncea in Jepson eFlora, there is only Bebbia juncea var. aspera), Ceanothus megacarpus, Ceanothus crassifolius var. crassifolius, Acmispon glaber, Eriophyllum confertiflorum, Baccharis pilularis (the more widespread plant is Baccharis pilularis subsp. consanguinea), Adenostoma fasciculatum (varieties exist), Isocoma menziesii var. menziesii, Isocoma menziesii var. vernonioides, Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora, Nemophila menziesii (the varieties are ok to identify), Encelia farinosa (the varieties are okay to add), Baccharis salicina (what distinguishes this from B. pilularis), Baccharis salicifolia (should maybe be Baccharis salicifolia spp. salicifolia), Baccharis glutinosa, Symphoricarpos albus (should be Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus). Also important are the revisions in Revision 7 of Jepson eFlora: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/supplement_summary.html#rev7
See the unabridged notes:
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41069
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=26041