On 3 Aug 2004 06:47:44 -0700, swim learning wrote:

I am not a native of North America or Europe.

I know how that feels - when I lived abroad for a while, I didn't feel
like I _really_ knew what a plant was unless I learned its name in English
(or Latin).

It seems this newsgroup is for serious academics rather than novices
and dabblers like me.

Nah, it's a public group - if it were private, they probably wouldn't
allow a certain person to post. Some people have fun encouraging him to
show off his unbelievable sense of 'humor'. But I've come to question
whether that may perhaps be rather unkind, in a way.

Can you suggest another group where I can post
such questions?

There are several gardening groups, but no other botany groups that I know
of on Usenet. You might try searching Yahoo groups or searching for
gardening websites that have a forum.

It is not obvious to me that I should smell a plant to identify it,
let alone pull out and check the roots. Nevertheless, I think it is a

But if it turns out to be a 'rare' or 'endangered' plant, it may be
illegal to pull it up in the US.

good idea, and I may do this in the future. However, suppose the plant
is something like poison ivy?

If it is the very first time you've been in contact with poison ivy, it
_might_ not affect you, as the reaction involves the immune system. But if
you don't know what it looks like, you may have already had some contact
with it, so it wouldn't be the very first time.

Can you recommend one or two basic books for identifying such plants?

If you go to a Barnes & Noble or similar bookstore in your area, they
should have a "local interest" section (or something similar). If not, try
the science section. Page through the wildflower field guides to see which
one looks likely to suit you best. For example, some are organized by type
of plant, others by flower color. Nearby state parks or nature preserves
may also have information and/or bookshops.

cheers,

Marj
--
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