Six Letter Codes

Throughout our databases and documents we use a 6-letter code for plant names in the United States. For our Canadian work, we use a 7-letter code. A 6-letter code uses the first three letters of the plant's genus name and the first three letters of the plant's species name. If, after viewing the data you have questions about the identity of a plant with a given 6-letter code, you can query the 6-Letter Code Database to determine the scientific name, common name, and lifeform group corresponding to the species' 6-letter code in question.

Click here to go to the plant list database

NOTE: All the lists contain synonyms. To determine the preferred synonym, look for those with an "X" in the Synonomy column. Then look in the Species Number column for the 4-digit number. Scan the list for the same number without a "X" in the Synonomy column. This will represent the accepted name for the particluar plant. Be aware that some plants may have many different synonyms but will only have one accepted name.