Montana Grasses 4+

Montana State University

High Country Apps, LLC

Designed for iPad

    • 4.6 • 5 Ratings
    • $4.99

Screenshots

Description

Montana State University's College of Agriculture presents a grass identification guide for Montana with over 280 species.

The College of Agriculture at Montana State University and High Country Apps have partnered to produce the new Montana Grasses identification app for smart phones and tablets. The app provides images, species descriptions, range maps, and other information for more than 282 grasses and grass-like plants (graminoids) inhabiting the agricultural landscapes in Montana and adjacent states and provinces. Designed for beginners and experts alike, Montana Grasses will appeal to anyone who wants to identify grasses and learn more about them. The app does not need an Internet connection to run, so you can use it no matter where your wanderings take you.

Users can browse the species list or search for specific plants by common or scientific name. In addition, the app’s identification feature provides 13 sets of characteristics to help define your search, including: overall appearance, seed head, blade width, auricle, habitat, elevation, and origin (native or introduced). Select the characteristics you know -- a click of a button returns a list of thumbnail images and species that match your search.

Montana Grasses includes a “favorites” feature that allows users to select a custom list of species for future reference and sharing via email and social networks. Lastly, detailed information on grass identification basics, sources and resources, as well as a glossary of botanical terms and diagrams of grass anatomy are provided.

The app will be updated on a regular basis to add new species and other content, and available to all users at no additional charge. A portion of revenues from the app will be dedicated by High Country Apps to support plant conservation in Montana.

The app is a joint development of the College of Agriculture at Montana State University and High Country Apps of Bozeman, MT. Montana State University, the State's land-grant institution, educates students, creates knowledge and art, and serves communities by integrating learning, discovery, and engagement. Expertise on the grass family was provided during the development of this app by faculty and staff in the Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department and the Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department, which are two of the primary Departments dedicated to research on plants, including crop development, native plant diversity, and invasive plant ecology and management.

What’s New

Version 13.04

Added 22 new plants for a total of 282 plants.
Update images and captions for a total of 1515 images and range maps.
Updated USDA links.
Updated for iOS 17.

Ratings and Reviews

4.6 out of 5
5 Ratings

5 Ratings

TDJ4 ,

Can't say enough good things about this app

I'm a professional botanist / plant ecologist in Wyoming and have used a couple of the other high country apps like wildflowers of Yellowstone etc. I love the interface, the different ways to sort plants and the plant maps and descriptions. I was so happy to see the addition of a grasses app to the series. I think that the level of detail is just right for determining how to identify the most common grasses and I love that the distinguishing characteristics are stated up front. I love the addition of the 'favorites' option to find frequently referred to grasses and the photos are helpful. I've used this app extensively to teach our wildlife crew the difference between western wheatgrass and slender wheatgrass, something that is not easy to do but was made easier by the helpful photos in this app

Bulcio ,

A lot of potential.

Nice pictures, but not all of them could be magnified.
The favorite button does not work.

I have a small ranch 180 ac. [cattle and horses] and need to eradicate undesired grasses from hay.

I need some info about germination temperatures for weed grasses i.e. Foxtails.

I do not want to use chemicals but, appropriate cover crops that effectively compete with them and grazing.

This application could be much better if it had more practical information for organic farmers, to be attractive.

So much potential in it.

Developer Response ,

Thanks for your comments. We plan to update this app next Fall. I will pass your comments on to our partners at MSU. I'm wondering which version of iOS you're using -- we do not see this favorite button problem, but could replicate it if we knew the version you have. As for the images, we keep their files sizes fairly small so that we can supply a large number of images and species into one downloadable package that works offline.

Morchella elata ,

Fix the synonyms

I need to be able to sort grass choices with few characteristics to go by, and this app is good for that. I am, however, disappointed with High Country Apps choice to perpetuate outdated names. For example, Oryzopsis hasnt been used for over a decade, and both plants.gov and Bonap use achnatherum, and both are cited within this app, so why is the old name listed first and the accepted name called a synonym?

Developer Response ,

Genus Oryzopsis is included in the app to include the species Oryzopsis aspiflora, which is still the accepted name, even in 2020. The only other use of Oryzopsis is within synonyms. Content for this app is provided by Montana State University Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department and the Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department.

App Privacy

The developer, High Country Apps, LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Supports

  • Family Sharing

    Up to six family members can use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

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