John Nelson is the curator of the A.C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the department of biological sciences. As a public service, the herbarium offers free plant identifications. Test your botanical expertise on the samples below. Click on the thumbnail image on the left to see a larger image of the plant, as well as some background on the plant in question.

	Mystery Plant hint: Don't let this one bloom indoors; it might be bad luck.
	Mystery Plant hint: A tasty treat for a galloping gourmet.
	Mystery Plant hint: Silk worms may have played ‘Here we go round... ’ on its tasty leaves.
	Mystery Plant hint: Rapunzel might have had these around.
	Mystery Plant hint: You can look – but you better not touch – this pretty, itch-inducing vine.
	Mystery Plant hint: No need to climb mountains to find this sweet-smelling May favorite.
	Mystery Plant hint: Sturdy coastal late sleeper follows its own path.
	Mystery Plant hint: This stately Southern column's pollen -- that's it to the left, under a microscope -- can make you yearn for an antihistamine.
	Mystery Plant hint: Strictly regional herb rings true in mountains of South Carolina and Georgia.
	Mystery Plant hint: Don't be frightened by its fire-breathing moniker.
	Mystery Plant hint: Hardy bloomer takes root in odd places – perhaps the lapel of a dinner jacket?
	Mystery Plant hint: Its deceiving leaves might have you singing ‘Oh, Canada.'
	Mystery Plant hint: This swamp tower might have been a favorite of our seventh president.
	Mystery Plant hint: This mint relative has a name two continents could love.
	Mystery Plant hint: This South American favorite has a surf-'n-turf name
	Mystery Plant hint: A bovine scratcher or a sneaky horn
	Mystery Plant hint: Crackerjack botanists will recognize this Rocky Mountain beauty
	Mystery Plant hint: Jaundiced amateurs typically misname this herb
	Mystery Plant hint: Caribbean cruisers might know a thanga two about this big-leafed treat
	Mystery Plant hint: Where there’s smoke, this resourceful annual is likely nearby
	Mystery Plant hint: Broad-leafed import a sun-sational addition to the yard
	Mystery Plant hint: Fall foliage doomsayers should chew on this beauty
	Mystery Plant hint: Robust herb a lady’s man among cold-weather bloomers
	Mystery Plant hint: This one’s easy, so it would be sin-ful not to get it right
	Mystery Plant hint: Take a slow boat – and a quick wit – to name this fragrant import
	Mystery Plant hint: This bean relative lit a fire under a jumping Jack
	Mystery Plant hint: It would be in poor taste to correctly name this field flower
	Mystery Plant hint: Beer lovers, jump for joy at what this German plant can do
	Mystery Plant hint: Barefoot marshgoers, don’t worry about stepping on its shards
	Mystery Plant hint: This native grass has swept across the Southeast
	Mystery Plant hint: It’s an elm relative, but it sounds more like a maple
	Mystery Plant hint: Its fruit looks white, but you may see red

For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196.