How to identify flowering plants Stigma · How to identify flowering plants Bob Allen, California Native Plant Society, OC chapter, occnps.org ... Brassicaceae - Mustard Family
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How to identify flowering plantsBob Allen, California Native Plant Society, OC chapter, occnps.org
Legend: * = non-native; (*) = some native species, some non-native species; ☠ = poisonous
Eudicots• Leaf venation branched; veins net-like• Leaf bases not sheathed (sheathed only in Apiaceae)• Cotyledons 2 per seed• Floral parts in four’s or five’s• Pollen apertures 3 or more per pollen grain• Central taproot persists
Apiaceae - Carrot & Parsley Family• Herbaceous annuals & perennials, geophytes, woody perennials, & creepers• Stout taproot in most• Leaf bases sheathed• Leaves alternate (rarely opposite), dissected to compound• Flowers in umbels, often then in a secondary umbel• Sepals, petals, stamens 5• Ovary inferior, with 2 chambers; styles 2; fruit a dry schizocarp• CA: Apiastrum, Yabea, Apium*, Berula, Bowlesia, Cicuta, Conium*☠ , Daucus(*),
Asteraceae - Sunflower Family• Inflorescence a head: flowers subtended by an involucre of bracts (phyllaries)• Calyx modified into a pappus• Corolla of 5 fused petals, radial or bilateral, sometimes both kinds in same head• Radial (disk) corollas rotate to salverform• Bilateral (ligulate) corollas strap-shaped• Stamens 5, filaments fused to corolla, anthers fused into a tube surrounding the style• Ovary inferior, style 1, with 2 style branches• Fruit a cypsela (but sometimes called an achene)• The largest family of flowering plants in CA (ca. 200 genera; ca. 750 spp.), second largest
family in the world (Orchidaceae is #1). The key to species in The Jepson Manual (Baldwin et al, 2012) divides the family into informal groups, perhaps the easiest method for technical identification. Allen (see Allen & Roberts, 2013) present them in 3 groups for ease in field identification.
Boraginaceae - Borage Family• Annual herbs, some perennial trees, shrubs; often with stiff or sharp hairs• Leaves simple, alternate (opposite, whorled), entire to pinnate• Inflorescence often a coiled spike (“scorpioid cyme”), uncoiling in fruit• Sepals, petals, 5, fused• Corolla rotate; shaped like a cup or a bell, or tubular• Stamens 5, fused to corolla• Ovary superior
True Borages “BHP, 123”• Often with stiff or sharp hairs• Leaves simple (not divided)• Inflorescence a scorpioid cyme• Ovary deeply 4-lobed• Style 1, gynobasic (attached to bottom of ovary), thus the style base is hidden within the ovary lobes• Stigma 1• Fruit of 4 nutlets• Many endemics in CA, several in deserts• CA: Amsinckia, Cryptantha, Harpagonella, Pectocarya, Plagiobothrys• Cult: Borago, Echium, Mertensia, Myosotis
Waterleafs (formerly in the family Hydrophyllaceae) “BHP, 123”• Often bristly, glandular, or rough to the touch (“scabrid”)• Leaves entire to pinnately lobed• Ovary entire or shallow-lobed, style base visible• Styles 2 or style branches 2• Fruit a capsule full of many seeds• Many spp. (especially in Phacelia) endemic to CA• CA: Draperia, Emmenanthe, Eriodictyon [Turricula], Eucrypta, Hesperochiron, Hydrophyllum, Nama, Nemophila,
Lennoas (formerly in the family Lennoaceae)• Upright parasites• Leaves simple (undivided)• Ovary entire or shallow-lobed, style base visible• Style 1, not forked• Fruit a capsule full of many seeds• CA: Pholisma
Brassicaceae - Mustard Family• Mostly herbs; acrid taste, mustard odor• Leaves simple or lobed; alternate; no stipules• Flowers cruciform (like a plus-sign or Maltese cross)• Sepals & petals 4; petal base is a narrow “claw”, distal end is a wide blade• Stamens 6 (rarely only 2 or 4), often 4 long plus 2 short (“4 + 2”)• Ovary superior, with 2 chambers separated by a false septum to which seeds
are attached; parietal placentation• Fruit a silique or silicle (dry, dehiscent)• CA: Arabis, Boechera, Brassica*, Cardamine, Caulanthus, Erysimum,
Fabaceae - Pea Family• Herbs, shrubs, trees• Leaves alternate, compound, stipules present• Flowers of 3 types (see subfamilies below)• Sepals 5, gen fused into a tube; petals 5, ±free• Stamens 10-many• Ovary 1, with 1 chamber; pistil 1, gen with a small clubbed stigma• Fruit a legume, of 2 halves, ovules/seeds attached to alternating sides within
Lamiaceae - Mint Family• Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs (trees), minty odor• Stems square in cross-section• Leaves simple, opposite (whorled); no stipules• Flowers bilateral, gen 2-lipped, often clustered in verticillate whorls• Sepals and petals 5, fused• Stamens (2) 4, often of 2 lengths: 2 short, 2 long (“didynamous”), or 2 fertile, 2 sterile
(“staminodes”); filaments fused to corolla tube• Ovary superior, deeply 4-lobed; style located in depression between lobes (“gynobasic”),
divided at tip• Fruit of 4 1-seeded nutlets (drupe, berry)• Nectary gen a disk or pad of tissue at ovary base• Shrubby species common in chaparral & coastal sage scrub of CA• Some genera (Monardella, Pogogyne, Salvia) include many endemics• CA: Acanthomintha, Agastache, Cedronella, Clinopodium, Galeopsis, Glechoma*, Hedeoma, Hyptis, Lamiastrum,
• Cult: Lavandula, Mentha, Ocimum, Rosmarinus, Salvia, Thymus, etc.
Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family• Herbs (shrubs, trees)• Flowers with hypanthium• Sepals & petals 4; sepals usually reflexed• Stamens 4 or 8• Ovary inferior, with 4 chambers• CA: Sun Cups Clade: Camissonia, Camissoniopsis, Eulobus, Tetrapteron; Clarkia; Epilobium; Gayophytum; Ludwigia;
Oenothera• Cult: Camissionia, Clarkia, Oenothera
Orobanchaceae - Broomrape Family• Herbs, all are parasitic, partial (hemiparasites) or complete (holoparasites)• Leaves reduced to small scales in the complete parasites, larger and often pinnate in the partial parasites• Sepals & petals 5• Corolla at least partially fused into a tube; 2-lipped; 5 free lobes with 2 facing up, 3 down• Stamens 4, in 2 groups; some with a 5th sterile stamen (staminode)• In the paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.), colorful bracts surround the flowers• Seeds small, dispersed by wind & water• CA: Castilleja, Chloropyron, Cordylanthus, Pedicularis, Orobanche(*)
Phrymaceae - Lopseed & Monkeyflower Family• Annuals, perennials, & shrubs, many covered with sticky-tipped hairs• Leaves opposite, undivided• Flowers usually 2 per node• Calyx green, tubular, ribbed, with 5 free sharp-tipped lobes• Corolla tubular, often 2-lipped: 2 lobes up, 3 down• Stamens 4, in 2 pairs, all with fertile anthers• Ovary superior, a single style topped with 2 oval-shaped stigma lobes that close when touched• Fruit a capsule full of numerous tiny seeds• CA: Diplacus, Erythranthe, Mimetanthe, Mimulus
Plantaginaceae - Plantains & Snapdragons• Annual herbs to shrubs• Leaves alternate & spiral, opposite or whorled in some; undivided with smooth edges or small teeth• Flowers variable (see below)• Sepals fused at least near their bases• Ovary superior
Snapdragon-type• Leaves basal or basal & along stem, veins clearly branched• Sepals with 5 free lobes• Corolla tubular & 2-lipped; petals colorful, 5• Stamens 2-4, some genera with a sterile fifth; filaments partially fused to the corolla• Nectary near ovary, insect & hummingbird pollinated• Ovary superior; style single, short or long, stigma conspicuous or not• Fruit a capsule, develops 2-3 holes or slits near tip and seeds spill, or entire tip bursts open• CA: Antirrhinum, Bacopa(*), Collinsia, Gambelia, Holmgrenanthe, Keckiella, Kickxia*, Lindernia, Maurandella,
Plantain-type• Leaves generally basal, veins ±parallel; plants often mistaken for monocots (look for strong taproot)• Sepals with 4 free lobes• Corolla bowl-shaped, very small; petals ±colorless, 5, upper 2 fused, thus appears 4-petaled• Stamens (2-)4; filaments partially fused to the corolla• No nectary, wind-pollinated• Ovary superior, style single, long, stigma long & hairy• Fruit a circumscissle capsule (cap pops off)• CA: Plantago(*)
Polemoniaceae - Phlox Family “BHP, 123”• Herbs, few shrubs• Sepals and petals 5, fused• Stamens 5, fused to corolla• Ovary superior, 3 chambers; style 3-branched, branches slender• CA: Eriastrum, Gilia, Leptosiphon, Linanthus, Navarretia; many CA endemics
Polygonaceae - Buckwheat Family• Herbs, shrubs, vines• Alternate, simple leaves with stipules (rarely 0)• Flowers often subtended by an involucre• Perianth parts 2-6, often petaloid• Stamens in multiples of 3: 3, 6, or 9• Ovary superior; 1 ovule; style (1-)3-branched• CA: Eriogonum, the 2nd largest genus in CA (113 spp.), with many endemics; Chorizanthe, Persicaria• Cult: Eriogonum, Fagopyrum
Monocots• Leaf venation parallel, penni-parallel, or palmate-parallel• Cotyledons 1 per seed, usually remains below ground• Floral parts generally in multiples of 3• Pollen aperture 1 per pollen grain• Fibrous roots (original taproot usually does not persist)
Liliaceae - Lily Family• Non-woody perennials from bulbs, bulb-like rhizomes, or corms• Conspicuous flowers, solitary or in racemes or panicles• Individual flowers usually with 1-2 bracts• Tepals 6: sepals 3, often petal-like; petals 3; stamens 6• Ovary superior, styles or style branches 3• Seeds flat, pale-colored• Nectaries on the base of the petals• CA: Calochortus, Erythronium, Fritillaria, Lillium• Cult: (same)• Some of the genera included within Liliaceae are sometimes split among other families, especially by Europeans
Themidaceae - Brodiaea Family• Herbs with corms• No “onion odor”• Flowers in umbels• Sepals 3, petal-like; petals 3; stamens 6• Ovary superior, styles or style branches 3• CA: Androstephium, Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, Muilla, Triteleia• Cult: Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, Triteleia
Important ReferencesSources for Natural History Books & Related ItemsAcorn Naturalists, Tustin, CA. (714) 838-4888, acornnaturalists.comAudubon House, Sea & Sage Chapter of the Nat Audubon Society, Irvine, CA. (949) 261-7963, seaandsageaudubon.orgBioQuip Products, Inc., 2321 Gladwick Street, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220. (310) 667-8800, bioquip.comOptics4Birding, 19 Hammond, Suite 506, Irvine, CA 92618. (877) 674-2473, optics4birding.com
General Natural History & HikingAlden, P., & F. Heath. 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to California. Alfred A. Knopf, NY.Bryant, P.J. Natural History of Orange County, California, and nearby places. nathistoc.bio.uci.eduKlein, K. 2016. 50 Hikes in Orange County, 2nd edition. The Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT.Schad, J., & D.M. Harris. 2015. Afoot & Afield in Orange County, 4th edition. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA. Schoenherr, A.A. 1992. A Natural History of California. CA Natural History Guides: 56. Univ of CA Press, Berkeley, CA.
PlantsAllen, R.L. & F.M. Roberts, Jr. 2013. Wildflowers of Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains. Laguna Wilderness
Press, Laguna Beach, CA. Baldwin, B.G., D.H. Goldman, D.J. Keil, R. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken, editors. 2012. The Jepson Manual:
Higher Plants of California, 2nd edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.Jepson eFlora (online version of The Jepson Manual). ucjeps.berkeley.edu/efloraCalflora. (photos of plants) calflora.orgRundel, P.W. & R. Gustafson. 2005. Introduction to the Plant Life of Southern California. California Natural History Guides:
85. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Roberts, F.M., Jr. 2008. The Vascular Plants of Orange County, California, an Annotated Checklist. F.M. Roberts
Publications, San Luis Rey, CA.Stuart, J.D. and J.O. Sawyer. 2001. Trees and Shrubs of California. California Natural History Guides: 62. UC Press,