Wildflower identification “…The naturalist’s journey has only begun and for all intents and purposes will go on forever…it is possible to spend a lifetime in a magellanic voyage around the trunk of a tree.”

- E.O. Wilson, scientist Robinia pseudoacacia Ailanthus altissima Learning plants….

Monocot or dicot MONOCOTS DICOTS

!

Flower parts in 3’s Flower parts in 4’s, 5’s Parallel leaf venation Netted leaf venation Monocots

Orchidaceae

Cypripedium parviflorum yellow lady slipper ORCHIDACEAE Monocots

Liliaceae

Uvularia sessifolia bellwort LILIACEAE Monocots

Poaceae (grasses) Cyperaceae (sedges) Juncaceae (rushes)

Andropogon virginicus broomsedge POACEAE ! Dicots Lamiaceae (mints)

Lamium purpureum purple dead nettle LAMIACEAE Dicots ! Asteraceae (asters)

Echinacea purpureum cone-flower ASTERACEAE Dicots ! Brassicaceae (mustards)

Dentaria Cardamine concatenata cutleaf toothwort BRASSICACEAE (4 petals, silique) ! Dicots Apiaceae (parsley) Rosaceae (rose) Fabaceae (pea) Ranunculaceae (buttercup) Scrophulariaceae (figwort)

Daucus carota Queen Anne’s Lace APIACEAE Flower symmetry

! Irregular, bilateral regular, radial Flower parts

How many petals?

What color are the petals? Leaf arrangement

basal alternate opposite whorled

Leaf shape

SIMPLE

toothed lobed cordate palmate

COMPOUND Flower

STAMEN (male) anther filament superior

PISTIL (female) stigma style ovary inferior

Flower

Sepals = Calyx Petals = Corolla Other good observations

Is the stem smooth? fuzzy? sticky? square?

blade and petiole

petiole no petiole (sessile) with stipules Habitat

Time of the season

Other plant associations

Growth habit

Insects The Flora of Virginia Project Includes 3164 native and naturalized plants Dichotomous keys Descriptions

Flora Virginica, 250 years ago by John Clayton

Includes botany of va Physiographic provinces 50 hot spots to botanize

Lamium amplexicaule Lamium purpureum Henbit purple dead nettle LAMIACEAE Cardamine hirsuta bitter cress BRASSICACEAE (petals in 4’s, fruit silique) Ranunculus ficaria lesser celandine RANUNCULACEAE (numerous stamens) Veronica persica bird’s eye speedwell SCROPHULARIACEAE (petals fused) Houstonia caerulea Quaker ladies, bluets RUBIACEAE (flower in 4’s, petals fused) Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot PAPAVERACEAE (juice colored, fruit a capsule) Trillium grandiflorum trillium LILIACEAE Erythronium americanum Trout lily, dogtooth violet LILIACEAE Podophyllum peltatum May apple BERBERIDACEAE Stellaria pubera star chickweed CARYOPHYLLACEAE (5 petals divided, leaves opposite) Claytonia virginica spring beauty PORTULACEAE (leaves are grasslike) Thalictrum Anemonella thalictroides rue-anemone RANUNCULACEAE Dentaria Cardamine concatenata cutleaf toothwort BRASSICACEAE (4 petals, silique) Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman’s breeches FUMARIACEAE (delicate dissected leaves) Asarum canadense wild ginger ARISTOLOCHIACEAE (no true petals) Tipularia discolor cranefly orchis, crippled cranefly ORCHIDACEAE Mertensia virginica Virginia bluebells BORAGINACEAE Asimina triloba Paw paw ANNONACEAE Cercis canadensis red bud FABACEAE

Erythronium americanum Trout lily, dogtooth violet LILIACEAE Dentaria Cardamine concatenata Cutleaf toothwort BRASSICACEAE

Podophyllum peltatum May apple (=fairy umbrellas) BERBERIDACEAE

Claytonia virginica Dicentra cucullaria spring beauty Dutchman’s breeches PORTULACEAE FUMARIACEAE Prunus serotina Wild cherry ROSACEAE

Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip poplar MAGNOLIACEAE

Rubus fruticosus common blackberry ROSACEAE Asclepias syriaca common milkweed ASCLEPIDACEAE

Rubus fruticosus common blackberry ROSACEAE “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself”

- Henry Miller Key out our specimen FLOWER 1. Irregular 2. 2 parts 3. 3 parts 4. 4 parts 5. 5 parts 6. 6 parts 7. 7 or more parts 8. Flower parts indistinguishable

PLANT TYPE LEAF TYPE 1. No leaves 1. No leaves 2. Basal leaves 2. Entire 3. Alternate leaves 3. Toothed or lobed 4. Opposite or whorled 4. Divided 5. Shrubs 6. Vines

Key out our specimen FLOWER 1. Irregular 2. 2 parts 3. 3 parts 4. 4 parts 5. 5 parts 6. 6 parts 7. 7 or more parts 8. Flower parts indistinguishable

PLANT TYPE LEAF TYPE 1. No leaves 1. No leaves 2. Basal leaves 2. Entire 3. Alternate leaves 3. Toothed or lobed 4. Opposite or whorled 4. Divided 5. Shrubs 6. Vines

Key out our specimen FLOWER 1. Irregular 2. 2 parts 3. 3 parts 4. 4 parts 5. 5 parts 6. 6 parts 7. 7 or more parts 8. Flower parts indistinguishable

PLANT TYPE LEAF TYPE 1. No leaves 1. No leaves 2. Basal leaves 2. Entire 3. Alternate leaves 3. Toothed or lobed 4. Opposite or whorled 4. Divided 5. Shrubs 6. Vines

Key out our specimen FLOWER 1. Irregular 2. 2 parts 3. 3 parts 4. 4 parts 5. 5 parts 6. 6 parts 7. 7 or more parts 8. Flower parts indistinguishable

PLANT TYPE LEAF TYPE 1. No leaves 1. No leaves 2. Basal leaves 2. Entire 3. Alternate leaves 3. Toothed or lobed 4. Opposite or whorled 4. Divided 5. Shrubs 6. Vines

Key out our specimen FLOWER 1. Irregular 2. 2 parts 123 3. 3 parts 4. 4 parts 5. 5 parts 6. 6 parts 7. 7 or more parts 8. Flower parts indistinguishable

PLANT TYPE LEAF TYPE 1. No leaves 1. No leaves 2. Basal leaves 2. Entire 3. Alternate leaves 3. Toothed or lobed 4. Opposite or whorled 4. Divided 5. Shrubs 6. Vines

Key out our specimen

123 Leaves toothed or lobed (Violets)

White or yellow flowers Blue, violet, purple

Key out our specimen

123 Leaves toothed or lobed (Violets)

White or yellow flowers Blue, violet, purple page 30

Key out our specimen

123 Leaves toothed or lobed (Violets)

White or yellow flowers Blue, violet, purple page 30

Page 30

a. Flower stalks soft-hairy or downy b. Flower stalks smoothish?

Key out our specimen

123 Leaves toothed or lobed (Violets)

White or yellow flowers Blue, violet, purple page 30

Page 30

a. Flower stalks soft-hairy or downy b. Flower stalks smoothish?

Viola papilionacea (now V. sororia)

clavate hairs