AN ILLUSTRATED KEY TO THE OF

Compiled and writen by Lorna Allen & Linda Kershaw

April 2019

© Linda J. Kershaw & Lorna Allen This key was compiled using informaton primarily from (1983), Douglas et. al. (1999a; 1999b) and the Flora Associaton (2009). follows VASCAN (Brouillet, 2015). The main references are listed at the end of the key. Please let us know if there are ways in which it can be improved. The 2015 S-ranks of rare (S1; S1S2; S2; S2S3; SU, according to ACIMS, 2015) are noted in superscript (S1;S2;SU) afer the species names. For more details go to the ACIMS web site. No exotc species in this are known to be naturalized in AB. ERICACEAE Heath Family Key to Genera 01a white, yellow, red or brown (not green), without ; small or absent 02 01b Plants green, with chlorophyll; leaves present, usually well-developed ...... 04 02a Flowering stalks pink to reddish or brownish, 20-80 cm tall, enlarged and bulb-like at the base, sticky with gland-tipped hairs; fowers numerous, in 10-30 cm long, elongating clusters (); fused in an urn- shaped corolla; anthers with 2 awns; capsules 2a nodding ...... andromedea 02b Flowering stalks white or yellowish to orange or reddish, 10-30 cm tall, neither sticky nor 3a with an enlarged base; fowers single or in small clusters; petals separate; anthers without awns; capsules erect ...... 03 03a Stems waxy-white (rarely pink), blackish when dried; fowers 14-17 mm long, solitary; similar to ; segments stout, persistent ...... unifora 03b Stems yellow, pink or reddish; fowers <14 mm long, few to many (rarely 1); sepals not similar to bracts; capsule segments thin, some shed 4a with age ...... monotropa ...... [] 04a Leaves generally <10 mm long, needle-like or scale-like; fruits capsules or feshy, black and -like (drupes); small ...... 05 04b Leaves generally >10 mm long, neither needle-like nor scale-like; not black and 5a feshy; herbs or shrubs, large or small ....08 05a Sepals 3; petals (0)3; 3; fruits black, berry-like drupes; leaves needle-like, attached in spirals or rings (whorls) nigrum 05b Sepals 4-5; petals 4-5; stamens ≥5; fruits dry capsules; leaves alternate or opposite, not spirally arranged ...... 06 6a 06a Leaves paired (opposite), pressed to the stem, 2-6 mm long, scale like, not rolled under on the edges; fowers single in axils; anthers awned, open at the tip by 2 pores. . 06b Leaves paired or alternate, blades >5 mm long, with down-rolled edges; fowers clustered 7a in leaf axils; anthers without awns, opening lengthwise or by pores at the tip ...... 07 07a Leaves alternate, needle-like, 6-15 mm long; fowers spreading or nodding on long, slender 7b stalks; stamens usually 10; anthers opening at the tip by 2 pores ...... 07b Leaves mostly paired, narrowly oval, 4-8 mm long; fowers erect on short stalks; 5; anthers splitting open lengthwise ...... procumbens S2 ...... [Loiseleuria procumbens]

3 08a Herbs or ; stems unbranched; 9a leaves basal (or appearing so) ...... 09 08b Shrubs or subshrubs; stems often branched; leaves alternate on the stem (rarely paired or whorled) ...... 11 09a solitary, nodding, waxy white ...... unifora 09b Flowers (1)2-29, variously colored ...... 10 10a Flowers turned to 1 side of stem, bell-shaped, radially symmetric, relatively inconspicuous; petals closed, 4-5 mm long, with 2 tiny, wart- like bumps at the base .... secunda 10b Flowers arranged around the stem, saucer- shaped, somewhat bilaterally symmetric, usually showy; petals spreading, (4)5-7(8) mm long, without bumps at the base ..... 10a 11a Petals separate or joined ≤1/4 their length; 10b fowers few to many (rarely solitary) in umbrella-shaped clusters at stem tips; leaves green through the winter ...... 12 11b Petals clearly fused, joined ≥1/3 their length; fowers at stem tips or in leaf axils; leaves wintergreen or shed in the fall...... 13 12a Leaves usually in whorls of 3-5, lance- 12a shaped, 2-7 cm long, hairless, with sharply 12b toothed edges, shiny above, paler and smooth beneath ...... umbellata 12b Leaves alternate, oblong to elliptic, 1-4(5) cm long, with smooth, usually down-rolled edges, dull above, resinous-scaly and/or hairy beneath . . (in part) [Ledum] 13a parts attached above the ovaries; fruits feshy ...... 13b Flower parts attached below the ovaries; fruits feshy or dry ...... 14 14a 14a Flowers solitary, on 0.5-3 mm stalks in leaf axils, often hidden by the leaves; fruits white or scarlet, berry-like capsules, each enclosed in a feshy calyx; leaves aromatic when crushed ...... 13a 14b Flowers in clusters (rarely solitary); fruits various, not as above; leaves not aromatic 15 15a Fruits berry-like drupes; stems creeping, sprawling or tufted; leaves broad and rounded at the tip, gradually tapered to a wedge-shaped base ...... 16 16a 15b Fruits capsules; stems erect or matted; leaves not as above, oval or elliptic to oblong or linear ...... 17 16a Leaves turn bright red and are shed in autumn, thin, conspicuously veined, fnely toothed; fruits juicy; branchlets hairless rubra ...... [ rubra] 16b Leaves , leathery, inconspicuously veined, smooth edged; fruits dry and mealy; 16b branchlets hairy ..Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

4 17a Leaves with a pale bluish-white coating (at least above), neither hairy nor scaly (sometimes with a few small hairs), rolled under along the edges ...... 18 18b 17b Leaves without a pale coating, hairy or scaly (sometimes densely so), with or without down- rolled edges ...... 19 18a Leaves paired (opposite), egg-shaped to 18a oval, veins on upper surface not sunken and obvious; fowers saucer-shaped, 6-12 mm wide; anthers blunt-tipped, held in small pockets in the petals and springing free at maturity ...... Kalmia (in part) 18b Leaves alternate, linear to narrowly elliptic with obvious, sunken veins on upper surface; fowers urn-shaped, 5-7 mm long; anthers tipped with 2 horns/bristles, free of the petals 19a ...... 19a Leaves covered in silvery, brownish, straw to rust-coloured scales; fowers hairless (outside), turned to one side in elongating clusters (racemes) with leafy bracts; anthers tipped with 2 hollow tubules ...... calyculata 19b Leaves green, without scales; fowers densely hairy to hairless, in small, umbrella-shaped clusters; anthers without tubules ...... 20 20a 20a Leaves edged with small teeth, thin, shed in autumn; fowers urn-shaped, 6-10 mm long, 20a with parts in 4s; bark shedding ...... Menziesia ferruginea 20b Leaves smooth edged, thick and evergreen or thin and shed; fowers cup-shaped, 1-2 cm ------across, with parts in 5s; bark not shredding ...... Rhododendron (in part)

CASSIOPE Mountain-heather 01a Leaf blades deeply grooved on the back ...... 01b Leaf blades not grooved but keeled on the 1a 1b back ...... ------

GAULTHERIA Wintergreen 01a Stems densely covered in fat-lying straight, stiff, reddish hairs; leaf blades 3-10 mm long; fowers in 4 parts; anthers with 2 awns that each divide into two branches; fruits white. . . 1b ...... 1a 01b Stems usually minutely hairy, sometimes hairless; leaf blades 10-25 mm; fowers in 5 parts, anthers without awns; fruits red......

5 1a KALMIA Laurel 01a Sprawling much-branched , lying ± fat on the ground; stamens 5; fruiting capsules with 2-3 cavities ..... ...... [Loiseleuria procumbens] 01b Spreading to erect shrub; stamens 10; capsules with 5- cavities ...... 02 02a Erect shrub usually 30-75(100) cm high; leaves with purple, club shaped hairs along the midrib on both surfaces; 1.5-2.2 mm 2a long ...... 02b Spreading to erect shrub 10-29(50) cm tall; leaf midribs hairless, without purple, club 2b shaped hairs; seeds 0.5-1.4 mm long...... ------

PHYLLODOCE Mountainheath 01a Corolla rose-colored to scarlet, bell-shaped; sepals egg-shaped in outline, blunt, without glands ...... 01b Corolla yellowish, urn-shaped, constricted at the throat; sepals lance-shaped, sharply pointed, glandular-hairy ...... Phyllodoce glandulifora 1a 1b ------PYROLA Wintergreen 01a Styles straight, (0.5)0.8-1.5(1.8) mm long, neither thickened near the tip nor protruding conspicuously from the fower; anthers 0.8-1.4 mm, without small tubes ...... 01b Styles bent downward from the base, 4-10 mm long, thickened to a collar at the tip, protruding 1a conspicuously from the fower; anthers (1.6)2.2-5.5 mm, tipped with small tubes . .02 02a Flower bracts ≥ the adjacent fower stalk in 3a length (sometimes shorter in P. asarifolia); calyx lobes longer than wide...... 03 02b Flower bracts < the adjacent fower stalk in length; calyx lobes ± as long as wide .....04 03a Anthers yellow to pink, 1.6-3 mm long, rounded at the lower tip or with a point <0.1 mm long; flaments 0.2-0.3 mm wide at the base; petals white or greenish-white, often tinged pink ...... Pyrola grandifora 03b Anthers pink to purplish red, (1.7)2-3.5(3.9) 3b mm long, with a point at the lower tip 0.1- 0.5(0.7) mm long; flaments 0.5-1.1 mm wide at the base; petals pink or purplish (rarely white) ...... ...... [includes Pyrola bracteata]

6 04a Leaf blades usually with mottled-white veins above and elliptic to egg-shaped, sometimes spatula- to lance-shaped and not mottled, rarely absent ...... S1 5a 04b Leaves green above (not white-veined), broadly elliptic or egg-shaped to circular . .05 05a Leaf blades oval to circular, ≈2-3 cm long, mostly shorter than their stalks, rarely absent; anther tubules 0.7-1.1 mm long, separate ... 5b ...... 05b Leaf blades elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped, (2)3-8 cm long, longer than their stalks; anther tubules 0.3-0.6 mm long, touching or fused for 4a most of their length ......

------RHODODENDRON Rhododendron; Labrador-tea 01a Leaves thin, shed in autumn, edged with tiny teeth; fowers white, (9)10-20(22) mm wide, in clusters of 1-3 along branches in axils of last year’s leaves ....Rhododendron albiforum 1a 01b Leaves leathery, persisting through winter, smooth-edged; fowers white to cream and 2-8 mm wide or rose to purple and 8-14 mm wide, in clusters at branch tips ...... 02 02a Flowers rose to purple (white), (6.5)8-14(15) mm wide; petals fused ≥3/4 of their length; capsules splitting open from tip to base; leaf scales broad-rimmed ...... S2 02b Flowers white to cream, 2-8 mm wide; petals 2a separate (slightly fused at the base); capsules splitting open from base to tip; leaf scales not broad-rimmed . [previously Ledum spp.] 03 03a Leaves with stalks ≈1 cm long, elliptic to oval, fat or only slightly down-rolled at the edges, pale and with small shining resin granules beneath . . Rhododendron neoglandulosum ...... [Ledum glandulosum; ...... ] 3a 03b Leaves short-stalked or stalkless, linear to oblong, strongly down-rolled along the edges, densely covered in matted rust-colored hairs beneath ...... 04 04a Stamens (8)10(11); leaves ± linear, usually with veins on the upper leaf surface deeply impressed and the midvein on lower leaf surface visible; capsule stalks sharply 4a recurved .... ...... [Ledum palustre] 04b Stamens 5-7(10); leaves narrowly egg- shaped/oval to linear, usually with veins on the upper surface fat (not impressed) and the midvein on the lower surface covered by hairs; 4b capsule stalks broadly recurved ...... Rhododendron groenlandicum ...... [Ledum groenlandicum]

7 VACCINIUM , , 01a Stems thread-like, creeping; fowers like tiny shooting-stars, with 4 slender petals (joined at the base) bent sharply backwards ...... 02 01b Stems erect, or if creeping, not thread-like; fowers cup- or urn-shaped, with 4-5 petals fused for >1/2 their length ...... 03 02a Leaves 2-4 mm long, elliptic-egg-shaped, with 2a pointed tips and strongly down-rolled edges; 5-10 mm wide; fruit/fower stalks usually hairless ...... [ var microcarpum; Oxycoccus microcarpus] 02b Leaves (4)6-11 x 2-4(6) x 1.5-2 mm, narrowly 2b egg-shaped to lance-shaped, with blunt or pointed tips and slightly down-rolled edges; fruits 8-14 mm wide; fruit/fower stalks short- hairy ...... Vaccinium oxycoccos [Vaccinium oxycoccos var microphyllum; Oxycoccus quadripetalus] 03a Leaves evergreen, thick, with down-rolled 3a edges, shiny above, pale and dotted with dark hairs beneath, 3-10 mm long; stems mostly creeping ...... Vaccinium vitis-idaea 03b Leaves shed each fall, thin, with fat (not down-rolled) edges, mostly dull above, green beneath (rarely with a thin, waxy coating) and >1 cm long; stems mostly upright ...... 04 04a Branchlets hairy; leaves very hairy, especially beneath; fower clusters dense, at branch tips; anthers without horns/awns ...... 04b Branchlets and leaves hairless or sparsely hairy; fowers 1-few in leaf axils along branches; anthers tipped with 2 long horns (awns) ...... 05 05a Branches rounded or indistinctly angled, reddish or brownish; berries blue with a waxy coating (rarely white) ...... 06 4a 05b Branches strongly angled, green or yellow; berries red, black, blue or purplish ...... 08 06a Leaves smooth-edged; fowers 1-4 in leaf axils, 4-lobed, with 8 stamens; young twigs pale green, not angled ...... 06b Leaves edged with small sharp teeth; fowers single in leaf axils, 5-lobed, with 10 stamens; twigs somewhat angled to rounded in cross section, yellow-green or reddish green (rarely brown) ...... 07

6a

8 07a Mat-forming shrubs 5-25 cm tall;; leaves 1-3 cm long, toothed on the upper 1/2, gradually tapered to a wedge-shaped base from a broad, rounded tip; berries light blue (rarely white), ≈6 mm wide ...... ...... [Vaccinium caespitosum] 07b Erect to spreading shrubs 50-100 cm tall; leaves 2-5 cm long, abruptly narrowed to a stalk at the base, pointed at the tip; berries 8-10 mm wide, black or purplish ...... 7a . . . . . (in part) 08a Shrubs 10-30 cm tall, from creeping rootstocks; leaves 0.6-2 cm long, toothed; fower nodding, 3-5 mm long ...... 09 08b Shrubs (20)40-100 cm tall, without creeping rootstocks; leaves 2-4(5) cm long, toothed or smooth-edged; fowers 5-7(9) mm long ...10 09a Fruit bright red, 3-5 mm wide; branches slender, erect and numerous (broomy); twigs strongly angled, greenish or yellow-green, 7b hairless; leaves shiny above, conspicuously veined beneath, 7-11(12) x 4-6 mm, pointed to sharp-pointed at the tip ...... 9a ...... 09b Fruit blue or black, 5-8 mm wide; branches not broomy; twigs 3-angled, green, usually minutely hairy (especially in grooves); leaves dull above, strongly veined with prominent mid-rib below, (10)15-25(30) x (5)6-9(11) mm, broadly pointed or blunt at the tip ...... 10a Leaves smooth-edged or nearly so, blunt- tipped, pale on both sides, hairless and with a bluish-white coating beneath; fruits blue, with 9b a whitish coating; fower stalks 1-8 mm long . 10b ...... S2 10b Leaves edged with small sharp teeth, tipped with a sharp point, green on both sides, sparsely glandular beneath; fruits black, without a whitish coating; fower stalks 5-10(12) mm long ...... Vaccinium membranaceum (in part)

10a

9 References

Alberta Conservaton Informaton Management System (ACIMS). 2015. List of all Vascular Taxa Confrmed for Alberta as recorded in the ACIMS database - October 15 2015. ACIMS, Government of Albert, Edmonton, Alberta.

Briton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated fora of the northern and Canada. reprinted by Dover Publicatons in 1970 editon. Dover Publicatons, Inc., New York, New York.

Brouillet, L., F. Coursol, S.J. Meades, M. Favreau, M. Anions, P. Bélisle & P. Desmet. 2015. VASCAN, the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada. htp://data. canadensys.net/vascan/

Douglas, G. W., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar. 1999a. Illustrated fora of Britsh Columbia. Volume 3. Dicotyledons (Diapensiaceae through Onagraceae). Britsh Columbia Ministry of , Victoria, BC.

Douglas, George W., Del Meidinger, Jim Pojar. 1999b. Illustrated fora of Britsh Columbia. Volume 4. Dicotyledons (Orobanchaceae through Rubiaceae). Britsh Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC.

Flora of North America Editorial Commitee, editor. 2009. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson. 1955-69. Vascular plants of the Pacifc Northwest. Volume 5. University of Press, Seatle, Washington.

Moss, E. H. 1983. Flora of Alberta.2nd editon. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.

Porsild, A. E. and W. J. Cody. 1980. Vascular plants of the contnental Northwest Territories. Natonal Museum of Natural Sciences. 667 pp.

Vander Kloet, S. P. 1988. The Vaccinium in North America. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Otawa, ON.

10 List of Species and Illustration Sources Scientfc Name Illus. Source Scientfc Name Illus. Source Andromeda polifolia H&C Vaccinium oxycoccos H&C Arctostaphylos uva-ursi H&C Vaccinium scoparium H&C Arctous rubra LK Vaccinium uliginosum H&C Cassiope mertensiana H&C Vaccinium vits-idaea JM Cassiope tetragona H&C Key to Illustration Sources Chamaedaphne calyculata JM H&C B&B = Britton, N. L. and A. Brown (1913) JM H&C = Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Gaultheria hispidula H&C Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson (1955-69) Gaultheria humifusa H&C Hypopitys monotropa JM LK = Linda Kershaw. Kalmia microphylla B&B; H&C JM = John Maywood. Kalmia polifolia H&C Kalmia procumbens H&C; JM BC = Douglas et. al. (1999a; 1999b); illustrations provided courtesy of the Menziesia ferruginea H&C Province of . Moneses unifora H&C Monotropa unifora JM Orthilia secunda H&C; LK Phyllodoce empetriformis H&C Phyllodoce glandulifora H&C Pterospora andromedea H&C; JM Pyrola asarifolia H&C Pyrola chlorantha H&C Pyrola elliptca H&C Pyrola grandifora LK Pyrola minor H&C Pyrola picta H&C Rhododendron albiforum H&C Rhododendron groenlandicum H&C; JM Rhododendron lapponicum JM Rhododendron neoglandulosum H&C Rhododendron tomentosum B&B Vaccinium caespitosum H&C Vaccinium membranaceum H&C Vaccinium myrtlloides JM Vaccinium myrtllus H&C Vaccinium ovalifolium H&C

11 Index microcarpum Andromeda quadripetalus. See Vaccinium polifolia 5 oxycoccos Arctostaphylos Phyllodoce 3, 6 rubra. See Arctous rubra empetriformis 6 uva-ursi 4 glandulifora 6 Arctous Pterospora rubra 4 andromedea 3 Cassiope 3, 5 Pyrola 4, 6 mertensiana 5 asarifolia 6 tetragona 5 bracteata. See Pyrola asarifolia Chamaedaphne chlorantha 7 calyculata 5 elliptica 7 Chimaphila grandifora 6 umbellata 4 minor 6 Empetrum picta 7 nigrum 3 Rhododendron 4, 5, 7 Ericaceae 3 albiforum 7 Gaultheria 4, 5 columbianum. See Rhododendron hispidula 5 neoglandulosum humifusa 5 groenlandicum 7 Hypopitys lapponicum 7 monotropa 3 neoglandulosum 7 Kalmia 5, 6 tomentosum 7 microphylla 6 Vaccinium 4, 8 polifolia 6 caespitosum. See Vaccinium cespitosum procumbens 3, 6 cespitosum 9 Ledum. See Rhododendron membranaceum 9 glandulosum. See Rhododendron microcarpum 8 neoglandulosum myrtilloides 8 groenlandicum. See Rhododendron myrtillus 9 neoglandulosum ovalifolium 9 palustre. See Rhododendron oxycoccos 8 tomentosum var. microcarpum. See Vaccinium Loiseleuria microcarpum procumbens. See Kalmia procumbens var. microphyllum. See Vaccinium Menziesia oxycoccos ferruginea 5 scoparium 9 Moneses uliginosum 8 unifora 4 vitis-idaea 8 Monotropa hypopitys. See Hypopitys monotropa unifora 3 Orthilia secunda 4 Oxycoccus microcarpus. See Vaccinium 12