AN ILLUSTRATED KEY TO MISCELLANEOUS MONOCOT FAMILIES IN ALBERTA ACORACEAE ALISMATACEAE ARACEAE HYDROCHARITACEAE IRIDACEAE JUNCAGINACEAE TYPHACEAE/SPARGANIACEAE Compiled and writen by Linda Kershaw & Lorna Allen April 2019 © Linda J. Kershaw & Lorna Allen This key was compiled using informaton primarily from Moss (1983), Packer & Gould (2018), Douglas et. al. (2001) and the Flora of North America (2008-2010). Taxonomy follows VASCAN (Brouillet, 2015). Please let us know if there are ways in which the keys can be improved. The families are arranged alphabetcally. The 2017 S-ranks of rare species (S1; S1S2; S2; S2S3; SU, according to ACIMS, 2017) are noted in superscript (S1;S2;SU) afer the species names. For more details go to the ACIMS web site. If naturalized, exotc orchids are discovered in Alberta, their names would be followed by a superscript X, XX if noxious and XXX if prohibited noxious (X; XX; XXX) in the Alberta Weed Control Act. ALISMATACEAE Waterplantain Family Key to Genera 01a Emersed leaves egg-shaped to lance-shaped; submersed leaves ribbon-like or absent; stamens 6(9); fowers/fruits in a single ring (whorl) on a small, fat stem tip (receptacle) . ..............................Alisma 01a Emersed leaves arrowhead-shaped; submersed leaves without blades (usually) or arrowhead-shaped; stamens 7-25; fowers/ fruits spirally arranged on a large, convex receptacle ................... Sagittaria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ALISMA Waterplantain 01a Leaves oval-lance-shaped (emergent) or strap-like (submersed); fower clusters usually shorter than the leaves, often with branches bent back/down; style ≤ ovary length; anthers egg-shaped to rounded; stamens ± as long as the ovaries ...........Alisma gramineum 01b Leaves egg-shaped to oval (all emergent); fower clusters taller than the leaves, with branches angled upwards; style ≥ ovary 1a length; anthers football-shaped; stamens 2X as long as the ovaries ...... Alisma triviale .............[Alisma plantago-aquatica] 1b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - → SAGITTARIA Arrowhead 01a Achene beak (→) erect or incurved, 0.1-0.4 mm long; achenes egg-shaped, with a keel on the lower/outer side, 1.8-2.6 x 1.3-2.5 mm; leaves emersed, foating and submersed; emersed blades heart- to arrowhead-shaped (rarely narrower) with basal lobes shorter than the upper section, 2.5-17 x 1.5-11 cm ...... ....................Sagittaria cuneata → 01b Achene beak (→) horizontal, pointing inward, 1-2 mm long; achenes lance-shaped, without a keel on the lower/outer side, 2.5-3.5 x ≤2 mm; leaves all emersed; blades arrowhead-shaped (rarely narrower) with basal lobes equalling or 1a shorter than the upper section, 1.5-30 x 2-17 1b cm ...................Sagittaria latifolia 3 ARACEAE Arum Family [includes Lemnaceae] Key to Genera 01a Plants 10-20 cm tall with well-developed stems and leaves; leaves egg- to heart-shaped, 5-12 x 4-11 cm; fowers and fruits in a dense, 1-3 cm spike (spadix) above a white, 3-6(8) cm long, leaf-like bract (spathe) . Calla palustris 01b Plants tiny, 1-10 mm wide, fattened, ± disc- shaped or lobed, without stems and leaves; 1a rarely fowering ......................02 02a Plants without veins, 0.5-1.5 mm long, without roots ..........................Wolffa 02b Plants veined, ≥2 mm long, with ≥1 root(s) . .3 2a 03a Roots 7-21; plants ± circular, 3-8 mm wide, reddish beneath, 7- to 16-veined .......... ...................Spirodela polyrhiza 03b Roots single; plants 3-lobed or egg-shaped to ± circular, if rounded then 1-4 mm wide, green or reddish beneath, 1- to 5-veined ... Lemna 3a - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LEMNA Duckweed 01a Plants oblong to lance-shaped, 6-10(12) mm long, stalked, in zig-zag chains or ± 3-lobed clumps, mostly submersed, often in large colonies. Lemna trisulca 01b Plants egg-shaped to ± circular, 1-4 mm long, without stalks, foating singly or in small rosettes, often coating the water surface .... ....... Lemna turionifera [Lemna minor] 1a 1b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WOLFFIA Watermeal 01a Plants boat-shaped (oval to egg-shaped with 1a upcurved, pointed tips), 0.3-1X as deep as wide, 1.3-2X as long as wide ......Wolffa borealis 01b Plants ± spherical, blunt-tipped, 1-1.5X as deep as wide, 1-1.3X as long as wide; Dry 1b Mixedwood and Central Parkland in the Edmonton area ..... Wolffa columbiana S2 4 HYDROCHARITACEAE Frogbit Family [includes Najadaceae] Key to Genera 01a Leaves ± paired, mostly 2 or 4/joint, with expanded bases clasping the stem; sepals and petals absent ................. Najas 01b Leaves in rings of 3-8 (some 2/joint in Elodea bifoliata), without expanded bases; sepals and petals present .......................02 2b 02a Leaves with prickles on the lower/outer side of the midvein; leaf-axil scales fringed with orange-brown hairs; not yet in AB in 2017, but a noxious weed spreading rapidly in the US 2a and considered a signifcant threat ......... ...................Hydrilla verticillata X 02b Leaves without prickles on the midvein; leaf- axil scales smooth edged ..........Elodea - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ELODEA Waterweed 01a Upper leaves paired, 10-20 mm long; ♂ fower- heads 10-42 mm long ....Elodea bifoliata S2 ................ [Elodea longivaginata] 01b Upper leaves in rings (whorls) of 3-4, 4-15 mm long; ♂ fowerheads 2-13 mm long .......02 2a 02a Leaves 0.3-1.5(1.7) mm wide, tapered to a slender point; ♂ fowerheads 2-4 mm long; styles 1-2 mm ...........Elodea nuttallii X 02b Leaves (1.1)1.5-5 mm wide, broadly pointed to blunt tipped; ♂ fowerheads 8-13 mm long; 2b 1a styles usually 2.3-4 mm .Elodea canadensis S2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NAJAS Naiad 01a Leaves (10)15-35 mm long, the dilated base 2-3 mm wide; seeds glossy, smooth (sometimes with tiny dots), egg-shaped, deep brown to yellow; anthers 1- chambered ..... .........................Najas fexilis 01b Leaves 5-15 mm long, the dilated base 1-2 mm wide; seeds dull, pitted, spindle-shaped, yellowish white to greenish, reddish brown or 1a purplish; anthers 1- or 4-chambered. ................ Najas guadalupensis S1 1b 5 IRIDACEAE Iris Family 1a 1b Key to Genera 01a Leaves 5-10 mm wide; fowers ±6 cm long; - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - sepals and petals different ............ Iris 01b Leaves 1-4 mm wide; fowers ±1 cm long; sepals and petals similar .... Sisyrinchium IRIS Iris 01a Flowers mainly blue and white, 1-3/stalk; stems 20-50(60) cm tall; leaves 20-50 x 0.5-1 cm; swAB ...........Iris missouriensis S2 01b Flowers mainly yellow, 3-10/stalk; stems 50- 100+ cm tall; leaves 40-90 x 1-3 cm ........ 1a 1b .................. Iris pseudacorus XXX - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SISYRINCHIUM Blue-eyed-grass 01a Leaves 1-4 mm wide; fowers dark bluish violet (rarely white); outer tepals 9-14 mm long, notched at the bristle-tip; fower stalks mostly longer than the inner bract; fairly common throughout AB ....Sisyrinchium montanum 01b Leaves 1-2 mm wide; fowers pale blue to whitish; outer tepals 8-9 mm long, rounded at the bristle-tip; fower stalks mostly shorter than the inner bract; uncommon in sAB ......... ............Sisyrinchium septentrionale 1a 1b 6 2a JUNCAGINACEAE Arrowgrass Family TRIGLOCHIN Arrowgrass 01a Plants annual, with fbrous roots; fower clusters of 2 types (#1) ♂ and/or ♀ fower intermixed in stalked, spike-like clusters 1-4 cm long (mostly) and (#2) single, stalkless ♀ fowers with styles (→) up to 30 cm long, → hidden in basal leaf sheaths; fowers mostly ♂ or ♀ (unisexual), with 0-1 tepal, 0-1 anther and/or 0-1 stigma ....Triglochin scilloides .................... [Lilaea scilloides] 01b Plants perennial, with spreading rhizomes; fower clusters elongating, spike-like 6-30(45) 2b cm long; fowers ♂+♀ (bisexual), with 6 tepals, 4 or 6 stamens + 3 or 6 feathery stigmas . .02 02a Fruits oblong to ± spherical, 2-4.5 x 1.5-2 mm, rounded at the base; stigmas/seeds 6 ...... ................... Triglochin maritima 1a 02b Fruits narrowly club-shaped, 7-8 x 0.8-1.2 mm, tapered to the base; stigmas/seeds 3 ....... ................... Triglochin palustris 7 1a TYPHACEAE [includes Sparganiaceae] Cattail Family 01a Flowers in cylindrical heads >10 cm long (cattails); leaves all stiffy emergent, fat on both sides; foating leaves absent. ........................Typha latifolia 01b Flowers in spherical heads <3 cm long; leaves emergent, foating and submerged; emergent leaves often keeled (sometimes only weakly so on the lower/outer side); foating leaves typically long and ribbon-like. Sparganium SPARGANIUM Burreed 01a Stigmas 2; mature achenes broadly pyramid- shaped, widest and squared at the tip, tapered to a narrow base; plants emergent, 50-150 cm tall; fruiting heads (1.5)2-3(5) cm .......... .............. Sparganium eurycarpum 01b Stigmas 1; mature achenes football-shaped; plants usually with emergent, foating and submerged parts, mostly <50 cm tall; fruiting heads (0.5)1-2(3.5) cm ................02 02a Achene beak 0-1.5 mm long; ♂ heads solitary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..................................03 02b Achene beak 1.5-5 mm long; ♂ heads (1)2-several. .04 1a 03a Achene beak 0-0.5 mm; ♂ head adjacent to the upper ♀ head; ♀ heads stalkless (the lowest 1 sometimes stalked) in leaf axils; leaves 1-5 mm wide, opaque, often yellowish ......... .............Sparganium hyperboreum 03b Achene beak 0.5-1.5 mm long; ♂ head separate from the ♀ heads; ♀ heads (at least 1) stalked above the leaf axil; leaves 2-8 mm wide, translucent, mostly