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• All other flowering non-woody plants
• All other herbaceous, flowering dicots
• Froelichia gracilis

Froelichia gracilis — slender cotton-weed

Facts

Slender cotton-weed is native to North America (probably west of the Mississippi River from Iowa to Mexico), but it has spread widely, particularly along railroad corridors. It can be found along roads, railroads, and other disturbed areas in New England excluding Maine.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  NA

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower petal color

  NA

  Flower symmetry

  • there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
  • there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  green to brown

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  NA

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal tip shape

  NA

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal number

  5

  Stamen attachment

  • the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
  • the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen number

  5

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the sepals

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene shape

  the achenes are another shape in outline

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  the fruit is a utricle (a type of achene in which the pericarp is loosely attached and often readily removed)

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit beak length

  anything

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has basal placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the base of a simple or compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

• Growth form

  Lifespan

  • the plant lives more than two years
  • the plant lives only a single year or less

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Leaf arrangement

  • basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
  • opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has no stalk

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf blade length

  16–135 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf types

  There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).

  Leaf variation

  the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  • the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (i.e., basal)
  • there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipels

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Hairs between stem nodes

  at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  10–100 cm

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae