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• Mirabilis nyctaginea

Mirabilis nyctaginea — heart-leaved umbrella-wort

Facts

Heart-leaved umbrella-wort is native to the central United States, but has expanded its range to the east and west as well as to Europe. It can be quite invasive and is considered a noxious weed in some states. It is found in disturbed areas in all New England states.

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 attachment

  the anther is attached by its base to the filament

  Anther color

  the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Anther tube length

  0 mm

  Calyx growth after flowering

  the calyx grows to cover or partially cover the fruit

  Calyx symmetry

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

  Carpels fused

  • NA
  • the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

  Cilia on petals

  NA

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower length

  At least 10 mm

  Flower number

  3–5

  Flower petal color

  NA

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

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

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

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

  Fringed petal edges

  NA

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

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

  Hairs on inflorescence

  the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Hypanthium length

  0 mm

  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

  Length of peduncle

  5–20 mm

  Marks on petals

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of branches in umbel

  0

  Number of carpels

  1

  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

  Perianth shape

  the perianth is campanulate (bell-shaped, with a tube about as long as wide, flaring at the mouth)

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  • blue to purple
  • pink to red

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal base

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

  Petal glandular dots or scales

  NA

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  NA

  Petal length

  0 mm

  Petal length relative to sepals

  NA

  Petal nectaries

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal shape

  NA

  Petal tip shape

  NA

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Petal width

  0 mm

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals resemble petals in color and texture

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal auricles

  the sepals have no auricles

  Sepal cilia

  the sepals do not have cilia

  Sepal color

  • blue to purple
  • pink to red
  • white

  Sepal features

  NA

  Sepal length

  10 mm

  Sepal number

  5

  Sepal orientation

  the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla

  Sepal relative length

  the sepal lobes are longer than the fused portion

  Sepal shape

  • the sepal outline is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
  • the sepal outline is roughly circular, as wide as long

  Sepal tip shape

  • the sepal tip is lobed or fringed
  • the sepal tip is notched

  Sepal uniformity

  all the sepals are about the same size

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases

  Spur length

  0 mm

  Spur number

  NA

  Stamen appendages

  stamen appendages are absent

  Stamen attachment

  • the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
  • the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals

  Stamen lengths differ

  the stamens are didynamous (two long stamens and two short ones)

  Stamen morphology

  the stamens within a cycle differ in length or width

  Stamen number

  • 3
  • 5

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the petals

  Stamen relative length

  anything

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not attached to one another

  Stigma position

  the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

  Style length

  10–15 mm

  Style petal-like

  the styles are not petal-like

  Style relative length

  the stigma protrudes beyond the mouth of the corolla

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)

  Achene shape

  • the achenes are another shape in outline
  • the achenes are circular in outline

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is another shape in cross-section

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  3.4–5 mm

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is shorter than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit shape

  • the fruit is ellipsoid (widest in the middle and tapering to each end)
  • the fruit is obovoid (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle)

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

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

  Hair type on fruit

  the hairs on the fruits are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly

  Hairs on fruit

  the fruits have hairs on them

  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

  Ovary stipe length

  0 mm

  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

  Seed number

  1

  Seeds comose

  no hairs

  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

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  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

  Underground organs

  there is a thickened taproot on the plant

• 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

  Floral bract texture

  • the floral bracts are green, with a leaf-like texture
  • the floral bracts are thin, dry and papery, possibly with a narrow green stripe at the center

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Flower bract length

  4–15 mm

  Hairs on leaf stalk

  the petiole has no hairs on it

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hooked hairs on underside of leaf

  no

  Inflated hairs on leaf

  the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it

  Leaf arrangement

  opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  • the base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, has rounded lobes at the base)
  • the base of the leaf blade is rounded

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade bloom

  the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom

  Leaf blade edges

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

  Leaf blade flatness

  the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges

  Leaf blade hairs

  • NA
  • the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly

  Leaf blade length

  30–100 mm

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides

  Leaf blade surface colors

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

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

  Leaf blade width

  20–65 mm

  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 hair orientation

  • NA
  • the hairs are flat against the leaf surface, mostly pointing towards the leaf tip

  Leaf sheath length

  0 mm

  Leaf shiny

  the upper side of the leaf is dull or slightly shiny

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf stalk length

  10–30 mm

  Leaf teeth and lobes

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

  Leaf tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point

  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 leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  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 edges

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  NA

  Stipule length

  0 mm

  Stipule shape

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

  Teeth per side of leaf blade

  0

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

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

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Direction of stem hairs

  • NA
  • the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Hair between stem nodes

  • the stem has hairs between the nodes
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  • at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
  • the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

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

  Plant height

  50–150 cm

  Stem bloom

  there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem

  Stem hair distribution

  • the hairs on the stem are arranged in lines running down the stem from the edges of the leaf bases
  • the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly

  Stem nodes swollen

  the stem is swollen at the nodes

  Stem orientation

  • the stems are upright or angled outwards
  • the stems trail at the base, but may turn upwards at the tips

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Stem spacing

  the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together

  Stem succulence

  the stems are not succulent

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

  Wings on stem

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae