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• All other flowering non-woody plants
• All other herbaceous, flowering dicots
• Schwalbea americana

Schwalbea americana — chaff-seed

Facts

N/A

Habitat

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

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 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 is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cilia on petals

  the petal margins have cilia

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  • the flower has a concave, hood-like, upper lip
  • the flower has two prominent lips

  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 has rough hairs or scales on it

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower orientation

  the flower points upwards or is angled outwards

  Flower petal color

  • blue to purple
  • yellow

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  there is no way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is asymmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched

  Fringed petal edges

  the petals are not fringed

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

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

  Hairs on flower stalk

  the flower stalk has hairs on it

  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

  Interior flower disk

  the flower does not have an interior disc

  Marks on petals

  the petals have spots or streaks on them

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of branches in umbel

  0

  Number of carpels

  2

  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 cylindric (tube-shaped)

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal and sepal colors

  • blue to purple
  • yellow

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal base

  • NA
  • the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base

  Petal folding in bud

  the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)

  Petal folds or pleats

  the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them

  Petal glandular dots or scales

  no

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  there are hairs on the inner/upper petal surface

  Petal length

  30–35 mm

  Petal length relative to sepals

  the petals are longer than the sepals

  Petal nectaries

  the petals do not have nectaries

  Petal number

  4–5

  Petal shape

  • the petal outline is another shape
  • the petal outline is oblong (rectangular, but with rounded ends)

  Petal tip shape

  • the petal tip is lobed or fringed
  • the petal tip is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
  • the petal tip is retuse (with a blunt or rounded apex and a notch at the center)

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the sepals are different from the petals

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal auricles

  the sepals have no auricles

  Sepal cilia

  the sepals have cilia on their edges

  Sepal color

  • blue to purple
  • green to brown

  Sepal length

  14–18 mm

  Sepal number

  5

  Sepal orientation

  the sepals are pressed against the corolla, or jutting stiffly upward

  Sepal relative length

  the sepal lobes are shorter than the fused portion

  Sepal shape

  • the sepal outline is lanceolate (lance-shaped; narrow, gradually tapering from the base to the tip)
  • the sepal outline is roughly triangular

  Sepal tip shape

  the sepal tip is lobed or fringed

  Sepal uniformity

  one or more of the sepals is much narrower or shorter than the others

  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

  4

  Stamen position relative to petals

  NA

  Stamen relative length

  anything

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not attached to one another

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Stigma position

  the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

  Style petal-like

  the styles are not petal-like

  Style relative length

  the stigma does not protrude beyond the mouth of the corolla

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  the upper lip of the bilabiate corolla has one lobe

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  the capsule has two prominent ribs or wings

  Capsule splitting

  the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is round in cross-section

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  10–12 mm

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is shorter than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  two

  Fruit shape

  • the fruit is ellipsoid (widest in the middle and tapering to each end)
  • the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)

  Fruit stalk orientation

  the fruits point upward or spread or curve outward

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)

  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 axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Seed relative length

  the seed is longer than it is wide

  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)

  Horizontal rooting stem

  the plant does not have stolons

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  • the plant is not parasitic
  • the plant is parasitic on other plants (partially or completely dependent on other plants to supply nutrients)

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  yes

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

  Underground organs

  there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Bracteole length

  10 mm

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracteole shape

  the bracteoles are linear (very narrow, with more or less parallel sides)

  Bracteoles

  the plant has bracteoles between the primary bracts and the flowers

  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

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Hairs on leaf stalk

  NA

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Hooked hairs on underside of leaf

  no

  Inflated hairs on leaf

  the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  • the leaf has no stalk
  • the leaf has no stalk and at the base it clasps the stem

  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
  • 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

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

  Leaf blade length

  20–50 mm

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  the major veins radiate out from one point at the base

  Leaf blade shape

  the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)

  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 three or more main veins that start at or near the leaf blade base and run from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

  Leaf blade width

  6–10 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

  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 no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  NA

  Leaf stalk base

  NA

  Leaf stalk length

  0 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 acute (sharply pointed)

  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 is one leaf 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
  • Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields
  • woodlands

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Direction of stem hairs

  the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled

  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

  30–60 cm

  Stem bloom

  there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem

  Stem hair distribution

  the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly

  Stem nodes swollen

  the stem is not swollen at the nodes

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright or angled outwards

  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

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae