Field Key to VCR Plant Species
Subsection XVI. Herbaceous Plants with Lobed, Toothed, Wavy-edged,
or Compounded Alternate Leaves
- 1a. Leaves or stems with prickly spines.
- 2a. Leaves with numerous spiny teeth.
- 3a. Leaves more-or-less oval; heart-shaped leaf bases clasp the stem; stem
grooved, itself occasionally with small prickles; yellow flower heads
dandelion-like.....Spiny-leaved Sow Thistle, Sonchus asper
(SNCASP).
- 3b. Leaves lance-shaped to linear; flower bulbs spiny, yellow or white to
purple.....Yellow Thistle, Cirsium horridulum / Carduus spinosissimus
(CRDSPN).
- 2b. Leaves coarsely toothed or lobed; stem with stout prickles that extend along leaves
midribs; flowers violet or white, star-shaped, in small clusters; fruit is yellow
tomato-like berry; plant up to 1 m. tall, usually much smaller.....Horse Nettle, Solanum carolinense
(SLNCRL).
- 1b. Leaves and stems wilhout prickly spines.
- 4a. Leaves compounded.
- 5a. Compunded leaves divided inlo thread-like, untoothed segments, flowers
while, in umbels; stem slender.....Mock Bishop's Weed, Ptilimnium capillaceum
(PTLCPL).
- 5b. Compounded leaves lance shaped in outline and finely dissected (almost double
compounded); stems sometimes hairy; flowers white or pink, in flat-topped
terminal cluster (corymb); plant 30-100 cm. tall.....Yarrow / Milfoil, Achillea millefolium
(ACHMLL).
- 5c. Compounded leaves with 8-15 pairs of oval or oblong leaflets; flowers yellow,
5 regular parts, 2-4 cm, wide, growing from long stalks in the axils; seed
pods pea-like; plant 15-150 cm. tall.....Partridge Pea, Cassia fasciculata
(CSSFSC).
- 4b. Leaves not compounded.
- 6a. Leaves arrow-shaped with flaring lobes.
- 7a. stem jointed; reddish or greenish flowers in branching leafless racemes.....Sheep Sorrel, Rumex acetosella
(RMXACT).
- 7b. Stem not jointed; green flowers in interrupted spikes; lower leaves
usually opposite.....Orach, Atriplex patula
(ATRPTL).
- 6b. Leaves not arrow-shaped with flaring lobes.
- 8a. Stems bristly-hairy; leaves not lobed or twisted.
- 9a. Flowers daisy-like, rays white or tinged pink, center yellow and flat; lower leaves long lance-shaped and pointed, with few
teeth.....Daisy Fleabane, Erigeron annuus
(ERGANN).
- 9b. Flowers dandelion-like, rays whitish or greenish and upright;
lower leaves lance-shaped or narrow, toothed; leaves often
hairy as well.....Horseweed, Erigeron canadensis
(ERGCND).
- 8b. Stems not bristly-hairy, or if so, leaves lobed or twisted.
- 10a. Leaves wavy-edged or irregularly toothed.
- 11a. Leaves large (10-30 cm.), twisted, wavy-edged, soft velvety, oblong; largest leaves in basal rosette; yellow
flowers in dense spike; plant coarse and wooly.....Wooly or Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsus
(VRBTHP).
- 11b. Leaves not twisted, or if so, not velvety.
- 12a. Leaf margins strongly curled; leaves lance-shaped, occasionally obscurely toothed as well; plant not fleshy; flowers distinctly stalked and
growing in whorls on racemes; fruit heart-shaped with 3 flat wings.....Curly Dock, Rumex crispus
(RMXCRS).
- 12b. Leaf margins not curled; plant fleshy, bushy, branched, 15-30 cm. tall; leaves narrowed at
base; flowers light purple, 0.5 cm. wide; pods
constricted in middle.....Sea Rocket, Cakile edentula
(CKLEDN).
- 10b. Leaves toothed.
- 13a. Leaves often lobed.
- 14a. Lobed leaves in basal rosette; stem leaves lance-shaped and toothed but unlobed:
white flowers in an open spike.....Wild Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum
(LPDVRG).
- 14b. Stem leaves lobed.
- 15a. All leaves lobed irregularly, deeply cut; flowers yellow with 4 broad petals indented
at the tips; flowers open at twilight.....Cut-leaved Evening Primrose, Oenothera laciniata
(ONTLCN).
- 15b. All leaves lobed regularly palmate (like a maple); taproot present; fruits
are oblong-shaped burs set in the axils.....Cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium
(XNTSTR).
- 15c. Some leaves unlobed; lobes either irregular or making leaf triangular- to arrow-shaped; teeth flne; stamens united in a column arising from
center of 5 petaled flower.
- 16a. Pink or white flowers 10-15 cm. wide, sometimes with a purple or crimson center; plant 1-2 m. tall; upperside of leaves sometimes hairy, underside always hairy.....Rose Mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos var. mosheutos
(HBSMSC).
- 16b. Rose-colored flowers to 7 cm. wide; plant 60-120 cm. tall; stem minutely downy or rough.....Seashore Mallow, Kosteletzkya virginica
(KSTVPG).
- 13b. Leaves not lobed.
- 17a. Leaves heart-shaped, clasp the stem, to 3 cm. long; blue or violet 5-petaled flowers growing in upper axils, to 2 cm. wide.....Venus's Looking Glass, Specularia perfoliata
(SPCPRF).
- 17b. Leaves lance- or egg-shaped.
- 18a. Larger leaves with a broad V-shaped base, 2-10 cm. long, irregularly toothed, leaves whitish or grayish beneath; tiny flowers in leafy spikes.....Pigweed / Lamb's Quarters, Chenopodium album
(CHNALB).
- 18b. Leaves without broad V-shaped base.
- 19a. Teeth wavy to deeply cut; leaves green on both sides, strongly scented; larger leaves over 5 cm. long, lance-shaped; tiny flowers
in leafy spikes.....Mexican Tea, Chenopodium ambrosioides
(CHNAMB).
- 19b. Teeth wavy to fine and sharp.
- 20a. Yellow flowers have 4 broad petals that are indented at the tips; flowers 2-5 cm. wide.
- 21a. Flowers open during the day; plant 30-90 cm. tall; pods twice as long as wide.....Sundrops, Oenothera fruticosa
(ONTFRT).
- 21b. Flowers open at twilight; plant 30-180 cm. tall; pods
4 times as long as wide.....Common Evening Primrose, Oenothera biennis
(ONTBNN).
- 20b. Purple or pink dandelion-like flowers growing in a flattish cluster.....Salt-marsh Fleabane, Pluchea purpurascens
(PLCPRP).
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