Kochia scoparia
 
Summer-Cypress

Leaf Top Close-Up

Estlin
22-Aug-2018

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Kochia: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.   
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herbs, or low spineless shrubs; NOT [spiny shrub, 1-2 m high]

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plants not prickly; NOT [plant prickly from the spine-tipped thread-like leaves and from bracts]

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stems not fleshy

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stems not jointed

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stems tomentose to densely glandular-villous; NOT [stems not tomentose to densely villous]

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leaves mostly alternate; NOT [leaves opposite]

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leaves not reduced to scales

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leaves narrow, linear; NOT [leaves broad, often hastate], NOT [leaves flat, wavy-edged, ovate]

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leaves usually turning red when mature

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NOT [flowers axillary and sunk into the fleshy stem]

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flowers not subtended by scarious bracts

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flowers lacking bracteoles; NOT [pistillate flowers with a pair of bracteoles, occasionally 3]

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calyx with 5 sepals

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sepals greenish, herbaceous or fleshy; NOT [sepals scarious, dry and membranous]

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calyx in fruit developing horizontal scarious wings but not slender hooked spines

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flowers perfect or pistillate

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5 stamens

 

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Amaranthaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family.  Not all the answers apply to all the genera in Amaranthaceae, but they all do apply to Kochia
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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land plants; NOT [water plants]

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plants not parasitic on trees, rooted in soil

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plants with more than one pair of leaves

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leaves alternate, lower ones sometimes opposite; NOT [leaves opposite]

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leaves without stipules; NOT [leaves with stipules free or sheathing the stem]

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leaves not compound and not very deeply divided; NOT [leaves compound or simple, but very deeply divided]

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leaves not orbicular or reniform; NOT [leaves orbicular or reniform]

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flowers small, numerous, greenish; NOT [flowers colored]

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flowers with only one floral ring, with sepals but not petals

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perianth segments 2-5; NOT [perianth segments 6]

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flowers perfect

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fruit dry when ripe; NOT [fruit fleshy when ripe]