Stellaria crassifolia
 
Fleshy Stitchwort

Inflorescence Bract, Adaxial Side

Greenbush Bog
(20 km West of Town of Hudson Bay on Highway #3)
29-June-2012

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Crassifolia: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
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plants perennial; NOT [plants annual]

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plant freely branching, often matted; NOT [plant with a few short, erect or ascending stems]

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plants glabrous, not glandular-viscid; NOT [plants more or less glandular-hairy and viscid]

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basal leaves sessile; NOT [basal leaves petioled, ovate or rhombic-ovate]

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leaves linear or elliptic-lanceolate, usually much more than 4 times as long as broad; NOT [leaves ovate-lanceolate, less than 4 times as long as broad]

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leaves mostly 6-20 mm long; NOT [leaves mostly 2-8 mm long]

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leaves mostly 2-6 mm wide; NOT [leaves mostly 1-4 mm wide]

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leaves soft, slightly fleshy; NOT [leaves firm, keeled]

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bracts of inflorescence all green, not scarious; NOT [bracts of inflorescence, at least the uppermost, scarious, whitish]

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sepals 2-3 mm long; NOT [sepals 3.5-6 mm long]

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petals equalling or longer than the sepals; NOT [petals much shorter than the sepals or none]

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petals cleft more than halfway, almost to base; NOT [petals cleft less than halfway]

 

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Stellaria: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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plants NOT with woody base

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plants without stipules; NOT [plants with small, ovate, papery, scarious stipules at junction of stem and leaf, and stem and branch]

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sepals entirely separate; NOT [sepals united part way, forming a tube]

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petals present; NOT [petals absent]

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petals lacking claws; NOT [petals clawed]

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petals deeply notched or 2-cleft; NOT [petals entire or merely notched at apex]

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styles usually 3; NOT [styles usually 5]

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ovary NOT stipitate

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fruit dehiscent; NOT [fruit indehiscent]

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capsule short, ovoid or ellipsoid or oblong; NOT [capsule long, cylindric, often curved]

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capsule opening with twice as many valves or teeth as there are styles; NOT [capsule opening with as many entire (or later 2-cleft) valves as there are styles]

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capsule usually opening with 6 valves; NOT [capsule usually opening with 10 teeth]

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fruit several-seeded; NOT [fruit 1-seeded]

 

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Caryophyllaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

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terrestrial plants; NOT [mud plants with small axillary flowers]

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plants NOT with colored milky juice

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plants with more than one normal leaf

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leaves opposite, whorled, or basal; NOT [some or all leaves alternate]

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leaves NOT glandular-dotted

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plants without large petal-like bracts; NOT [plants with an involucre of 4 petal-like bracts]

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flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others

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sepals more than 2; NOT [sepals 2]

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stamens NOT united at base; NOT [stamens united at base into 3-5 bundles]

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styles 2 or more; NOT [styles single]