Arenaria congesta

Trientalis borealis

Starflower

Duck Mountain Provincial Park
22-June-2002

Note that Budd's Flora keys genus Trientalis as having "scale-like lower stem leaves". Yet Flora of Alberta keys Trientalis europaea as having "reduced leaves medium in size, green", not "minute, scale-like".

Note that Flora of Alberta, in its description of family Primulaceae, states that the corolla is gamopetalous (petals united). However, it keys this family as having either united or separate petals. Budd's Flora keys the family as having united petals. In these pictures, the union of the petals is hard to see.

Borealis Characteristics

reduced leaves minute, scale-like; not medium in size, green

principal leaves almost entirely in a whorl at tip of stem

principal leaves lanceolate, acute or acuminate

pedicels shorter than the leaves

Trientalis Characteristics

plants perennial

plants erect

leaves not all basal

plants with reduced or scale-like lower stem leaves

upper leaves clustered near the top of the stem

flowers rarely in definite umbels

corolla white

petals present

usually with sepals, petals, and stamens in 7's (sometimes 6's)

capsule opening lengthwise

Primulaceae Characteristics

herbs

plants green or with some chlorophyll

plants not twining

plants without milky juice

flowers not in heads or spikes

flowers with two floral rings, but with petals wholly or partly united forming a tube or bell

corolla regular

same number of stamens as corolla lobes; not alternating with them

anthers not opening by uplifted valves

1 style

1 stigma

ovary superior, 1-loculed