Osmorhiza berteroi
 
Blunt-Fruited Sweet Cicely

Middle Leaf Top

Centre Block, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
16-July-2014

The literature regarding Osmorhiza is confusing.  I believe Budd's Flora identifies this species as O. chilensis var. chilensis, while I believe Flora of Alberta calls it O. chilensis.  In the answers to the key to the species below, I have eliminated answers which I find contradictory or confusing.  I believe the best way to distinguish the species of Osmorhiza found in Saskatchewan is by looking at the fruit.

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Berteroi: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
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rays and pedicels usually ascending; NOT [rays and pedicels wide-spreading or reflexed]

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bracts and bractlets of inflorescence absent or very small and caducous; NOT [bracts and bractlets of inflorescence present and persistent]

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flowers white or greenish; NOT [flowers yellow, pale yellow, or purple]

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stylopodium longer than broad; NOT [stylopodium broader than long]

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styles less than 0.5 mm long; NOT [styles 2-3 mm long]

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fruits longer than the pedicels

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fruit 12-22 mm long; NOT [fruit 8-13 mm long]

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fruit cylindrical, the apex concavely narrowed (constricted) into a beak 0.5-2.0 mm long; NOT [fruit clavate, the apex convexly narrowed]

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base of fruit long-tapering, becoming caudate with conspicuous tails; NOT [fruit obtuse at base]

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fruit bristly-hispid; NOT [fruit glabrous]

 

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Osmorhiza: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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NOT [plants with a bluish tinge, flowers in dense globose heads, bracts spiny]

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plants lacking axillary bulblets; NOT [plants with axillary bulblets largely replacing flowers]

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foliage NOT digitately compound (BF)

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foliage NOT spiny (BF)

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lower and upper leaves compound; NOT [lowest leaves simple] (FOA)

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leaves divided into few well-developed leaflets; NOT [leaves much divided, with leaflets or segments numerous] (BF)

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leaves ternately divided; NOT [leaves pinnately divided] (BF)

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leaves with more than 3 leaflets; NOT [leaves with 3 leaflets] (BF)

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leaves divided into leaflets of unequal size, often with 5 or more segments; NOT [leaves divided into leaflets of about equal size, usually 3 segments each with 3 leaflets] (BF)

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NOT [leaves usually trifoliolate, leaflets palmate, leaflets 10-30 cm wide]

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NOT [leaves palmate with 5-7 large leaflets]

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leaflets finely to deeply serrate; NOT [leaflets entire or with a few lobes] (BF)

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inflorescence NOT bluish

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fruit more than 1 cm long

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fruit several times longer than broad; NOT [fruit generally 3 times as long as broad or less]

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fruit linear to clavate; NOT [fruit oblong to elliptical]

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fruit flattened but wingless; NOT [fruit strongly flattened, broadly winged]

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fruit usually bristly-hairy; NOT [fruit glabrous]

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fruit NOT covered with short, hooked spines

 

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Umbelliferae: 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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plants NOT with colored milky juice

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stems hollow

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plants with more than one normal leaf

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

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leaves without stipules, or having glands; NOT [leaves with stipules]

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flowers in umbels

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parts of flowers mostly in fives; NOT [parts of flowers in twos or fours]

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

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calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]

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stamens 10 or fewer; NOT [stamens usually more than 10]

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ovary inferior

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styles 2; NOT [styles 5]