Juncea:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species.   perennials from deep tough rootstocks; NOT annuals from a tough taproot leaves small, seldom over 5 cm long, usually scale-like; leaves NOT 5-20 cm long, leaves NOT [long and very narrow]

 

Lygodesmia: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.  plants of dry habitats juice milky; NOT watery stem diffusely branched leaves few, cauline, mostly linear or reduced to scales (FOA) none of the florets tubular, flowers all ligulate flowers all perfect flowers pink; NOT yellow, NOT white, NOT purplish stamens united to form a tube around the pistil pappus hairy; NOT merely covered with scales pappus simple, consisting of bristles only; NOT [pappus double, the outer ring consisting of 5 small scale-like appendages, the inner ring bristles] pappus bristles simple; NOT plumose

Note: The key to the genera in Budd's Flora requires the following somewhat contradictory answers: plants with normal stem leaves; NOT [plants with leaves all basal or with a few reduced leaves on the stem] leaves narrowly linear or scale-like; NOT broader, NOT leaf-like