Astragalus gilviflorus

Pediomelum esculentum

Indian Breadroot

Stamen Bundle and Pistil

Oro Lake Regional Park
28-June-2011

Note that nine of the ten stamens have their filaments united to create a stamen bundle which normally encloses the pistil. However, the pistil has been separated from the stamen bundle for the purpose of this photo. The tenth distinct stamen has been removed. Note the pubescence on the basal portion of the style.

Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta refer to this species as Psoralea esculenta and this is the nomenclature used in the key answers listed below. Note that the the key to the genera in Budd's Flora requires leaves glandular-dotted. In fact, the leaves of this species are not glandular-dotted. The rest of the answers appear below.

Esculentum: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species.

plants densely long-hairy

flowers in a short dense spike; NOT [flowers in racemes or loose spikes]

flowers about 1.5 cm long; NOT [flowers smaller, generally less than 1.0 cm long]

Pediomelum: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.

herbs; NOT [shrubs]

plants not very low cushion plants

plants not climbing

the root tuber-like

the terminal leaflet normal; NOT [the terminal leaflet replaced by a tendril]

leaves palmately divided; NOT [leaves pinnately divided]

keel not truncate; NOT [keel mostly truncate]

fruit a legume; NOT [fruit a loment]

Leguminosae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family.

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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

plants NOT with colored milky juice

plants with more than one normal leaf

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

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

flowers irregular in shape; NOT [flowers regular in shape]

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

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

corolla pea-like; NOT [corolla with one petal spurred or sac-like]

stamens usually separate or partly so, not in a column; NOT [stamens numerous, united into a column]

fruit a legume