Osmorhiza longistylis
 
Smooth Sweet Cicely

Umbel Top

Moose Mountain Provincial Park
02-July-2009

This species is andromonoecious which means each plant possesses both perfect and male flowers.  The perfect flowers contain both male parts (stamens) and female parts (ovary, styles, and stigmas), and if fertilized will eventually produce fruit.  The male flowers contain only male parts and cannot produce fruit.

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Longistylis: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
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rays spreading-ascending to divaricate; NOT [rays ascending or spreading-ascending]

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

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flowers white; NOT [flowers yellow or greenish]

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

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fruit 18-22 mm long; NOT [fruit 10-20 mm long]

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

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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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plants NOT with a bluish tinge

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foliage NOT spiny

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lowest leaves (and the upper) compound

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

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leaves with more than 3 leaflets

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leaves often divided into 5 or more segments; NOT [leaves usually divided into 3 segments each with 3 leaflets]

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leaves ternately divided; NOT [leaves palmate with 5-7 large leaflets], NOT [foliage digitately compound] , NOT [leaves pinnately divided]

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leaves divided into leaflets of unequal size; NOT [leaves divided into leaflets of about equal size]

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leaflets NOT palmate

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leaflets NOT 10-30 cm wide

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

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

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inflorescence NOT bluish

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flowers NOT in dense globose heads

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bracts NOT spiny

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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 more than 1 cm long

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

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fruit usually bristly-hairy (glabrous in O. occidentalis) ; 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]