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Questions and Answers: 2014

Question: Regarding our Strophostyles conversation, I thought I thought I should say what led me to think it was the perennial …

• Question

  Regarding our Strophostyles conversation, I thought I thought I should say what led me to think it was the perennial species, based on that species page: (1) flowers on longer stalks, (2)"hood" of flower less deeply indented, and (3) middle picture of leaves seems to match pretty well. Thanks for your help.

  Answer

  Dear chaffeemonell, all of those observations you have made a true of your plant; however, those characteristics are not always diagnostic. So, while some sources may use them, they sometimes fail to identify the plants. Here is a set of characteristics that are much more reliable: 2a. Bracteoles 1.5–4.2 mm long, lanceolate, acute at the apex, usually as long as or longer than the basal connate portion of the calyx; leaflets frequently with a lobe on one or both margins, the terminal one 25–36 mm wide and 1.5–3 times as long as wide; beak of keel petals slender, ca. 1 mm in diameter at the base, projecting away from the banner petal . . . . . . . . S. helvola 2b. Bracteoles 0.8–2.4 mm long, ovate to oblong, blunt, usually shorter than the basal, connate portion of the calyx; leaflets usually lacking lobes, but the margins sometimes sinuate, the terminal one 3–20 mm wide and 2.2–8 (–10) times as long as wide; beak of keel petals stouter, 1.5–2 mm in diameter at the base, oriented to be closely associated with the banner . . S. umbellata