Eryngium planum — plains eryngo

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium

  Flower petal color

  blue to purple

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the flower has two or more completely separate styles

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Interior flower disk

  the flower has an interior disc

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of carpels

  2

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  2

  Ovary position

  the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal and sepal colors

  blue to purple

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal folds or pleats

  the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal number

  5

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the sepals are different from the petals

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal number

  5

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen number

  5

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the sepals

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not attached to one another

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  all the flowers at the final division of the umbel have both carpels and stamens

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit locules

  two

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a schizocarp (when dry it splits into sections, each holding one or more seeds)

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  the fruit is not flattened

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  2

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  • the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
  • the leaf has no stalk

  Leaf blade edges

  • the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
  • the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
  • the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf blade length

  50–100 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  • the upper side of the leaf blade has obvious spots, mottles or stripes
  • the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  • there are no spines on the leaf edges
  • there are spines along the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  • NA
  • the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  • NA
  • the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipule edges

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  NA

  Stipule length

  0 mm

  Stipule shape

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  • the flowering stem has strong or sharp angles, but is not square
  • the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Plant height

  25–100 cm

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key