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• Perezia multiflora

Perezia multiflora — perezia

Facts

Perezia is native to Western and Southern South America, and is not on record as having been collected anywhere in North America except for Massachusetts.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bract cycle number

  there are three or more cycles of bracts

  Bract inner side hairs

  the bracts are hairy on their inner surfaces

  Bract margins

  NA

  Bract outer side hair type

  the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with hairs having glands (a swelling at the tip of the hair)

  Bract outer side hairs

  the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces

  Bract spines

  there is just one simple spine at the tip of the bract

  Bract width

  3–3.2

  Disk flower color

  • blue to purple
  • white

  Disk flower lobe number

  5

  Disk flower reproductive parts

  the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower head outer flowers

  at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap

  Flower head platform

  the base has no bristles or papery scales

  Flower head profile

  the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top

  Flower head shape

  NA

  Flower type in flower heads

  the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery

  Height of flower head base

  10–12 mm

  Inflorescence stem

  hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence

  Ovary cross-section

  the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section

  Ray flower color

  • blue to purple
  • white

  Ray flower reproductive parts

  the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both

  Ray flowers

  • 11-15
  • 16-25
  • 26-50
  • 6-10

  Reproductive system

  some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens

  Width of flower head base

  8–9 mm

• Fruits or seeds

  Ovary length in developed fruit

  2.5–4 mm

  Ovary width in developed fruit

  1–1.5 mm

  Seed hair tuft color

  • the pappus hairs are tan to dark brown
  • the pappus hairs are white or off-white

  Seed hair tuft length

  At least 8.6 mm

  Seed hairs uniform

  all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length

  Seed tuft type

  the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles

  Tuft or plume on fruit

  at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant has one or more free-standing stems

  Plant lifespan

  the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases

  Spines on plant

  there are spines on the plant

  Underground organs

  • the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
  • there is a thickened taproot on the plant

• Leaves

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

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

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  • the leaf has a distinct petiole
  • the leaf has no petiole
  • the leaf has no petiole and at the base it clasps the stem, or goes all the way around the stem so the stem appears to pierce the leaf

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  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

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade has hairs with glands at their tips

  Leaf blade length

  20–250 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
  • the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)

  Leaf blade width

  8–30 mm

  Leaf disposition

  • the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
  • the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves

  Leaf spines

  there are spines along the leaf edges

  Leaf type

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

  Specific leaf type

  • the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
  • the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Stem internode hair type

  at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands

  Stem internode hairs

  the stem has hairs between the nodes

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae