Flower Color

• White

Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)

• Head
• Terminal spike

Number of Petals

• 0 (no petals)
• 1 petal
• 5 petals
• 6 petals
• 7 petals
• 8 petals

Petal Separation

• Completely free to base

Petal Tip

• Pointed
• Rounded

Flower Symmetry

• Flowers regular

Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)

• 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
• 1.5 cm (.6 inch)
• 2.0 cm (.8 inch)
• 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
• 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)

Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)

• 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)
• 3.5 cm (1.4 inches)
• 4.0 cm (1.6 inches)
• 4.5 cm (1.8 inches)
• 5.0 cm (2.0 inches)
• > 5.0 cm (> 2.0 inches)

Number of Sepals

• sepals lacking
• 5 sepals
• 6 sepals
• 7 sepals
• 8 sepals

Flower Sex

• Bisexual (perfect)

Number of Styles

• 1 style

Number of Stamens

• 5 stamens
• 6 stamens
• 7 stamens
• 8 stamens

Stamens Attached to the Petals

• Stamens NOT attached to the petals

Stamens Connate (united)

• Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation

• Carpels united (or one)
• Carpels separated

Number of Carpels

• 1 carpel
• 3 carpels

Ovary Position

• Superior (hypogynous)

Fruit Type

• Capsule, 1-celled
• Capsule, 3-celled
• Capsule, > 3-celled

Fruit Length at Maturity

• 2 mm (.08 inch)
• 3 mm (.12 inch)

Fruit Width at Maturity

• 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
• 2 mm (.08 inch)
• 3 mm (.12 inch)

Burs

• Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement

• All basal
• Alternate

Leaf Type

• Simple (including lobed leaves)

Stipules

• Lacking

Tendrils

• Tendrils absent

Venation

• Pinnate

Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio

• Petiole 25% - 75% total length

Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)

• 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
• 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
• 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)

Leaf Width

• 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
• 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)

Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)

• Cordate (heart)
• Elliptic
• Oblong

Leaf or Leaflet Margin

• Entire

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base

• Clasping
• Cordate
• Oblique
• Rounded
• Truncate

Leaf or Leaflet Tip

• Acute
• Rounded (obtuse)

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface

• Glabrous (NO hairs)
• Punctate

Succulence

• Not succulent

Milky Juice

• Juice NOT milky (watery)

Woodiness

• Herbaceous

Spines or Thorns

• Spines or Thorns ABSENT

Aromatic (vegetative structures)

• Not aromatic

Life Cycle

• Perennial

Growth Habit (while flowering)

• Erect, columnar (narrow)
• Erect, spherical (bushy)

Plant Height at Maturity

• 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
• 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
• 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)

Wind Dissemination

• Not wind disseminated

Moisture Regime

• Aquatic
• Semi-aquatic

Chlorophyll

• Present

Stem Cross Section

• Round

Flowering Stem Leaves

• Stem leaves greatly reduced
• Stem uniformly leafy

Main Stem Branches

• Main stem unbranched

Root or Vegetative Propagule

• Fibrous
• Rhizomatous
• Rooting at the nodes
• Stoloniferous
• Tap Root

US State

• Kansas
• Texas
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Utah
• Nebraska

• California Growers Weed Identification Handbook, 1968 - 1998 University of California Publication # 4030-1, See page: 202
• Garden Weeds of Southern California, 1981, See page: 102
• Weeds of California, 1970, State of California Publications and Documents. See page: 27, 130
• Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 X
• Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X