Flower Color

• Red (or pink)
• Red-orange
• Orange
• Yellow-orange
• Yellow

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

• Solitary, axillary
• Solitary, terminal

Number of Petals

• more than 10 petals

Petal Separation

• Completely free to base
• United at base only (<25% length)

Petal Tip

• Erose
• Pointed
• Rounded

Flower Symmetry

• Flowers regular

Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)

• 4.0 cm (1.6 inches)
• 4.5 cm (1.8 inches)
• 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) or more

Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)

• 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

• more than 10 sepals

Sepal Separation

• Completely free to base
• United at base < 25% length

Sepal Tip

• Pointed
• Spine-like

Flower Sex

• Bisexual (perfect)

Number of Styles

• 1 style

Number of Stamens

• more than 10 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)

Number of Carpels

• 5 carpels
• 6 - 9 carpels
• 10 carpels
• >10 carpels

Ovary Position

• Inferior (epigynous)

Fruit Type

• Berry, green
• Berry, red

Fruit Length at Maturity

• 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
• 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
• 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
• 3.0 cm (1.2 inches)
• 3.5 cm (1.4 inches)

Fruit Width at Maturity

• 1.0 cm (.40 inch)
• 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
• 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
• 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)

Burs

• Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement

• Alternate
• Fascicled

Leaf Type

• Simple (including lobed leaves)

Stipules

• Lacking

Tendrils

• Tendrils absent

Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio

• Petiole absent (leaf sessile)

Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)

• 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
• 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

• < 1 mm (< .04 inch)
• 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
• 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)

Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)

• Linear or filiform
• Orbicular (round)
• Oval

Succulence

• Succulent

Leaf or Leaflet Margin

• Entire

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base

• Acute (cuneate)

Leaf or Leaflet Tip

• Aristate
• Rounded (obtuse)

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface

• Glabrous (NO hairs)
• Spiny or prickly

Milky Juice

• Juice NOT milky (watery)

Woodiness

• Herbaceous

Spines or Thorns

• Spines on leaves or stems
• Spines on flowers\fruits AND leaves\stems

Aromatic (vegetative structures)

• Not aromatic

Life Cycle

• Perennial

Growth Habit (while flowering)

• Spreading ascending
• 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

• Arid

Chlorophyll

• Present

Stem Cross Section

• Oval
• Round

Flowering Stem Leaves

• Stem leafless
• Stem leaves greatly reduced
• Stem uniformly leafy

Main Stem Branches

• Main stem unbranched
• Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule

• Fibrous

US State

• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Texas
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Montana
• North Dakota
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming
• Nebraska

Canadian Province or Territory

• Alberta
• Saskatchewan

• Common Weeds of the Canadian Prairies, 1963 (Cat# A53-1136-1) See page: 51
• Nebraska Weeds, 1979 Nebraska Dept. of Ag., Lincoln NE, See page: 127
• Northwest Weeds, 1990 (ISBN 0-87842-249-8) See page: 87
• Weeds, 1955 (1980) Walter Conrad Muenscher, ISBN# 0-8014-1266-8 See page: 317
• Weeds and Poisonous Plants of Wyoming and Utah 1987 (ISBN 0-941570-06-1) See page: 78
• Weeds of Colorado, 1990 Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Univ. Bulletin 521A, See page: 108
• Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains, 1994 (ISBN 0939870-00-4) See page: 226
• Weeds of the North Central States, 1981 Univ. of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign Bulletin # 772, See page: 128
• Weeds of the Southern United States, 1975, North Carolina Ag. Extension Circular #599 See page: 33
• Weeds of the United States and Their Control, Lorenzi 1987, ISBN# 0-442-25884-4 See page: 214
• Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 242
• Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 240
• Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
• Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X