AN ILLUSTRATED KEY TO THEBORAGINACEAE OF ALBERTA

Compiled and written by Lorna Allen & Linda Kershaw

September 2019

© Linda J. Kershaw & Lorna Allen

This key was compiled using information primarily from Moss (1983), Douglas et al. 1998 and Lesica 2012. Taxonomy follows VASCAN (Brouillet, 2019). The main references are listed at the end of the key. Please let us know if there are ways in which the keys can be improved.The 2018 S-ranks of rare species (S1; S1S2; S2; S2S3; SH; SU, according to ACIMS, 2018) are noted in superscript (S1;S2;SU) after the species names. For more details go to the ACIMS web site. Similarly, exotic species are followed by a superscript X, XX if noxious and XXX if prohibited noxious (X; XX; XXX) according to the Alberta Weed Control Act (2016).

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BoraginaceaeBorage Family

Until recently, Heliotropium curassavicum was in the Boraginaceae. It is now in Heliotropaceae (see Key to Families - Group 9).

Key to genera01a Fruiting calyx (→) forming a flattened, 2-lipped

envelope 1-2 cm wide; flowers 1-2 in leaf axils; stems weak, trailing, 30-120 cm long, with backward-pointing prickles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asperugo procumbens X

01b Calyx not enlarged in fruit; flowers in 1-sided or coiled clusters at branch tips; habit and stems not as above. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Corollas star-shaped, >1 cm across; stamens converging in a cone that projects beyond the petals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Borago officinalis X

02b Corollas funnel-, trumpet- or bell-shaped, <1 cm across; stamens included in or projecting from the corolla tube, but not converging in a cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .03

03a Corollas bilaterally symmetric; stamens projecting from the corolla tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Echium vulgare X

03b Corollas radially symmetric; stamens included within the corolla tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .04

04a Nutlets with hooked or barbed prickles (sometimes just on the edges); flowers blue with a yellow eye (rarely white; reddish-purple in Cynoglossum officinale) . . . . . . . . . . . . .05

04b Nutlets smooth or rough, but without prickles; flowers yellow, white, blue, purplish or dark reddish, with or without a yellow eye . . . . .08

05a Nutlets spreading, broadest near the tip, uniformly prickly all over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .06

05b Nutlets erect, broadest near the base, most or largest prickles along the edges . . . . . . . . .07

06a Flowers reddish purple (rarely white); stems leafy near the flower clusters; coarse biennial weed of disturbed sites across sAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cynoglossum officinale X

06b Flowers blue with a yellow eye; stems naked near the flower clusters; rare native perennials of dry woods in wc AB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andersonglossum boreale S1

. . .[Cynoglossum boreale; C.virginianum]

07a Most flowers with a bract at the base; fruiting stalks erect; plants annual, 5-40(70) cm tall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lappula

07b Only the lowest flowers with a bract; fruiting stalks curved back/down; plants annual, biennial or perennial, (15)20-100(120) cm tall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hackelia

6b

6a

3a

2a

7a

7b

1a

→

4

08a Flower clusters leafy; nutlets white, grey or pale brown, very hard, smooth and shiny, egg-shaped, 3-6(8) mm long . . . . Lithospermum

08b Flower clusters not leafy, bracts, if present, shorter or only slightly longer than the flowers, (stem leaves may overtop the flower clusters in young plants); nutlets not as above . . . .09

09a Flower clusters with bracts to the tip. . . . . .1009b Flower clusters without bracts or only the

lowest flowers with bracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

10a Plants annual, 10-20 cm tall; corollas white, ≤1 mm across; leaves lance-shaped to spoon-shaped, widest towards the tip, 0.5-1.5 cm long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cryptantha minima S2

10b Plants perennial, 10-40 cm tall; corollas dark crimson-brown, 10-15 mm across; leaves linear to lance-shaped, 3-10 cm long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonea vesicaria X

11a Corollas tubular, flaring slightly to a lobed cup or funnel at the mouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

11b Corollas tubular, tipped with a disc of wide-spreading lobes at the mouth . . . . . . . . . . .13

12a Stems hairless or with a few soft hairs; corollas blue (often pink in bud); stem leaves absent or all alternate; native plants of open and wooded sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mertensia

12b Stems with stiff, spreading hairs; corollas reddish-purple or cream-colored; stem leaves present, all opposite or lower leaves alternate; introduced weeds of disturbed sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Symphytum officinale X

13a Flowers blue (rarely white); nutlets rounded, smooth and shiny, with a small basal scar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Myosotis

13b Flowers white or orange-yellow; nutlets usually pointed, dull, wrinkled or smooth, with a broad, flat base or with a scar on the side . . . . . . .14

14a Corollas bright blue with a bent, 4-7 mm long tube ending in 5 spreading lobes and 5 prominent white-hairy bulges, 4-6 mm across; nutlets with a thick basal rim surrounding a stalk-like plug; exotic, a rare garden escape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anchusa arvensis X

14b Corollas orange-yellow or white, without white-hairy bulges at the lobe bases; nutlets without a basal rim or stalk-like plug . . . . . . . . . . . .15

15a Flowers bright orange-yellow; leaves lance-shaped to oblong-oval and widest at or below the middle . . . . . . . . .Amsinckia menziesii X

15b Flowers white; leaves linear to lance-shaped and widest towards the tip . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

10b

15a

14a13a

12b

8a

12a

10a

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16a Leaves with long, bristly hairs, mostly alternate; annual, biennial or perennial, in dry sites; nutlets smooth or bumpy, with a long groove ± from base to tip . . . . . . . Cryptantha (in part)

16b Leaves with stiff, flat-lying hairs, paired at the base, alternate above; annual, in moist sites; nutlets strongly wrinkled and bumpy, with a raised, oblique scar Plagiobothrys scouleri X

Cryptantha cryptantha01a Plants perennial/biennial, with woody taproots

and persistent thickened bases; basal leaves in a conspicuous tuft; stems ≥3 mm thick, simple or branched from the base; corollas 6-11 mm wide, conspicuous; nutlets 3-4 mm long, all similar . . . . Cryptantha celosioides

. [incl . Cryptantha macounii; C. nubigena]01b Plants annual, with slender taproots and

without persistent thickened bases; basal leaves absent; stems 1-2 mm thick, often diffusely branched; corollas <2 mm wide, inconspicuous; nutlets 2-2.5 mm long, of 1 or 2 types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Flower clusters with bracts throughout; bracts longer than the calyxes; calyx lobes with thick, hardened, whitish mid-nerves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cryptantha minima S2

02b Flower clusters with bracts below only the lowest flower(s); bracts inconspicuous, shorter than the calyxes; calyx lobes neither whitened nor thickened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .03

03a Nutlets of 2 types, 1 large and smooth, 3 smaller with tiny wart-like bumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cryptantha kelseyana

03b Nutlets all similar, ± smooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cryptantha fendleri

haCkelia Stickseed01a Plants long-lived perennials with branched,

persistent, thickened bases; basal leaves in green rosettes; flowers 7-11 mm across, blue with a yellow or white eye; montane woods and mountain meadows Hackelia micrantha

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Hackelia jessicae]01b Plants annual or biennial, without a persistent

branched base; basal leaves absent or soon withering, never forming persistent rosettes; flowers 1.5-4 mm across, blue (rarely white) with a yellow eye; moist woods and meadows across sAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Flowers 1.5-3(4) mm across; nutlet bodies 2-3 mm long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hackelia deflexa

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Hackelia americana]02b Flowers (4)5-7(8) mm across; nutlet bodies

3-4 mm long . . . . . . . . . Hackelia floribunda

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

16a

1a

2a

2b

3a

3b

2a

1a

16b

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lappula Stickseed01a Nutlets with a single row of prickles along the

edge; prickles flattened, often joined at the base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lappula occidentalis

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Lappula redowskii]01b Nutlets with 2 rows of prickles along the edge;

prickles slender, not joined at the base. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lappula squarrosa X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Lappula echinata]

lithospermum gromwell01a Leaves broadly lance-shaped; styles

conspicuously extending beyond the corollas; flowers dull white or greenish white, with pointed lobes typically converging around the style . . . . . . . . .Lithospermum occidentale

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Onosmodium molle]01b Leaves oblong-lance-shaped; styles included

within the corollas; flowers orange or yellow (sometimes green-tinged) with spreading, rounded lobes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Corollas bright yellow or orange, >10 mm long, with tubes well surpassing the calyxes and with lobes fringed or toothed; nutlets 3-4 mm long . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lithospermum incisum

02b Corollas pale yellow or greenish, <10 mm long, with tubes seldom much longer than the calyxes and with lobes smooth-edged; nutlets 4-6 mm long . . . . . .Lithospermum ruderale

mertensia Bluebells01a Plants 30-70 cm tall; upper leaf surfaces

rough-to-touch, with short, stiff, backward-pointing hairs; stem leaves egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, with distinct, arching side veins; widespread throughout AB (except in grasslands) . . . . . . . Mertensia paniculata

01b Plants 10-30 cm tall; upper leaf surfaces smooth or slightly roughened, hairless or with weak or soft hairs; stem leaves oblong to lance-shaped, without distinct side veins; restricted to swAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Roots shallow, tuberous, easily detached; basal leaves absent; stems leaves elliptic or egg-shaped; corollas 15-25 mm long, with tubes 2-3X as long as the expanded tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mertensia longiflora S2

02b Roots deeper, woody, firmly attached; basal leaves usually present; stem leaves mostly oblong-lance-shaped; corollas 10-15 mm long, with tubes ≈ the expanded tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mertensia lanceolata S2

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2b

2a

1a

2b

2a

1a

1b1a

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myosotis Forget-me-not01a Plants perennial, native, in subalpine to alpine

meadows; corollas 4-8 mm across . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Myosotis asiatica

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Myosotis alpestris]01b Plants annual or perennial, exotic, uncommon

weeds of disturbed ground; corollas 2-5 mm across . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

02a Plants perennial, calyxes with straight, flat-lying, forward-pointing hairs Myosotis laxa X

02b Plants annual, calyxes with some hooked, spreading hairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02

03a Fruiting stalks (pedicels) shorter than the calyxes; flower clusters extending almost to the base of the plant . . . . Myosotis stricta X

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Myosotis micrantha]03b Fruiting stalks longer than the calyxes; flower

clusters shorter than to slightly longer than the leafy part of the plant . .Myosotis arvensis X

3a3b

2a

1a

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references

Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS). 2018. List of all Vascular Plant Taxa Confirmed for Alberta as recorded in the ACIMS database - March 2018 in A. Parks, editor. ACIMS, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.

Britton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States and Canada. Reprinted by Dover Publications in 1970 edition. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, New York.

Boivin, B. 1972. Flora of the prairie provinces. Part III. Provancheria 4, Universite Laval, Quebec, QC.

Brouillet, L., F. Coursol, S.J. Meades, M. Favreau, M. Anions, P. Bélisle & P. Desmet. 2015. VASCAN, the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada. http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/

Budd, A. C., J. Looman, and K. F. Best. 2016. Budd’s flora of the Canadian prairie provinces. Volume 2. Dicots. Reprint edition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, North Charleston, SC.

Douglas, G. W., Straley, G.B., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar. 1998. Illustrated flora of British Columbia. Volume 2. Dicotyledons (Balsaminaceae through Cuscutaceae). British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, British Columbia.

Flora ID. 2017. Interactive plant keys for all native and naturalized vascular plants in the Pacific Northwest. Flora-id.org, Pendleton, Oregon. Accessed 2017. Flora.id@wechlink.us.

Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson. 1955-69. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington.

Kershaw, L., J. Gould, D. Johnson, and J. Lancaster, editors. 2001. Rare vascular plants of Alberta. University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta.

Lesica, P. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas.

Moss, E. H. 1983. Flora of Alberta. 2nd edition. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario.

Province of Alberta. 2016. Weed Control Act, Office Consolidation. Alberta Regulation 19/2010 with amendments up to and including Alberta Regulation 125/2016. Alberta Queen’s Printer, Edmonton, AB. Accessed 2018. www.qp.alberta.ca.

SASK Herbarium. 2006. Virtual herbarium of plants at risk in Saskatchewan: A natural heritage. Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan. Accessed 2019 09. http://www.usask.ca/biology/rareplants_sk.

Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

University of Alberta Herbarium. 2018. Online Vascular Plant Herbarium. University of Alberta Museums, Edmonton, AB. Accessed 2019 09. http://vascularplant.museums.ualberta.ca/.

Williams, L. O. 1937. A monograph of the genus Mertensia in North America. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 24:17-159.

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Scientific Name Illus. SourceAmsinckia menziesii H&C

Anchusa arvensis BC

Andersonglossum boreale H&C

Asperugo procumbens H&C

Borago officinalis H&CCryptantha celosioides H&CCryptantha fendleri H&C

Cryptantha kelseyana H&C

Cryptantha minima JM

Cynoglossum officinale H&C

Echium vulgare H&C

Hackelia deflexa H&CHackelia floribunda H&CHackelia micrantha H&C

Lappula occidentalis H&C

Lappula squarrosa H&C

Lithospermum incisum H&C

Lithospermum occidentale H&C

Lithospermum ruderale H&CMertensia lanceolata JMMertensia longiflora H&CMertensia paniculata H&C; B&BMyosotis arvensis H&C

Myosotis asiatica H&C

Myosotis laxa H&C

Myosotis stricta H&C

Nonea vesicaria LK

Plagiobothrys scouleri H&C

Symphytum officinale H&C

Key to Illustration Sources

B&B Britton and Brown (1913)

BC = Province of BC

H&C = Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson (1955-69)

JM = John Maywood.

LK - Linda Kershaw

List of Species and Illustration Sources

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IndexAmsinckia

menziesii 4Anchusa

arvensis 4Andersonglossum

boreale 3Asperugo

procumbens 3Boraginaceae 3Borago

officinalis 3Cryptantha 5

celosioides 5fendleri 5kelseyana 5macounii. See Cryptantha celosioidesminima 4, 5nubigena. See Cryptantha celosioides

Cynoglossumboreale. See Andersonglossum borealeofficinale 3virginianum. See Andersonglossum

borealeEchium

vulgare 3Hackelia 3, 5

americana. See Hackelia deflexadeflexa 5floribunda 5jessicae. See Hackelia micranthamicrantha 5

Lappula 3, 6echinata. See Lappula squarrosaoccidentalis 6redowskii. See Lappula occidentalissquarrosa 6

Lithospermum 4, 6incisum 6occidentale 6ruderale 6

Mertensia 4, 6lanceolata 6longiflora 6paniculata 6

Myosotis 4, 7alpestris. See Myosotis asiaticaarvensis 7asiatica 7laxa 7micrantha. See Myosotis strictastricta 7

Noneavesicaria 4

Onosmodiummolle. See Lithospermum occidentale

Plagiobothrysscouleri 5

Symphytumofficinale 4