![]() |
Plant Taxonomy (BIOL308) - Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/ |
Plants to Know
A good taxonomist should have a working knowledge of the local flora. The follow is a listing of some of the common species in central Minnesota. (aug 27; sept 4; sept 12, sept 22; Oct 1; Oct 21 )
ACERACEAE - Maple family
- Acer ginnala - Amur maple
- Acer platanoides - Norway maple
- Acer rubrum - Red maple
- Acer saccharum - Sugar maple
- Acer saccharinum - Silver maple
- Acer negundo - Box elder
ALISMATACEAE – Water-plantain Family
- Sagittaria sp. – Arrowhead
AMARANTHACEAE - Amaranth Family
- Amaranthus retroflexus - Red-root pigweed
ANACARDIACEAE - Cashew Family
- Rhus aromatica - Fragrant sumac
- Rhus glabra - Smooth sumac
- Rhus typhina - Staghorn sumac
- Toxicodendron rydbergii
- Western poison ivy (=Rhus radicans )APIACEAE - Carrot Family
- Cryptotaenia canadense - Honewort
- Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake master
- Osmorhiza sp. - Sweet Cicely
- Osmorhiza claytonii - Sweet Cicely
- Sanicula marilandica - Black snakeroot
- Zizia aurea - Golden Alexander
AQUIFOLIACEAE - Holly Family
- Ilex verticillata - Winterberry
ARACEAE - Arum family
- Acorus calamus - Sweet flag
- Arisaema triphyllum - Jack in the pulpit
ARALIACEAE - Ginseng Family
- Aralia nudicaulis - Wild sarsaparilla
ARISTOLOCHIACEAE - Birthwort Family
- Asarum canadense - Wild ginger
ASCLEPIADACEAE - Milkweed Family
- Aclepias sp. - Milkweed
- Asclepias incarnata - Swamp milkweed
- Asclepias syriaca - Common milkweed
- Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly milkweed
ASTERACEAE (Compositae) - Sunflower Family
- Achillea millefolium - yarrow
- Ambrosia - Ragweed
- Ambrosia artemisiifolia - Common ragweed
- Ambrosia psilostachya - Western ragweed
- Antennaria sp. -Pussytoes
- Arctium minus - Burdock
- Artemisia - Sage, wormwood
- Artemisia absinthium - Wormwood sage
- Artemisia ludoviciana - Sage
- Artemisia frigida - Prairie sage
- Aster sp. – Aster
- Aster ericoides - Heath aster
- Bidens cernua - Stick-tight, Beggar-ticks
- Cirsium arvense - Canada thistle
- Conyza canadensis - Horseweed
- Echinacea angustifolia - Coneflower
- Erigeron sp. - Fleabane
- Eupatorium maculatum - Joe Pye Weed
- Eupatorium perfoliatum - Boneset
- Eupatorium rugosum - White snakeroot
- Galinsoga quadriradiata – Quickweed
- Helianthus sp. - Sunflower
- Heliopsis helianthoides - Ox-eye
- Heterotheca (Chyropsis) villosa - Golden aster
- Liatris sp. - Blazing star
- Ratibida columnifera - Praire coneflower
- Ratibida pinnata - Gray-headed coneflower
- Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eyed susan
- Solidago sp. - Goldenrod
- Solidago flexicaulis - Zig zag goldenrod
- Solidago nemoralis - Wand goldenrod
- Solidago rigida - Rough leaved Goldenrod
- Taraxacum officinale - Dandelion
- Tragopogon dubious - Goat’s beard
BALSAMINACEAE - Touch-Me-Not Family
- Impatiens capensis – Touch-me-not, jewelweed
BERBERIDACEAE - Barberry Family
- Caulophyllum thalictroides - Blue cohosh
BETULACEAE - Birch Family
- Alnus incana - Speckled alder
- Betula papyrifera - White or paper birch
- Betula nigra - River birch
- Carpinus caroliniana - Blue beech
, musclewood- Corylus sp. - Hazelnut
- Ostrya virginiana - Ironwood, Hop- hornbeam
BIGNONIACEAE - Bignonia Family
- Catalpa bignoniodes - Common catalpa
- Catalpa speciosa - Northern Catalpa
BORAGINACEAE - Borage Family
- Lithospermum canescens - Puccoon
BRASSICACEAE (Cruciferae) - Mustard Family
- Berteroa incana - Hoary alyssum
- Capsella bursa-pastoris - Shepard's purse
- Erucastrum gallicum - Dog mustard
- Nasturtium officinale - Watercress
CACTACEAE - Cactus family
- Opuntia fragilis - Brittle prickly pear
CAMPANULACEAE - Bellflower Family
- Campanula rotundifolia - Harebell
- Lobelia siphilitica - Great lobelia
CAPRIFOLIACEAE - Honeysuckle Family
- Lonicera tartarica - Honeysuckle
- Sambucus pubens - Red elder
- Symphoricarpos albus - Snowberry
- Symphoricarpos orbiculatus - Coralberry
- Viburnum sp. - Viburnum
- Viburnum trilobum - High bush cranberry
CARYOPHYLLACEAE - Pink Family
- Saponaria officinale - Bouncing bet
- Silene latifolia ssp. alba (= Lychnis alba, White campion)
CELASTRACEAE - Staff-Tree Family
- Celastrus scandens - Bittersweet
- Euonymus alatus - Winged euonymus, burning bush
CERATOPHYLLACEAE – Hornwort Family
- Ceratophyllum demersum – Coontail, hornwort
CHENOPODIACEAE - Goosefoot Family
- Chenopodium album - Lamb’s quarter’s
CONVOLVULACEAE - Morning Glory Family
- Convolvulus sp. - Morning glory
CORNACEAE - Dogwood Family
- Cornus - Dogwood
- Cornus alternifolia - Pagoda dogwood
- Cornus canadensis - Bunchberry
- Cornus foemina subsp. racemosa (=C. racemosa) Gray Dogwood
- Cornus stolonifera - Red osier dogwood
CUCURBITACEAE - Gourd Family
- Echinocystis lobata - Wild cucumber
CUPRESSACEAE - Cypress Family
- Thuja occidentalis – Northern white cedar, arborvitae
- Juniperus sp. - Juniper
- Juniperus virginiana - Eastern red cedar ; also Nov 8
CYPERACEAE - Sedge Family
- Carex sp. - sedge
- Cyperus sp. - Nut grass, umbrella sedge
- Scirpus sp. - Bulrush
ELEAGNACEAE - Oleaster Family
- Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian olive
EQUISETACEAE - Horsetail Family
- Equisetum sp. - Horsetail
ERICACEAE - Heath Family
- Arctostapylos uva-ursi – Bearberry
EUPHORBIACEAE - Spurge Family
- Euphorbia sp. - Spurge
- Euphorbia maculatum - spurge
- Euphorbia peplus - spurge
FABACEAE - Bean or Pulse Family
- Amorpha canescens - Lead plant
- Amorpha fruitcosa - False indigo
- Amphicarpaea bracteata - Hog-peanut
- Cercis canadansis - Red bud
- Coronilla varia - Crown vetch
- Dalea sp. - Prairie clover
Dalea candidum - White prairie clover
Dalea purpureum - Purple prairie clover
- Desmodium sp. - Tick trefoil
- Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey locust
- Gymnocladus dioica - Kentucky coffee tree
- Lespedeza capitata - Bush clover
- Lotus corniculatus - Birds-foot trefoil
- Medicago lupulina - Black medic
- Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
- Melilotus alba - White sweet clover
- Melilotus officinalis - Yellow sweet clover
- Robinia pseudoacacia - Black locust
- Trifolium arvense - Rabbit's foot clover
- Trifolium pratense - Red clover
- Trifolium repens - White clover
FAGACEAE - Beech Family
- Quercus alba - White oak
- Quercus bicolor - Swamp white oak
- Quercus macrocarpa - Bur oak
- Quercus rubra (= Q. borealis) - Northern red oak
- Quercus ellipsoidalis - Northern pin oak, Hill's oak
GENTIANACEAE - Gentian Family
- Gentiana andrewsii - Bottle gentian
GERANIACEAE - Geranium Family
- Geranium maculatum - Wild geranium
GINKGOACEAE - Ginkgo Family
- Ginkgo biloba - Maidenhair tree
GROSSULARIACEAE - Gooseberry Family
- Ribes sp. - Currants and gooseberries
HALORAGACEAE – Water-Milfoil Family
- Myriophyllum sibiricum – Water milfoil
HIPPOCASTANACEAE - Horsechestnut Family
- Aesculus glabra - Buckeye
HYPERICACEAE - St. John’s-Wort Family
- Hypericum perforatum - St. John’s wort
IRIDACEAE - Iris family
- Iris versicolor - Blue flag
- Sisyrinchium sp. - Blue-eyed grass
JUGLANDACEAE - Walnut family
- Juglans nigra - Black walnut
- Juglans cinerea - Butternut
LAMIACEAE (Labiatae) - Mint Family
- Agastache foeniculum - Giant hyssop
- Glechoma hederacea - Ground ivy
- Hedeoma hispida - Rough pennyroyal
- Lamium amplexicaule - Henbit
- Leonurus cardiaca - Motherwort
- Lycopus americanus - Cutleaf waterhorehound
- Monarda fistulosa - Wild bergamot
- Nepeta cataria - Catnip
- Prunella vulgaris - Self heal
- Pycnanthemum virginianum - Mountain mint
LEMNACEAE – Duckweed family
- Lemna sp. - Duckweed
- Lemna minor- Lesser duckweed
- Lemna trisulca - Star duckweed
- Spirodela sp - Greater duckweed
- Spirodela polyrhiza – Greater Duckweed
- Wolfia sp. - Water meal
- Wolfia columbiana - Water meal
LILIACEAE - Lily Family
- Allium stellatum - Prairie onion
- Asparagus officinalis - Wild asparagus
- Maianthemum canadense - Wild lily of the valley, Canada mayflower
- Polygonatum spp. - Solomon's seal
- Smilacina sp. – False Solomon’s seal
- Streptopus roseus – Twisted stalk
- Trillium cernuum - Nodding trillium
- Uvularia sp- Bellwort
MAGNOLIACEAE - Magnolia family
- Magnolia sp. - Magnolia
- Magnolia stellata - Star Magnolia
MALVACEAE - Mallow or Cotton family
- Malva neglecta - mallow
MOLLUGINACEAE - Carpetweed Family
- Mollugo verticillata - Carpetweed
NYMPHAEACEAE - Water lily Family
- Nuphar sp. – Spatterdock, Pond lily
- Nuphar luteum – Spatterdock, Pond lily
- Nymphaea sp. – Water lily
- Nymphaea odorata – Water lily
- Brasenia sp. – Water shield
- Brasenia schreiberi – Water shield
OLEACEAE - Olive family
- Syringa sp. - lilac
- Fraxinus pensylvanica - Green ash
- Fraxinus nigra - Black ash
ONAGRACEAE - Evening Primrose family
- Circaea lutetiana - Enchanter's nightshade
- Epilobium angustifolium - Fireweed
- Oenothera biennis - Evening primrose
ORCHIDACEAE - Orchid family
- Cypripedium reginae – Showy Lady Slipper
OXALIDACEAE - Sorrel Family
- Oxalis sp. - Wood sorrel
PAPAVERACEAE - Poppy Family
- Corydalis sempervirens - Pale corydalis
- Dicentra canadensis - Squirrel corn
- Dicentra cucullaria - Dutchman's breeches
- Sanguinaria canadensis - Bloodroot
PINACEAE - Pine family
- Abies balsamea - Balsam fir
- Abies concolor - White fir
- Larix laricina - Tamarack
- Picea sp. - Spruce
- Picea abies - Norway spruce
- Picea glauca - White spruce
- Picea mariana - Black spruce
- Picea pungens - Colorado blue spruce
- Pinus banksiana - Jack pine
- Pinus mugo - Swiss mountain pine, Mugho Pine
- Pinus nigra - Austrian pine
- Pinus ponderosa - Ponderosa pine
- Pinus resinosa - Red pine, Norway pine
- Pinus sylvestris - Scot's pine
- Pinus strobus - White pine
- Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas fir
- Tsuga canadensis - Hemlock
POACEAE - Grass Family
- Agropyron repens - Quack grass
- Agropyron trachycaulum - Slender wheat-grass
- Andropogon gerardii - Big bluestem
- Bouteloua curtipendula - Side oats grama grass
- Bouteloua gracilis - Blue grama
- Brachyeletrum erectum - Bearded shorthusk
- Bromus inermis - Smooth brome
- Cenchrus longispinus - Sandbur
- Elymus canadenis - Canada wild rye
- Oryzopsis asperifolia - Mountain rice-grass
- Phalaris arundinacea - Reed canary grass
- Phleum pratense - Timothy
- Phragmites australis - Reed grass
- Poa pratensis - Kentucky bluegrass
- Schizachyrium scoparium - Little bluestem
- Setaria sp. - Foxtail
- Sorghastrum nutans - Indian grass
- Spartina pectinata - Cord grass
- Stipa sp – Porcupine, needle grass
- Zizania palustris – Wild rice
PHYRMACEAE - Lopseed Family
- Phyrma leptostachya - Lopseed
PLANTAGINACEAE - Plantain Family
- Plantago major - Plantain
POLYGALACEAE - Milkwort Family
- Polygala sanguinea - Purple milkwort
POLYGONACEAE - Buckwheat Family
- Polygonum sp. - Smartweed
- Polygonum aviculare - Knotweed
- Polygonum convolvulus - Bindweed
- Rumex sp. - Dock
- Rumex crispus - Curly dock
PORTULACEAE - Purslane Family
- Portulaca oleracea - purslane
- Talinum parviflorum - fameflower
POTAMOGETONACEAE - Pond Weed Family
- Potamogeton sp. - Pond weed
PRIMULACEAE - Primrose Family
- Androsace occidentalis - Western androsace
RANUNCULACEAE - Buttercup or Crowfoot Family
- Actaea rubra - Baneberry
- Aquilegia canadensis - Wild columbine
- Anemone patens - Pasque flower
- Anemone quinquefolia - Wood anemone
- Anemone sp. – Anemone
- Caltha palustris - Marsh marigold
- Hepatica americana - Liverleaf, hepatica
- Ranunculus sp. - Buttercup
- Thalictrum sp. – Meadow rue
RHAMNACEAE -Buckthorn Family
- Rhamnus cathartica - European buckthorn
- Rhamnus frangula - Alder or Glossy buckthorn
ROSACEAE - Rose Family
- Fragaria sp. - Wild strawberry
- Amalanchier sp. - Serviceberry, shadbush, saskatoon
- Crataegus sp. - Hawthorne
- Geum triflorum - Prairie smoke
- Potentilla argentea - Silvery cinquefoil
- Rubus sp. - blackberry, raspberry
- Rosa sp. - Rose
- Prunus serotina - Black cherry
- Prunus virginiana – Choke-cherry
- Sorbaria sorbifolia - False, spiraea, Sorbaria
- Sorbus sp. - Mountain ash
- Spiraea alba - Meadowsweet
RUBIACEAE - Coffee Family
- Galium sp. - Bedstraw
- Hedyotis longistylis - Long-leaved bluets
RUTACEAE - Rue Family
- Phellodendron amurense - Amur corktree
- Zanthoxylum americanum - Prickly ash
SALICACEAE - Willow Family
Salix sp. - Willow
- Populus deltoides - Cottonwood
- Populus grandidentata - Large toothed aspen
- Populus tremuloides - Quaking aspen
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam popular
SARRACENIACEAE – Pitcher-plant Family
- Sarracenia purpurea – Pitcher plant
SAXIFRAGACEAE - Saxifrage Family
- Heuchera richardsonii - Alumroot
SCROPHULARIACEAE - Figwort Family
Linaria vulgaris - Butter & eggs
Penstemon sp. - Beardtongue, Penstemon
Penstemon gracilis - Slender beardtongue
Penstemon grandiflorus - Large flowered beardtongue
Scrophularia lanceolata - Figwort
Verbascum thapsus - Mullein
- Veronicastrum virginianum - Culver’s root
SOLANACEAE - Tomato Family
- Physalis virginiana - Ground cherry
- Solanum nigrum - Black nightshade
- Solanum dulcamara - Bitterwsweet nightshade
SPARGANIACEAE – But-reed Family
- Sparganium eurycarpum – Bur-reed
TAXACEAE Yew Family
- Taxus sp. - Yew
THYMELAEACEAE - Mezereum Family
Dirca palustris - Leatherwood
TYPHACAEAE - Cattail Family
Typha sp. - cattail
Typha angustifolia - Narrow-leaved cattail
- Typha latifolia - Broad-leaved cattail
Typha x glauca - hybrid between the two species above
TILIACEAE - Linden Family
- Tilia americana - Basswood, Linden
ULMACEAE - Elm Family
- Celtis occidentalis - Hackberry
- Ulmus americana - American elm
- Ulmus pumila - Chinese elm
- Ulmus rubra - Slippery elm
URTICACEAE - Nettle Family
- Laportea canadensis - Wood nettle
- Pilea pumila - Clearweed
- Urtica dioica - Stinging nettle
VERBENACEAE - Vervain Family
- Verbena bracteata - Creeping vervain
- Verbena hastata - Vervain
- Verbena stricta - Hoary Vervain
- Verbena urticifolia - White vervain
VIOLACEAE - Violet Family
- Viola sp. - violets
VITACEAE - Grape Family
- Vitis riparia – Wild or river grape
- Parthenocissus inserta – Wood bine, Virginia creeper
FERNS
- Adiantum pedatum - Maidenhair fern
- Osmunda claytoniana - Interrupted fern
- Woodsia ilvensis - Rusty woodsia
| Top | Plant Tax. Home | SGS Home | Disclaimer | |
Last updated:
09/03/2009 / � Copyright by SG
Saupe