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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE PRIMROSE FAMILY | ||
| The primroses are common in temperate regions of the world. All of the plants in the primrose family are herbs. The stems can be leafy or with all the leaves in a basal rosette. If on the stem, the leaves are alternate, opposite, or whorled. The flowers are in various arrangements from umbrella-like clusters to solitary flowers in the leaf axils. The flowers have four or five sepals and petals of various colours. The fruit is a capsule that opens like a lid. | ||
| CHAFFWEED | ||
| LATIN NAME: Anagallis minima | ||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||
| Chaffweed is a low annual herb with creeping to erect stems. The leaves are alternate on the stem and the blades are egg-shaped. The flowers are very small and are solitary in the leaf axils. The flowers are pinkish in colour and have four or five sepals, petals, and stamens. The fruit is a capsule which releases several brown, pitted seeds. | ||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||
| Chaffweed grows in drying slough margins and prairie depressions. | ||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||
| This plant is found in southern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | ||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||
| Chaffweed is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is usually numerous but within limited areas. Possible threats have been identified for this species. | ||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY CHAFFWEED | ||
| * Are the leaves alternate on the stem? * Are the flowers tiny and pinkish? * Is the fruit a capsule that opens like a lid? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found chaffweed! | ||
