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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE MUSTARD FAMILY | |||||||||
| The mustard family can easily be
identified by the fruit types. In this family the fruit types are the silicle
and the silique. Both fruit types split open along two lines and have a
membranous partition in the center to which the seeds attach. The silicle
is long and thin, while the silicle is short and wide. The mustard family
can also be identified by the flowers. The flowers have four separate sepals
and four clawed petals arranged in a cross shape. There are four long stamens
and two short stamens. The mustard family is well known in Saskatchewan. Many people farm canola as a crop. Also, many vegetables we consume in North America come from this family including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts. |
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| OVALPURSE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Hutchinsia procumbens | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Ovalpurse grows 5 to 20 cm high from fibrous roots. This species is annual or biennial. The delicate stem is solitary and creeping or erect. The lower leaves are smooth edged to deeply lobed. There are few upper leaves on the stem. There are many flowers in unbranched clusters that elongate in fruit. The petals are the same length or slightly longer than the sepals. The petals are spatula-shaped and white. The silicle is elliptic to spoon-shaped and is slightly flattened at right angles to the central partition. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Ovalpurse grows in salty soil. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Ovalpurse is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in the province. This species is regionally restricted to one area of the province and population sizes are variable. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY OVALPURSE | |||||||||
| * Are the flowers white and spatula-shaped? * Are there four petals in a cross shape? * Is there more than one seed in each compartment of the pod? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found ovalpurse! | |||||||||
