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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE FOUR-O’CLOCK FAMILY | |||||||||
| Members of the four-o’clock family are rare in temperate regions such as Saskatchewan. These plants can be herbs, shrubs or trees, though in Saskatchewan, only herbs are present. The stems lie flat on the ground or are semi-erect. The leaves are always opposite and simple. The flowers are in branched, unbranched, or umbrella-like clusters. The most recognizable feature of this family is the presence of the large bracts. These bracts may sometimes be coloured, but are usually enlarged in fruit. | |||||||||
| SANDPUFFS | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Tripterocalyx micranthus | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Sandpuffs is a small, branched annual plant. The stem is fleshy and pale and is enlarged at the nodes. The leaves are in opposite pairs with glandular hairy leaf stalks. The leaves are oval to round in shape with noticeable veins. The flowers are relatively small and are in head-like clusters with five, separate bracts at the base. The sepals are greenish or whitish and the petals are lacking. In fruit, the bracts are enlarged into wings, which are membranous and pinkish in colour. The wings are strongly nerved. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Sandpuffs grow on sandy riverbanks. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Sandpuff is endangered in Saskatchewan and in Canada because it is extremely rare. This species is highly restricted in the province and is almost always locally sparse. Possible threats have been identified for this species including habitat loss due to dune stabilization and the presence of weedy species. In addition, most of the Canadian populations occur in a major oil field site. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SANDPUFFS | |||||||||
| * Do the fruits have pink wings? * Are the stems branched and low to the ground? * Is the stem fleshy and pale? * Did you find it in southwestern Saskatchewan on a sandy riverbank? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found sandpuffs! | |||||||||
