Aquatic and Wetland Plants Lab ID

Cupressaceae

Taxodium distichum

Bald Cypress

OBL

Synapomorphies: soccer ball-shaped cones

Characteristics: deciduous soft needles, scratchy bark.

Poaceae

Sorghum halepense

Johnson grass

FACU

Synapomorphies: long light stripe in center of leaf

Characteristics: panicle inflorescence, reddish color

Polygonaceae

Persicaria pensylvanicum

Pensylvania smartweed

FACW

Synapomorphy: hairless ochrea

Characteristics: pink to purple flowers in a raceme

Convulvulaceae

Calystegia sepium

Appalachian false bindweed

FAC

Synapomorphies: climbing/twining habit, arrow-shaped leaves

Characteristics: two bracts at base of corolla, fused and symmetrical corolla

Salicaceae

Salix exigua

Coyote/sandbar willow

FACW

Synapomorphies: leaf margins with 1-5 teeth per cm, hairy capsules on fruit

Characteristics: woody plant, narrow leaves with acuminate tip and toothed margins

Bignoniaceae

Campsis radicans

Trumpet creeper

FAC

Synapomorphies: woody vine, orange-red tubular flowers, fruit is a long pod with feathery seeds inside

Characteristics: opposite, pinnately compound leaves, 7-11 leaflets, serrated margins

Malvaceae

Sida spinosa

Prickly fanpetals

FACU

Synapomorphies; spiny stipule where leaf attaches, lanceolate leaves with serrated margins

Characteristics: yellow flowers with fused calyx, presence of epicalyx (extra whorl of bracts below calyx)

Dryopteridaceae

Onoclea sensibilis

sensitive fern

FACW

Synapomorphies: large fronds are sterile, separate smaller frond has all the spores

Characteristics: dimorphic fronds, sterile fronds pinnatified

Vitaceae

Ampelopsis cordata

raccoon grape

FAC

Synapomorphies: simple, slightly lobed leaves in cordate shape with toothed margins

Characteristics: climbing vine with tendrils, flowers in clusters.

Polygonaceae

Persicaria hydropiperoides

false water pepper

OBL

Synapomorphies: 2-10 mm cilia coming from ochrea

Characteristics: flowers not as dense in raceme, often stoloniferous, flowers light pink to dark pink/purple

Fagaceae

Quercus bicolor

Swamp white oak

FACW

Synapomorphies: acorn attached to long peduncle

Characteristics: shallowly lobed leaves, broadest at apex

Typhaceae

Typha angustifolia

narrow-leaved cattail

OBL

Synapomorphies: more than 2 cm between male and female flower clusters, leaves less than 10 cm wide

Characteristics: cylindrical floral clusters, each one turning into single seeded capsule, parallel venation, leaves alternate

Poaceae

Arundinaria giganita

Giant cane

FACW

Bisexual flowers, stems perennial, can become woody

Asteraceae

Vernonia gigantea

Tall ironweed

FAC

less than 30 flowers per head, trichomes (short straight hairs) on bottom of leaf

Balsaminaceae

Impatiens capensis

Orange touch-me-not

FACW

Orange flowers

Poaceae

Microstegium vimineum

Japanese stiltgrass

FAC

fruits in spikelets in pairs, ciliate hairs where sheath of leaf meets stem, spread stoloniferously

Urticaceae

Pilea pumila

clearweed

FACW

Distinct arcuate venation, serrated margin, white flowers in axillary clusters

Asteraceae

Rudbeckia laciniata

cutleaf coneflower

FACW

Yellow ray florets, disc florets on arching receptacle, greenish disc florets especially when young, distinct lobed, jagged leaves

Campanulaceae

Lobelia siphilitica

great blue lobelia

FACW

Fused corolla divided into two lips, no globous looking structure at base, stamens aggregated around style, bluish white flowers, slit-like openings at base of flower, calyx has oracles

Araceae

Lemna minor

common duckweed

OBL

1-5 mm, floating, primarily asexual. Each thallus has single roots

Araceae

Wolffia columbiana

colombian watermeal

OBL

very small, almost microscopic. like still or slow-flowing waters, vegetative reproduction by budding

Platanaceae

Platanus occidentalis

sycamore

FACW

distinctive bark and leaves

Salicaceae

Salix nigra

black willow

FACW

leafy stipules paired where leaf meets stem, much more serrations in leaf margin

Asteraceae

Eclipta prostrata

false daisy

FAC/FACW

Whitish disc florets, extremely reduced pappus, creeping form, disturbed moist environments

Cyperaceae

Cyperus strigosus

straw-colored flat sedge

FACW

Achenes not enclosed, terminal clusters of spikelets with overlapping scales, smooth stems, no trichomes, very dense golden-colored scales

Typhaceae

Typha latifolia

common cattail

OBL

Male flower very close to female flowers, wider leaves

Rubiaceae

Diodia virginiana

Virginia buttonweed

FACW

Opposite leaves, white corolla, axillary flowers

Potamogetonaceae

Potamogeton nodosus

Longleaf pondweed

OBL

herbaceous, submerged or floating, parallel venation. Spike inflorescence

Onagraceae

Ludwigia peploides

creeping water-primrose

OBL

creeping stems, no hair, yellow flowers in 4-7 petals, opposite entire leaves

Malvaceae

Hibiscus moscheutos

rose mallow

FACW

6 or more bracts, 5 styles. simple leaves, calyx and lower leaf stellate-pubescent, flowers white to light pink

Acanthaceae

Justicia americana

northern water plantain

OBL

opposite and simple leaves, axillary flower clusters, bilobate corolla, two stamens. When fruiting peduncles are longer than petioles, corolla often white with one purple lip

Nymphaceae

Nuphar advena

yellow pond lily

OBL

aquatic herb with floating/submerged leaves, very long petioles, simple leaves with basal notch, rounded lobes, yellow spherical flowers

Asteraceae

Eupatorium fistolosum

hollow-stemmed joe pye weed

FACW

whorled leaves, purplish/pinky flowers, 4-8 disc florets per head. Half-moon shape, stems glabrous, purplish, and glaucous

Lamiaceae

Lycopus uniflorus

northern water horehound

OBL

suare stem, bilabate corollas densely clustered in leaf axils, white corollas, stolon does not have tubers

Cyperaceae

Eleocharis ovata

small-flowered ovate spikerush

OBL

spikelet has scales, looking almost like a small cone, arranged spirally. Stems have no leaves, plants in clumpy habit and shorter/more delicate

Cyperaceae

Scirpus cyperinus

woolgrass

FACW

multiple drooping infructescences, clumping habit, long peduncles, wooly appearance to flowers

Cyperaceae

Sparganium americanum

American bur-reed

OBL

Distinctive bur-like seeds, teardrop achenes, globose to cylindrical shaped infructesences

Campanulaceae

Lobelia inflata

Indian tobacco

FACU

Blue or white flowers, no slit at base of corolla, flowers more loosely arranged

Rosaceae

Rosa multiflora

multiflora rose

FACU

spiny, invasive

Asteraceae

Silphium terebinthinaceum

Basil-leaved rosinweed

FACU

Deeply lobed leaves, very tall, yellow ray florets, sandpapery texture on leaves

Caprifoliaceae

Lonicera japonica

Japanese honeysuckle

FAC

invasive, climbing habit, black drupe fruit, woody liana, yellow/white bilobate flowers

Polygonaceae

Persicaria lapathifolia

Dark-leaved smartweed

FACW

Tall plant, short cilia on ochrea, white/pale pink calyx,slightly pubescent

Fabaceae

Apios americana

American ground nut

FACW

Trifoliate leaves, bean fruit, nitrogen fixer, climbing habit, banner petal/racime cluster

Asteraceae

Conoclinum coelestinum

Blue mist flower

FACW

No ray florets, dark blue/purple disc florets, opposite leaves, 1.5-2 ft tall

Sapindaceae

Acer rubrum

Red maple

FAC/FACW

Leaves have serrated margins, samara fruit

Campanulaceae

Lobelia cardinalis

Cardinal flower

FACW

Bright red flowers, bilabate corolla

Balsaminaceae

Impatiens pallida

yellow jewelweed

FACW

yellow corolla

Pontederiaceae

Pontedaria cordata

pickerel weed

FACW

Herbaceous, floating or rooted. Flowers in simple solitary spike, heart shaped leaf, bilobate bluish purple flowers sometimes with light yellow markings

Poaceae

Elymus virginicus

Virginia wild rye

FACW

spikelets in long infructescence, two at each node. Has glumes (green structures protecting fruit). Awns stick up towards apex

Saururaceae

Saururus cernuus

Lizards tail

OBL

Typically found in shallow water, alt simple cordate leaf, flowers lack calyx or corolla and in drooping white spike

Nymphaceae

Nymphaea odorata

Fragrant water lily

OBL

simple peltate leaves with angled lobes, corolla white or pink, lateral veins come from leaf base

Asteraceae

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Boneset

FACW

perfoliate leaves, white flowers

Poaceae 

Leersia virginica

Virginia cutgrass

FACW

Rough leaf sheath and blade edges, lowest node of panicle within one branch

Hydrocharitaceae

Najas minor

Eutrophic water nymph

OBL

Simple leaves, achene fruit, submerged rooted plants, in slow streams/ponds, opposite whorled leaves, multicellular teeth

Bignoniaceae

Catalpa speciosa

northern catalpa

FAC

large flowers, long cylindric capsule fruits, simple cordate leaves with palmate venation

Ceratophyllaceae

Ceratophyllum demersum

hornwort

OBL

float close to surface, rootless, leaves whorled and forked, less teeth than najas

Cyperaceae

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani

softstem bullrush

OBL

spongy stem, infructescence droops to one side