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Plant Identification, Foraging, and Ecology with Thomas J. Elpel

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Hydrophyllaceae: Waterleaf Family Plant Identification Characteristics.

Hydrophyllaceae
Plants of the Waterleaf Family

      The Waterleaf family is now considered a subfamily of the Borage Family. The flowers of this family often have a "dainty" appearance because the stamens frequently dangle so far out of the little blossoms. The flowers are typically small and often clustered together. The flower stalks often curl over, much like a scorpion tail. The flowers are regular and bisexual with 5 united sepals, 5 united petals and 5 stamens attached to the base of the petals. The ovary is positioned superior. It consists of 2 (rarely 4) united carpels (syncarpous), forming a single chamber. It matures as a capsule with a variable number of seeds. Like other members of the Borage family, the plants are often hairy. Worldwide, the traditional Waterleaf family includes about 20 genera and 270 species. Sixteen genera are native to North America. The species I am familiar with seem mildly astringent.

Key Words: Small, hairy plants with parts in fives, united.

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Hydrophyllum capitatum. Waterleaf.

Hydrophyllum capitatum. Waterleaf.

Hydrophyllum capitatum. Waterleaf.

Hydrophyllum capitatum. Waterleaf.

Phacelia linearis. Threadleaf Phacelia.

Phacelia linearis. Threadleaf Phacelia.

Phacelia linearis. Threadleaf Phacelia.

Phacelia linearis. Threadleaf Phacelia.

Phacelia franklinii. Franklin's Phacelia.

Phacelia franklinii. Franklin's Phacelia.

Phacelia franklinii. Franklin's Phacelia.

Phacelia franklinii. Franklin's Phacelia.

Phacelia hastata. Scorpian Weed.

Phacelia hastata. Scorpian Weed.

Phacelia leptosepala. Alpine Phacelia.

Phacelia leptosepala. Alpine Phacelia. Tobacco Root Mountains. Pony, Montana.

 Phacelia crenulata. Phacelia.

Phacelia crenulata. Phacelia. Arizona.

Foraging the Mountain West
Foraging the Mountain West
Hesperochiron californicus. California hesperochiron.

Hesperochiron californicus. California hesperochiron.

Hesperochiron californicus. California hesperochiron.

Hesperochiron californicus. California hesperochiron. Photographed in northern Nevada.

There are more
Waterleaf Family pictures
at PlantSystematics.org.


Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
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Botany in a Day
Foraging the Mountain West
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Foraging the Mountain West

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Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
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