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  Scrophulariaceae : Penstemon angustifolius

  R. Neil Reese

  Penstemon angustifolius is a perennial herb arising from a short-branched caudex, with 1-10, ascending to erect stems, 15-50 cm tall, often with a waxy coating. The basal thick leaves are sessile to having a short, winged petiole, linear to oblanceolate, 4-9 cm long and 2-18 mm wide, the margins entire. The cauline leaves are simple, sessile, clasping, opposite, linear to lanceolate, 3-11 cm long and 2-24 mm wide, the tips pointed with entire margins. All of the leaves are generally covered with a blue waxy coating. The inflorescence consist of 5-15 opposite pairs of flower clusters on short, peduncles arising from leaf axils in the upper plant, each cluster with 4 to 8 short-pedicellate flowers. The calyx is smooth and waxy, sometimes with a few short hairs, with 5 lobes, 4-8 mm long. The bilabiate corolla is white to lavender to blue, tubular, 14-20 mm long, 4-6 mm wide with violet to red-purple nectar guides on the inside. The 3 lobes of the lower lip and 2 lobes of the upper lip are slightly reflexed with a few white hairs on the inside of the lower lip. There are 4-fertile (2-short, 2-Long) stamen and a sterile staminode, that is bearded with yellow hairs. The fruit is an ovoid capsule 9-14 mm long. Narrowleaf beardtongue blooms in May and June on open prairies and sandhills in western South Dakota.

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  Scrophulariaceae: Penstemon gracilis

  R. Neil Reese

  Penstemon gracilis is a perennial herb with 1-several erect stems growing from a woody caudex, generally 20-50 cm tall and often reddish colored with glandular hairs toward the top. The simple basal leaves have a short, winged petiole, the lanceolate to ovate blade 2.5-7.5 cm long and 4-15 mm wide, with a few to many teeth. The linear to lanceolate cauline leaves are opposite, clasping the stem, 2.5=9 cm long and 2-15 mm wide, with similarly toothed margins. The leaves are smooth to sparsely hairy. The inflorescence is a panicle, 5-21 cm long, of 2-6 flowered axillary cymes. The 5 calyx lobes are 4-6 mm long and up to 2 mm wide, with glandular hairs. The corolla is bilabiate, 15-22 mm long, pale lavender to pink externally and lighter colored within. The slender corolla tube has glandular hairs, the throat is 4-6 mm wide, with darker lines inside and a beard of whitish hairs going back about halfway. The upper lip is reflexed, and the lower lip extended. The 4 black-tipped stamens hug the upper surface, and a sterile lower stamen forms a beard of yellow hairs. The fruit is a 6-8 mm long capsule. Slender beardtongue blooms from May to August on sandy or gravelly soil in prairies, valleys, and at lower elevations in mountains throughout much of South Dakota.

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  Scrophulariaceae : Penstemon grandiflorus

  R. Neil Reese

  Penstemon grandiflorus is a weakly perennial herb with 1-3 erect, smooth, waxy stems arising from a woody caudex growing up to about 1 m tall. The blue-green leaves are both basal and cauline, thick (succulent) and often covered in a waxy bloom, with entire margins. The basal and lower most stem leaves are shortly petiolate, spatula-shaped to orbicular, 3 to 16 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, rounded to pointed at the tip and tapering at the base. The sessile, opposite, ascending cauline leaves are 2- 9 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, more broadly egg-shaped, clasping at the base and reduced to bracts on the upper stem. The inflorescence consists of 3-9 clusters of flowers, with peduncles arising in the axils of the upper leaves, each cluster having 2-4 flowers on short pedicels. The green calyx has 5 lobes, 7-11 mm long. The bilabiate corolla is 35-48 mm long, abruptly inflated, lavender to bluish purple in color, the throat 15-18 mm wide, with magenta nectar guides on the inside. The lobes of the upper lip are spreading to reflexed, the lower lips spreading. The style and 4 stamens with black anthers hug the upper part of the tube and a white sterile stamen with a few yellow hairs on its tip is contained within the tube. The fruit is an ovoid capsule, 16-25 mm long containing several black to brown seeds up to 4 mm long. Large-flowered beardtongue blooms in May and June on prairies scattered throughout South Dakota.

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  Solanaceae : Physalis longifolia

  R. Neil Reese

  Physalis longifolia is a perennial herb from a deep caudex and spreading by shoots from lateral roots. The erect stems are usually single, 30-100 cm tall, often purplish, with a few sparse hairs, especially on younger shoots. The simple, alternate leaves have petioles 1-6 cm long and the blades are lanceolate to lance-linear or occasionally rounder approaching ovate, 3-13 cm long and 1-7 cm wide. The margins vary greatly from entire to wavey to unevenly toothed. The axillary flowers are usually single on a slender pedicel, 5-15 mm long and incr4easing in fruit. The calyx tube at anthesis is 7-12 mm long, the 5 lobes about half of the length, and with 10 lines of short hairs. The fused corolla is yellow with dark spots, 10-15 mm long. there are 5 stamens with yellow anthers, the filaments flattened and nearly as wide as the anthers. The fruit is a globose berry, yellow when ripe, 8-15 mm in diameter, surrounded by the papery calyx that extends to 2-3 cm in length. Longleaf ground cherry blooms from May into September on plains, prairies, open woodlands and roadsides in all but the extreme northeastern part of South Dakota.

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  Typhaceae : Typha angustifolia

  R. Neil Reese

  Typha angustifolia is a perennial herb of wetlands, arising from a stout, creeping rhizome and forming dense colonies, with simple stems reaching up to 3 m tall. The alternate leaves are both basal and cauline, stiff, linear and flat, green, 6-10 mm wide, the uppermost leaves usually reaching well above the flowering spikes. The rounded leaf sheath has a narrow papery edging, near the tip of the sheath where it meets the blade, especially the on upper leaves. The single stems are unbranched, erect and light green. The plants are monoecious, with the brown male flower spike above, up to 20 cm long, separated by 1-8 cm of bare rachis. The brown female spike is about the same length and width, reaching up to 2 cm in diameter in fruit. The fruit is an achene covered in white hairs and with a short stalk. Narrowleaf cattail blooms from May into July in wetlands throughout South Dakota.

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  Typhaceae : Typha latifolia

  R. Neil Reese

  Typha latifolia is a perennial herb of wetlands, arising from a stout, creeping rhizome and forming dense colonies, with simple stems reaching up to 3 m tall. The alternate leaves are both basal and cauline, stiff, linear and flat, green, 10-25 mm wide, the uppermost leaves usually not reaching much above the flowering spikes. The squarish leaf sheath has a narrow papery edging, near the tip of the sheath where it meets the blade. The single stems are unbranched, erect and light green. The plants are monoecious, with the yellowish male flower spike above, up to 25 cm long, generally directly adjacent to the female spike, and the flowers are rapidly deciduous after anthesis. The brown female spike is about the same length and width as the male, reaching up to 3.6 cm in diameter in fruit. The fruit is an achene covered in white hairs and with a short stalk. Broadleaf cattail blooms from May into July in wetlands throughout South Dakota.

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  Urticaceae: Laportea canadensis

  R Neil Reese

  Laportea canadensis is an unbranched, rhizomatous, perennial herb growing 40-100 cm tall. The stems, petioles, inflorescence branches and sometimes the leaf midribs are sparsely to densely covered with stinging hairs. The simple, alternate, petiolate leaves have ovate to elliptic blades, 8-20 cm long and 5-13 cm wide, rounded at the base and pointed at the tip, with petioles 3-11 cm long. The blade margins are toothed and the surfaces are smooth to covered in short bristly hairs. The plants are monoecious with the flowers in clusters in the upper leaf axils, female flowers above, reaching above the leaves and the male flowers below, not exceeding the leaves. The minute male flowers have 5 sepals and 5 stamens and the female flowers have 4 sepals, the inner pair larger than the outer pair which often abort. The fruit is an achene enclosed by the inner sepals. Wood nettle blooms from July into September in moist woods in eastern South Dakota.

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  Urticaceae : Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis

  R. Neil Reese

  Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis is a rhizomatous perennial herb with simple, erect, squarish stems, growing up to 3 m in height, with few to many stinging hairs on the stems. The alternate leaves are petiolate, the petioles equal to or shorter than the blades, with a sparse covering of stinging hairs and a pair of stipules at the base. The blades are larger and ovate toward the base, 1-6 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, and smaller, ovate to lanceolate towards the top, often somewhat folded lengthwise, the edges sharply toothed, the veins sunken on the upper surface and raised below. The upper surface of the leaf blades are typically hairless, with the lower surface being smooth, sometimes having a few tiny hairs, or stinging hairs. The plants are monoecious with clusters of male or female flowers in axillary panicles or sometimes in long string-like strands, usually in pairs, the inflorescence longer than the subtending leaf petiole. Both male and female flowers are 4-merous, tiny and indistinct, creamy green to pinkish in color. The fruit are ovate, tan to brown achenes about 1.5 mm long and <1 mm wide. Stinging nettle blooms from June into September in moist>woods, along streams, lakes and ditches throughout South Dakota.

  Synonym: Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis

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  Verbenaceae : Glandularia bipinnatifida

  R. Neil Reese

  Glandularia bipinnatifida is a prostrate to ascending, mat-forming, short-lived perennial herb growing from a somewhat woody, branched base, with stems up to 60 cm long, moderately to densely covered with bristly hairs. The stems occasionally rooting from the lower nodes. The petiolate leaves are opposite, 1-6 cm long, 3-parted to compound bipinnate, with stiff appressed hairs on both surfaces and rolled margins. The inflorescence consists of flattened spikes 1-20 cm long, on peduncles originating at the ends of branches. The tubular calyx is green, 7-10 mm long, with 5 unequal lobes, 1-4 mm long. The pink to purple corolla tube is about 1.5 times the length of the calyx, covered with hairs on the outside, with reflexed, notched limbs, 7-10 mm wide. The fruit are nutlets, 4-seeded, 2-3 mm long. Dakota mock vervain blooms from May into October on dry plains, prairies and along roadsides in the southern counties in South Dakota.

  Synonym: Verbena bipinnatifida

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  Verbenaceae : Verbena hastata

  R. Neil Reese

  Verbena hastata is a short-lived, perennial herb with square, green to reddish stems, usually branched above, with short, rough hairs, growing 0.5-2.5 m tall. The simple, opposite, petiolate, lanceolate to lance-ovate leaves are 4-18 cm long, toothed, pointed at the tip and often 3-lobed at the base. The lower leaf surface is hairy, the upper smooth to sparsely hairy and the veins appearing sunken. The inflorescence consists of stiff, terminal, many-flowered spikes. The flowers are subtended by small bracts. The calyx is 2.5-3 mm long, tubular and 5-toothed and hairy on the outer surface. The blue to purplish corolla tube is about twice as long as the calyx, with 5 reflexed lobes, 2-3 mm long. the fruit are 4 nutlets enclosed in the persistent calyx. Blue vervain blooms from June to October in moist meadows and woodland, along streams and springs in all but the NW corner of South Dakota.

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  Verbenaceae : Verbena stricta

  R. Neil Reese

  Verbena hastata is a short-lived, perennial herb with erect stems, usually branched above, with a dense covering of hairs, growing 20-120 cm in height. The simple, opposite, erect to spreading, ovate to orbicular leaves are 3-7 cm long, sessile or nearly so, toothed, broadly pointed at the tip. The lower leaf surface is densely covered in hairs with prominent veins, the upper is hairy and wrinkled. The inflorescence consists of 1-several stiff, terminal, many-flowered spikes on each branch. The flowers are subtended by small bracts about the size of the calyx. The calyx is 4-5 mm long, tubular and 5-toothed, and densely covered with hairs. The blue to purple, rarely white, hairy corolla tube is about slightly longer than the calyx, with 5 reflexed lobes that create a disk 8-9 mm across. The petal lobes are slightly unequal in size, the 2 lateral lobes largest and the lower lobe notched at the tip. The fruit are 4 nutlets, 2.5-3 mm long, enclosed in the persistent calyx. Hoary vervain blooms from May to September in pastures, prairies, along roadsides and in wastelands throughout South Dakota.

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  Violaceae : Viola canadensis

  R. Neil Reese

  Viola canadensis var. rugulosa is a caulescent, colony-forming, perennial herb, spreading by stolons, with 1-several stems growing 20-40 cm in height. The leaves are simple, green to grayish green, heart-shaped, shallowly toothed and hairy, especially along veins on the underside. There are 3-5 basal leaves with long petioles, the blades up to 10 cm wide, usually not quite as long, the edges scalloped and with pointed tips. The alternate cauline leaves are similar but generally more ovate, with membranous stipules 8-15 mm long. The flowers arise singly on a peduncle from the axils of the upper leaves. The 5 green sepals are 4-6 mm long, often with a few short hairs. The corolla is irregular with 5 petals, white on the inside, with a yellow base, and purplish on the outside. The spurred lower petal and the 2 lateral petals have purple lines toward the base, and the lateral petals are bearded (have tufts of hairs), and the upper 2 petals are usually hairless. There are 5 stamens surrounding the pistil and the style is usually bearded. The fruit is a capsule 6-10 mm long. Canada white violet blooms from May through August in woodlands in eastern and northwestern South Dakota.

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  Violaceae : Viola nephrophylla

  R. Neil Reese

  Viola nephrophylla is an acaulescent perennial herb growing from a branching caudex. The basal leaves have petioles 5-20 cm long with lanceolate stipules. The blades are simple, green, heart-shaped, smooth or occasionally having a few short hairs, the margins with shallow rounded teeth. The flowers develop on a peduncle that is as tall or taller than the leaves. The 5 green sepals are 5-7 mm long and usually hairless. The corolla is irregular, with 5 blue petals that are 10-20 mm long. The lower petal has a short spur, and it and the 2 lateral petals have a whitish base, are bearded (have tufts of hairs), and the upper 2 petals are usually hairless. Additionally, there are cleistogamous flowers (small flowers that don’t open) on erect to prostrate peduncles. The fruit is a smooth capsule 6-8 mm long. Northern bog violet blooms in May and June in moist prairies and along streams and lakes in all but the central region of South Dakota.

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  Violaceae : Viola pedatifida

  R. Neil Reese

  Viola pedatifida is an acaulescent perennial herb growing from an erect, ascending and sometimes branching caudex. The green basal leaves are up to 55 mm long by 87 mm wide, usually palmately 3-parted, with each part divided into linear lobes that are divided again, the margins with fine hair. The petioles are up to 15 cm long having narrowly lanceolate stipules. The flowers develop on a peduncle that is usually taller than the leaves. The 5 green sepals are 6-8 mm long and usually with small hairs. The corolla is irregular, with 5 violet to red violet petals that are 10-20 mm long. The lower petals are white at the base with dark violet veins, with a beard (tufts of hairs), and the upper 2 petals are usually hairless. Additionally, there are cleistogamous flowers (small flowers that don’t open) on erect to prostrate peduncles. The fruit is a smooth yellow green capsule 8-12 mm long. Prairie violet blooms from April to June in prairies and open woodlands in all but the central region of South Dakota.

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  Violaceae : Viola pubescens

  R. Neil Reese

  Viola pubescens is a caulescent perennial herb growing from an erect to horizontal rhizome, with 1-several erect to decumbent stems growing 10 to 40 cm in length and covered with a few to many spreading hairs. The leaves are alternate on the upper portion of the stem, broadly heart-shaped, blunt to rounded at the tip, 4-10 cm long and about as wide or wider. The surfaces are smooth to hairy, the margins have rounded teeth fringed with short hairs. The petioles can be shorter to longer than the blades, hairy with leafy stipules. Solitary flowers develop in the axils of leaves, with a peduncle that is shorter to longer than the leaf. The 5 green sepals are 6-10 mm long, pointed and with narrow white margins. The corolla is irregular, with 5 yellow petals that are 8-12 mm long. The lower petals have darker, purplish brown veins, the lower most swollen, the lateral pair of petals with a beard (tufts of hairs), and the upper 2 petals are usually hairless. Additionally, there are cleistogamous flowers (small flowers that don’t open) that develop in the upper axils. The fruit is a tan to brown ovoid capsule 8-12 mm long, wooly to sparsely hairy. Downy yellow violet blooms from March to June in woodlands, along streambanks and in thickets along the eastern and western borders of South Dakota.

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  Vitaceae : Vitis riparia

  R. Neil Reese

  Vitis riparia is a perennial viny shrub with stem growing to 25 m in length. The young branches are green to a dull reddish brown and the older stems are woody with exfoliating bark. The simple, alternate leaves have smooth petioles up to 8 cm long. The blades are 7-20 cm long and nearly as wide, shallowly to deeply palmately lobed. Leaves on fertile branches usually have 3 major lobes with a broad gaps between the 2 basal lobes. The leaves on vegetative branches are more evenly divided. The margins are hairy and sharply toothed. The inflorescence consist of pyramidal panicles 4-12 cm long, opposite the leaves of this year's new branches. The plants are monoecious, separate male and female flowers are typically on the same plant, mixed in a cluster or separate, tiny with 5 green to yellowish petals that drop without expanding. The male flowers have 5 long, erect to ascending stamens. The female flowers have a short style and 5 short sterile contorted stamens. The fruit are purple black berries, 7-11 mm in diameter. Riverbank grapes bloom in May and June with fruit ripening in July through September. They are found along streams, fence rows, in woodlands and ravines throughout South Dakota.