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5 Ranunculaceae
Actaea pachypoda White Baneberry (Doll's Eyes; White Cohosh): large compound, toothed leaves, thick foot (stem) red with whitish bloom, filaments obscure petals and sepals (fall off) in racemes, white berries toxic (baneberry): cardiac glycoside, food for robins and mice.
Ranunculaceae
Delphinium tricorne Dwarf Larkspur: dolphin shaped, opposite 5-sepaled flowers for bees, upper sepal spurred: 4 petals, upper petals spurred into spurred sepal; bloom bottom-up, becoming smaller. 3-part seedpod: tips curl up when dry like a horn: tricorne. Toxic alkaloids, can kill cattle. Tuberous root.
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculus abortivus Small Flowered Buttercup (Kidney-Leaf Crowfoot): kidney-shaped basal rossette, cauline leaves sessile to short petiolate, 3-lobed like crow's foot. Biennial, 5 shiny yellow petals, numerous yellow stamens.
Ranunculaceae
Hydrastis canadensis Goldenseal: no petals, 3 small sepals fall off, numerou prominent stamens. red berries, yellow rhizome marked w/ stem scars. Roots & rhizome contain isoquinoline alkaloids: poisonous. overharvested medicinal herb as "herbal antibiotic": urinalysis mask drug test (from novel).
Umbelliferae (Carrot)
Erigenia bulbosa Harbinger of Spring: divided leaves, leafy bracts under tiny white flowers in small umbels, brown anthers (Pepper and Salt). Edible round tuber.
Berberidaceae
Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue Cohosh: triternately compound stemless leaf: whitish bloom, leaflets like Meadow Rue; 6 green sepals, 6 reduced petals. 2 enlarging seeds burst ovary, seed coats turn fleshy, blue, simulating 1-seeded berry! Alkaloids in seeds, crooked rootstock covered with matted roots.
Scrophulariaceae (Snapdragon)
Collinsia verna Blue-eyed Mary: opposite leaves. hardy winter annual, self-sow. 2 upper white, 3 lower blue lobes: center pouch hides stamens & pistil. Can self-pollinate.
Limnanthaceae (Meadow-foam)
Floerkea proserpinacoides False Mermaid: Weak, succulent hairy stem, 5 slender pinnate leaflets. Bell-shaped flowers nod on short thin stalks in axils, 3 tiny white petals 3 larger green hairy sepals. Globular, fleshy greenish fruits. Shade tolerant: can grow under maples. Threatened in MN, endangered in CT.
Rubiaceae (Bedstraw)
Houstonia caerulea Bluets: acidic soil, basal rosette of 5 lobes, smaller paired stem leaves. 4 petals pale blue to white, yellow eye. 2 forms: tall stamen/short style; short stamen/tall style, prevent self-fertilization.