Ontario Wildflowers website

Wildflowers with Indistinguishable Flower Parts (Petals)

This is a list of species found on this site with Indistinguishable Flower Parts (Petals), in order by the Common Name that is used for each species on this site.
  
To see all  Species with Indistinguishable  in order by Common Name     START HERE
GO TO THUMBNAILS
For flowering trees and shrubs, please visit the Ontario Trees website.
 

Irregular    2 petals    3 petals    4 petals    5 petals    6 petals    7 or more    Indistinguishable

 
The number of petals a flower has can be an important key to identifying the flower. Newcombe's Wildflower Guide is based on this concept.
An important thing to remember about this concept is that the "number of petals" represents the number of apparent petals. This is not necessarily the botanically-correct number of petals. Oftentimes what appear to be petals are actually sepals or bracts. It is an aid to identification, not a botanical classification.
 
 

Irregular    2 petals    3 petals    4 petals    5 petals    6 petals    7 or more    Indistinguishable

 

THUMBNAILS
 

Amaranth, Green (Amaranthus retroflexus)
Amaranth, Green
(Amaranthus retroflexus)
Arrowgrass, Seaside (Triglochin maritima)
Arrowgrass, Seaside
(Triglochin maritima)
Aster, Upland White (Solidago ptarmicoides)
Aster, Upland White
(Solidago ptarmicoides)
Baneberry, Red (Actaea rubra)
Baneberry, Red
(Actaea rubra)
 
Baneberry, White (Actaea pachypoda)
Baneberry, White
(Actaea pachypoda)
Blazing Star, Spiked (Liatris spicata)
Blazing Star, Spiked
(Liatris spicata)
Bur Reed, Lesser (Sparganium americanum)
Bur Reed, Lesser
(Sparganium americanum)
Butterbur (Petasites japonicus)
Butterbur
(Petasites japonicus)
 
Cattail, Common (Typha latifolia)
Cattail, Common
(Typha latifolia)
Clearweed (Pilea pumila)
Clearweed
(Pilea pumila)
Creeper, Virginia (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Creeper, Virginia
(Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Goldenseal
(Hydrastis canadensis)
 
Joe Pye Weed, Sweet-scented (Eutrochium purpureum)
Joe Pye Weed, Sweet-scented
(Eutrochium purpureum)
Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus)
Lizard's Tail
(Saururus cernuus)
Pinweed, Hairy (Lechea mucronata)
Pinweed, Hairy
(Lechea mucronata)
Purslane, Milk (Euphorbia maculata)
Purslane, Milk
(Euphorbia maculata)
 
Pussytoes, Field (Antennaria neglecta)
Pussytoes, Field
(Antennaria neglecta)
Pussytoes, Parlin's (Antennaria parlinii)
Pussytoes, Parlin's
(Antennaria parlinii)
Saltwort, Common (Salsola tragus)
Saltwort, Common
(Salsola tragus)
Spurge, Cypress (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Spurge, Cypress
(Euphorbia cyparissias)
 
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Tansy
(Tanacetum vulgare)
Tearthumb, Arrow-leaved (Persicaria sagittata)
Tearthumb, Arrow-leaved
(Persicaria sagittata)
Tearthumb, Halberd-leaved (Persicaria arifolia)
Tearthumb, Halberd-leaved
(Persicaria arifolia)
Thistle, Bull (Cirsium vulgare)
Thistle, Bull
(Cirsium vulgare)
 
Thistle, Canada (Cirsium arvense)
Thistle, Canada
(Cirsium arvense)
Thistle, Field (Cirsium discolor)
Thistle, Field
(Cirsium discolor)
Thistle, Globe (Echinops sphaerocephalus)
Thistle, Globe
(Echinops sphaerocephalus)
Thistle, Hill's (Cirsium pumilum)
Thistle, Hill's
(Cirsium pumilum)
 
Thistle, Nodding (Carduus nutans)
Thistle, Nodding
(Carduus nutans)
Thistle, Pitcher's (Cirsium pitcheri)
Thistle, Pitcher's
(Cirsium pitcheri)
 
 
  
To see all  Species with Indistinguishable  in order by Common Name     START HERE