Maianthemum canadense
 
Wild Lily-Of-The-Valley

Basal Leaf Blade Bottom

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
08-June-2012

bullet

Canadense:  Answers to key questions leading to this species, from Lilies, Irises & Orchids of Saskatchewan by Vernon L. Harms and Anna L. Leighton. The answers are in the order you would normally work through the key.
bullet

Rhizomes at most 4.5 mm wide; inflorescence a raceme with one or more flowers attached at each node on the rachis; flowers fewer than 70; pedicels equal to or longer than the flowers; filaments narrow, not tepal-like; plants smaller, less than 40 (50) cm high. NOT [Rhizomes 5-8 (14) mm wide; inflorescence a dense panicle, pyramidal in shape when the lower branches well-developed; flowers numerous, 70 to over 200; pedicels much shorter than the flowers; filaments wide, tepal-like; plants large, to 125 cm high.]

bullet

Flowers 2-merous (tepals 4, stamens 4), attached to the rachis in groups of 1-4; leaf blades ovate, cordate at base, extending horizontally or nearly so from the stem, sessile or with petioles 1-7 mm long. NOT [Flowers 3-merous (tepals 6, stamens 6), attached singly to the rachis; leaf blades ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, tapered at the base, not extending horizontally from the stem, sessile, lacking petioles.]

 
bullet

Maianthemum: Answers to key questions leading to this genus, from Lilies, Irises & Orchids of Saskatchewan by Vernon L. Harms and Anna L. Leighton.  The answers are in the order you would normally work through the key.
bullet

Flowers terminal, either single or grouped in an umbel, raceme or panicle.  NOT [Flowers axillary, suspended on delicate stalks from leaf axils, either singly or in few-flowered clusters (leaves small and scale-like in Asparagus).]

bullet

Flowers several-to-many in an umbel, raceme or panicle.  NOT [Flowers single (occasionally Hypoxis has a single flower but it is unique in having an inferior ovary).]

bullet

Inflorescence a raceme or panicle. NOT [Inflorescence an umbel.]

bullet

Leaves cauline, sessile or nearly so; blades lanceolate, elliptic or ovate; fruit a berry. NOT [Leaves basal or subbasal; blades narrow, grass-like; fruit a capsule.]

 

bullet

Liliaceae: Answers to key questions leading to this family, from Lilies, Irises & Orchids of Saskatchewan by Vernon L. Harms and Anna L. Leighton. 
bullet

Ovary positioned above the attachment point of the other flower parts (ovary superior) or with the other parts attached partway up the ovary wall (ovary partly inferior) or, if ovary positioned below the attachment point (ovary inferior), then stamen number 6 (Hypoxis); stamens 3 or 6 (rarely 4); fruit a capsule or berry.  NOT [Ovary positioned below the attachment point of the other flower parts (ovary inferior); stamens 1-3; fruit a capsule.]