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Venus' looking glass

Also known as: Clasping Venus' looking-glass

Triodanis perfoliata (L.) Nieuw.

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Venus' looking glass
Venus' looking glass
Venus' looking glass leaves
Venus' looking glass flowers
Venus' looking glass
Venus' looking glass
Venus' looking glass

Morphology

Stem
Erect, slender, mostly 5-angled, simple or branched from bases, densely leafy, somewhat hairy.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, clasping, heart-shaped to broadly ovate, 1/4 to 1 inch long, 1/3 to 1 inch wide, glabrous above, rough-hairy below; margins round toothed or pointed toothed; tips broadly pointed to rounded.
Inflorescence
1-3 flowers sessile in leaf axil; bracts heart-shaped to broadly ovate.
Flower
Calyx lobes narrowly triangular; flowers of 2 forms; upper flowers open at pollination, circular in outline, 1/2 to 1 inch wide; corollas purple to blue, sometimes with white streaks; petals 5, united at bases; lower flowers small, closed, self-pollinating; corollas purple to blue.
Fruit
Capsules, egg-shaped, 1/4 inch long; seeds numerous, brown.

Ecology

Habitat
Dry sandy or gravelly prairies, pastures, waste ground, and occasionally woodlands.
Distribution
Throughout except extreme west of Kansas.
Reproduction
None

Practical Information

Toxicity
None
Forage Value
None
Uses
None

Additional Notes

Comments

None

Special Notes: Related to Slender or slimpod Venus' looking-glass
Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Campanulaceae - Bellflower family
Life Span
Annual
Height
4-40 inches (typically 6-20 inches)
Last Updated
2007-09-03
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: May, June, July