The slender mouse-ear-cress can have single or branched stems, each ending with several white, 4-petaled flowers and seed pods containing many tiny seeds. It grows on flat to rolling open native prairie with sandy or loamy soils.
Did you know?
The leaves have ear-like lobes at the base and are covered in fine gray hairs, resembling mouse ears.
Slender mouse-ear-cress typically grows in areas that have had light disturbance from grazing.
Small-flowered Sand-verbena
Tripterocalyx micranthus
Endangered
The small-flowered sandverbena is an annual plant with highly branched stems, mostly trailing over the ground. It has paired leaves, and small greenish-white flowers arranged in dense clusters which turn into pinkish papery winged fruits. It grows in active or sparsely vegetated sand dunes, and on sandy slopes along rivers.
Did you know?
It can be confused with a look-alike species called sand dock (Rumex venosus). However, sand dock is a perennial with alternate leaves, papery sheaths around where the leaves join the stem, and more reddish coloring.
The wings surrounding the seed may contain a chemical that inhibits seed germination until conditions are right for growth.
Small White Lady's-Slipper
Cypripedium candidum
Endangered
The small white lady's-slipper is an attractive orchid with flowers that resemble a slipper due to a white pouch streaked with purple, and two side petals that are twisted and yellowish green. It grows in large clumps with each stem surrounded by two or four leaves, and is found in full sun on calcium-rich prairie openings in wooded grasslands, roadside ditches and moister tallgrass prairie.
Did you know?
It can take about 12 years for a plant to flower.
A key component in survival and recovery of tall grass prairie species is conservation of the little habitat that is remaining, such as the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve.
Smooth Goosefoot
Chenopodium subglabrum
Threatened
Smooth goosefoot is an annual plant, yellowish green in colour, with fleshy leaves and green clusters of flowers widely spaced along the branches. Smooth goosefoot grows in sandy soil on sparsely vegetated sand dunes.
Did you know?
Dune stabilization is one of the biggest threats to sand dune specialists; a combination of fire and grazing during appropriate times of the year, mimicking natural disturbance regimes, is likely most effective at maintaining open sand dune habitat.
Use of motorized or recreational vehicles (e.g. ATVs, motorbikes) in sand dunes can destroy sand dune plants and damage the habitat.
Invasive alien plants, such as leafy spurge, threaten to alter sand dune habitat making them unusable for sand dune species.
Soapweed (Yucca)
Yucca glauca
Threatened
Soapweed is a large plant with a crown of broad sword-like leaves. When flowering, it has a tall stalk topped with creamy white flowers. It thrives in arid regions such as dry coulee slopes.
Did you know?
Soapweed can only be pollinated by the yucca moth and the larve only eats the seeds of soapweed!
There are a few introduced populations, such as in Lethbridge and southern Saskatchewan.
Tiny Cryptantha
Cryptantha minima
Endangered
The tiny cryptantha is a small, bristly-haired annual plant. It has tiny white flowers with a yellow "eye" in the centre, and a small leaf-like bract at the base of each flower. It grows on sandy, rolling upland, valley slopes, or terraces in dry environments within a few km of rivers.
Did you know?
The fruit (calyx) each contain 4 nutlets; three are smaller and covered in bumps and the other is larger and smooth.
Tiny cryptantha seeds can germinate at temperatures below 0°C.
The bristles on the fruiting structures get caught on animal's fur as they pass by, helping to transport the seed.
Western Silvery Aster
Symphyotrichum sericeum
Threatened
The Western silvery aster has daisylike flowers with a yellowish-brown centre and bright pink to dark purple petals. Leaves are covered in silky hairs, giving it a silvery appearance. They are found on well-drained sandy or gravelly soils on prairie, roadside ditches, and openings in bur oak/trembling aspen woodlands.
Did you know?
Some populations occur along roadsides. Maintenance activities like mowing in late summer can impact western silvery aster if the flowering heads are removed before the seed is released.
Western silvery aster is threatened by gravel extraction, and invasion by non-native plants and woody species into prairie.
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
Platanthera praeclara
Endangered
The Western prairie fringed-orchid has a spike of large, white flowers with deeply fringed petal margins. It grows in wet, poorly drained tall grass prairie, roadside ditches, and sedge meadows on calcium rich or alkaline sandy and loamy soils.
Did you know?
Flowers are fragrant at night to attract the Sphinx moths which pollinate it.
It requires very specific soil conditions so altering the water tables in the areas around the plants can make the habitat unsuitable.
Plants are susceptible to spraying of herbicides and fertilizers, roadside maintenance activities prior to seed set, and overgrazing.