Alternate Leaved Forbs
Species in this group are biennial or perennial forbs with alternate leaves. Species can be differentiated based on overall plant size; leaf size and shape; and flower size, shape, and color.
The buttons below lead to large families whose members have alternate leaves. They are given their own pages so you can easily find a species.
To view or download a PDF version of this page, click here.
Resource Table
| Classification | Common Name | Other Common Names | Scientific Name | Other Scientific Names | Resources | Videos | Weed ID slides ppt (AGR 375) | National Distribution Map | Look-Alike Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Aquatic forget-me-not | Myosotis scorpioides | Link | Myosotis spp. | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Balfour's touch-me-not | Impatiens balfourii | Link | Impatiens balfourii | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Creeping bellflower | Campanula rapunculoides | UWEX Factsheet Link | Video | Campanula rapunculoides | National Map | |||
| Restricted | Crown vetch | Securigera varia | Coronilla varia | UWEX Factsheet Link | Video | Securigera varia | National Map | ||
| Restricted | Cypress spurge | Euphorbia cyparissias | Link | Euphorbia cyparissias | National Map | ||||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Dalmatian toadflax | Linaria dalmatica | Link | Linaria dalmatica | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Greater celandine | celandine | Chelidonium majus | Link | Chelidonium majus | National Map | |||
| Prohibited | Grecian foxglove | Digitalis lanata | Link 1 Link 2 | Digitalis lanata | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Helleborine orchid | Epipactis helleborine | Link | Epipactis helleborine | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Hound's tongue | Cynoglossum officinale | Link | Cynoglossum officinale | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Leafy spurge | Euphorbia esula | UWEX Factsheet Link | Video | Euphorbia esula | National Map | |||
| Prohibited | Lesser celandine | Fig buttercup | Ficaria verna | Ranunculus ficaria | Link | Video | Ficaria verna | National Map | |
| Restricted | Queen of the meadow | Filipendula ulmaria | Link 1 Link 2 | Filipendula ulmaria | National Map | ||||
| Prohibited | Sericea lespedeza | Chinese lespedeza | Lespedeza cuneata | Lespedeza sericea | UWEX Factsheet Link | Lespedeza cuneata | National Map | ||
| Not Regulated | Sweet-clovers | Melilotus albus Melilotus officinalis | Link 1 Link 2 | Melilotus spp | National Map 1 National Map 2 | ||||
| Not Regulated | Birds-foot trefoil | Lotus corniculatus | Link 1 | Lotus corniculatus | National Map | ||||
| Restricted | Woodland forget-me-not | Myosotis sylvatica | Link 1 Link 2 | Myosotis spp. | National Map |
Species Summary Table
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Leaves | Flowers | Fruits | Leaf Division | Flower Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campanula rapunculoides | Creeping bellflower | Heart-shaped, coarsely-toothed; getting smaller and stalkless at top of plant | Bell-shaped purple flowers, 1” long, arranged on one side of stem; June – Oct. | 50-150 seeds from each flower | Simple | Blue |
| Chelidonium majus | Greater celandine | Simple leaves, but deeply lobed with 5-9 lobes with rounded teeth; blue-green to green in color; broken stem exudes yellow to orange sap | Cluster of 3-8 yellow flowers, each about ¾”, May – Aug. | Slender seed pod, ¾ - 2” long | Simple (deeply lobed) | Yellow |
| Cynoglossum officinale | Hound’s tongue | Toothless, hairy leaves up to 5” long with pointed tip, smaller and shorter- stalked at top of plant | Racemes of 5-petaled maroon-purple 1/3” flowers; May- July | ½” across, 4- sectioned fruited covered in hooked hairs | Simple | Maroon |
| Digitalis lanata | Grecian foxglove | Stalkless, toothed oval to lance shaped; usually 3-5 parallel veins | Elongated spike at top of plant; 1” long flowers with 1/3” long bowl-shaped tube; creamy white with brownish venation; June- Aug. | Pod covered with hooked hairs | Simple | Yellowish brown with white lip |
| Epipactis helleborine | Helleborine orchid | Toothless, stalkless leaves clasp stem; 1 ½ - 6” long, oval to lance shaped with pointed tips and prominent parallel veins | Up to 50 irregular, ½ - ¾” flowers arranged in spike-like cluster; lower petal forms bowl, 2 lateral petals flare out above center column; color from pale yellow to green to pink to deep red- purple; July – Aug. | Egg-shaped capsules | Simple | Pale yellow to green to pink to deep red-purple |
| Euphorbia cyparissias | Cypress spurge | 1/8” wide leaves up to 1 ½” long, larger at top of plant; densely packed on young plants, so leaves may look whorled or opposite; dark green to blue green; milky sap | Flat to round cluster of yellow-green flower structures; pair of ¼” yellowish bracts that look like petals surround 4 tiny flat glands; whorl of 10+ leaf-like bracts at base of terminal flower cluster; May – Aug. | 3-sectioned capsule, 1/8” across, covered in tiny bumps | Simple | Yellow |
| Euphorbia esula | Leafy spurge | Narrow leaves 1-3” long, larger at top of plant; milky sap | Flowers very similar to cypress spurge; plant overall larger; May – Sept. | Same as cypress spurge | Simple | Yellow |
| Ficaria verna | Lesser celandine | Dark green, shiny, kidney to heart- shaped leaves ¾ - 2” long in basal rosette | Bright butter yellow 1” flowers with 8 – 12 petals; 3 green sepals at base of flowers; Mar – Apr. | 1/3” seedheads with ~15 dry ¼” long seeds | Simple | Yellow |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Queen of the meadow | Compound, toothed, 5-9 leaflets; terminal leaflet with 3-5 lobes; upper surface smooth; underside densely hairy; pair of stipules at base of stalk | Branching clusters of ¼- 1/3” white, 5-petaled fragrant flowers bloom from bottom of cluster up; June- Aug. | Slender, twisted, ridged seed up to ¼”; ripens from green to brown | Pinnately compound | White |
| Impatiens balfourii | Balfour’s touch- me-not | Oval-shaped leaves with long tip, serrated edges | Long stalks of 4-8 pinkish-purple flowers; petals fused to form hood and twin lips; | 1” pods, eject seeds when touched | Simple | Pink and white |
| Lespedeza cuneata | Sericea lespedeza | Compound with 3 hairy leaflets with wedge-shaped bases | 1-4 pea-like flowers in leaf axils; white to cream petals with purple at base; early fall | Hairy seed pod ~1/10” wide | Trifoliate | White to cream |
| Linaria dalmatica | Dalmatian toadflax | Stalkless toothless leaves; waxy layer gives bluish hue | Raceme of yellow flowers; petals form two lips, an orange throat, + long spur; May – Aug. | Pods ½” long; winged black to brown seeds | Simple | Yellow |
| Lotus corniculatus | Birdsfoot trefoil | Pinnately compound with 5 leaflets, but 2 leaflets are held near the petiole base, appearing like stipules | Umbels of yellow, pea-like flowers; June–Aug. | Narrow legumes, round in cross-section | Pinnately compound | Yellow |
| Melilotus spp. | sweet-clovers | Trifoliate leaves, leaflets egg-shaped, with toothed margins | Elongated racemes of small yellow or white pea-like flowers; June–Oct. | Tiny pod with 1 or 2 seeds | Trifoliate | Yellow or white |
| Myosotis scorpioides | Aquatic forget- me-not | Sparsely hairy, 1-3” long, ¼ - ¾” wide, smaller at top of stem; edges may have hairs esp. at base | Raceme of stalked flowers at tips of branching stems, bright to pale blue ¼ - 1/3” tubular flowers with 5 lobes + yellow center; flattened on top; May – Sept. | 4-parted fruit splits into 4 dark, shiny, egg shaped nutlets <1/10” | Simple | Blue with yellow center |
| Myosotis sylvatica | Woodland forget- me-not | Sparsely hairy, 1-3” long, ¼ - ¾” wide, smaller at top of stem; edges fringed with short hairs | Raceme of stalked flowers at tips of branching stems; blue to pinkish-purple ¼ - 1/3” tubular flowers with 5 lobes + yellow center; flattened on top; May – Sept. | 4-parted fruit splits into 4 dark, shiny, egg shaped nutlets <1/10” | Simple | Blue with yellow center |
| Securigera varia | Purple crown vetch | Compound leaves 2-4” long with 12-25 leaflets; leaflets up to ¾” wide, 1 ½” long, rounded at both ends | 1” round clusters of up to 25 pea-shaped ½” long pink flowers; lower petals paler than upper petals | Finger-like cluster of thin 2” pods that ripen to reddish- brown | Pinnately compound | Purple and white |