Puzzling Pairs Through the Years

IRIS 91 Winter 2023

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Sticky shootingstar
(Primula conjugens var. viscida)

Saline shootingstar
(Primula pauciflora var. pauciflora)

IRIS 90 Summer 2022

Western false-Solomon-seal
(Maianthemum amplexicaule)

Starflower false-Solomon-seal
(Maianthemum stellatum)

IRIS 90 Summer 2022

Three-leaved-false-Solomon-seal
(Maianthemum trifolium)

Wild lily-of-the-valley
(Maianthemum canadense)

IRIS 86 Fall 2020

Alpine locoweed
(Oxytropis campestris var.cusickii)

Early yellow locoweed
(Oxytropis sericea)

Late yellow locoweed
(Oxytropis campestris var. spicata)

IRIS 85 Spring/Summer 2020

Prickly rose
(Rosa acicularis)

Prairie rose
(Rosa arkansana)

Woods rose
(Rosa woodsii)

IRIS 80 March 2017

Toothed bittercress
(Cardamine dentata)

Northern field bittercress
(Cardamine polemonioides) (syn C. nymanii)

IRIS 78 January 2016  and  IRIS 76 March 2015

Sandhills cinquefoil
(Potentilla lasiodonta
 previously P. finitima)

Pennsylvania cinquefoil(Potentilla pensylvanica)

IRIS 70 January 2013

Short-stalk chickweed
(Cerastium brachypodum)

Nodding chickweed
(Cerastium nutans)

IRIS 70 March 2013

Plasmodial Slime Molds in Alberta

Scrambled-egg slime (Fuligo septica) growing on forbs Photo D. & M. McIvor

IRIS 69 January 2013

Key & Species Descriptions for Hawkweeds (Hieracium) in AlbertaNote: Hawkweeds have now been split into two genera: (Hieracium and Pilosella) There are numerous species, here are some examples.

Orange hawkweed
(Pilosella aurantiaca)

White hawkweed
(Hieracium albiflorum)

Slender hawkweed
(Hieracium triste)

IRIS 68 November 2012

Mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Twinflower
(Linnea boreali)

Common bearberry
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

IRIS 66 December 2011

Yellow columbine
(Aquilegia flavescens)

Western columbine
(Aquilegia formosa)

 IRIS 66 December 2011

Blue columbine
(Aquilegia brevistyla)

Jones columbine
(Aquilegia jonesii)

IRIS 66 December 2011

Whitebark pine
(Pinus albicaulis)

Limber pine
(Pinus flexilis)

IRIS 60 May 2009

Cutleaf fleabane
(Erigeron compositus)

Threelobe fleabane
(Erigeron trifidus)

IRIS 59 February 2009

Golden saxifrage
(Chrysosplenium iowense)

Green saxifrage
(Chrysosplenium tetrandrum)

IRIS 58 November 2008

Leafy northern green orchid
(Platanthera aquilonis)

Tall northern green orchid
(Platanthera huronensis)

IRIS 57 March 2008

Fringed loosestrife
(Lysimachia ciliata)

Lowland yellow loosestrife
(Lysimachia hybrida)

IRIS 56 January 2008

Wild strawberry
(Fragaria virginiana)

Woodland strawberry
(Fragaria vesca)

IRIS 52 Summer 2006

Woodland horsetail
(Equisetum sylvaticum)

Field horsetail
(Equisetum arvense)

Meadow horsetail
(Equisetum pratense)

 IRIS 50 Fall 2005

Paper birch
(Betula papyrifera)

Alaska paper birch
(Betula neoalaskana)

IRIS 49 Summer 2005

 Thinleaf snowberry
(Symphoricarpos albus)

Western snowberry
(Symphoricarpos occidentalis)