Field Guide

Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 results
Media
Common purslane plant growing on bare, dry soil
Species Types
Scientific Name
Portulaca oleracea
Description
Purslane can be an aggressive pest in gardens and is one of the worst agricultural weeds in the world. Meanwhile, it’s also a favorite wild vegetable served cooked or raw, and many people cultivate it.
Media
Ground ivy or creeping Charlie flowers and leaves
Species Types
Scientific Name
Glechoma hederacea
Description
Ground ivy, or creeping Charlie, is a creeping, nonwoody plant that often forms loose mats. A native of Eurasia, this member of the mint family has been introduced nearly throughout the United States. It is considered a lawn and garden weed.
Media
Common periwinkle, or Vinca minor, flowers and leaves
Species Types
Scientific Name
Vinca minor
Description
Common periwinkle is a low-growing, mat-forming, purple-flowering perennial that is woody at the base. Native to Eurasia, it is often grown as a groundcover. It has proven invasive in much of the eastern United States and frequently escapes from cultivation. Planting it is not recommended.
Media
Broom moss, or fork moss, Dicranum species
Species Types
Scientific Name
Approximately 315 species and varieties in Missouri
Description
Mosses are small, low plants that form cushions or carpets, usually in damp places. They lack veinlike structures and do not produce flowers or seeds. They release spores from tiny capsules that usually arise on thin stalks.
See Also

About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri

A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!