Similar Plants - differences

Question 1

Calibrachoa

vs

Petunia x hybrida

Answer 1

Calibrachoa has smaller flowers, lobes typically more defined. Corolla throat on Calibrachoa typically more creascent moon shaped, while Petunia throats are fully round, softer slope. Usually more low growing and prostrate than Petunia x hybrida, which tends to be more decumbent. Calyx lobes of Calibrachoa a little wider and shorter than Petunia. Calyx lobes on Petunia more finger-like. Petunia typically more anthocyanin pigments, Calibrachoa typically more caratanoid pigments - but cultivars are blurring those lines.

Question 2

Pericallis × hybrida

vs

Chrysanthemum (Rubellum Group)

Answer 2

Pericallis x h. has more virtical, upright form. Chrysanthemum (R.G.) has a slightly larger size and forms a roundish mound. Chrys. foliage is aeromatic and heavilly lobed and the lobes are dentate, while Pericallis x h leaves are simple with dentate/serrate margines, palmate veination, attenuate to clasping leaf forms. Leaves higher on the stem are lanceolate. Per. leaves are a very dark green. Per. ray flowers are only blue/purple-blue. Chrys. raw flowers are white, cream, pink, rose, rose-red or lavender, but not blue or deep purple. Disc flowers on Chrys much more tighly clumped and entirely yellow.

Question 3

Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavendar’

vs

Salvia

vs.

Solenostemon scutelarioides

Answer 3

• Plec.* stem a dark purple and green color. Leaves and stem very pubescent, but Salvia leaves and stem are not at all pubescent. Plec. leaves not wrinkled, Salvia lives more often are. Plec. ‘M.L.’ specifically has dark purple undersides to the leaves. Plec. flowers have barely destinguishable calyx - tubular corollas make up the shape of the flower. Salvia has bell-shaped calyx that surround 1/4-1/3 of the corolla.
• Sol. nos.* also has square stem but not pubescent. Flowers much smaller (≤ 1/4” long) with shoe-shaped corollas and more prominent calyx (midway proportionally between Salvia and Plec.).

Question 4

Verbena x hybrida

vs

Lantana camara

Answer 4

Verbena is procument, stems pubescence a bit longer. Leaves a dark green and glossy with a toothed margin, oblong or lanceolate shape. Lantana cam. leaves serrulate, more ovate shape, less glossy. Verbena have prominent calyxes. Lantana corollas have four lobes, Verbena have five. V**erbena flowers can be striped or mottled. Lantana often has multiple colors on one inflorescence, may have both antho. and carot. pigments on the same inflorescence. Verbena inflorescences are one color.

Question 5

Echinacea purpurea

vs

Rudbeckia hirta

Answer 5

Ech. disc flowers stiff and pointed, remain after bloom. Ray flowers angled more downward. Leaves are lanceolate/elliptic, but Rud. leaves are spatulate. Rud. leaf margines have more prominant teeth. Rud. ray flowers are never purple. Ech. ray flowers havea. tooth-like margine at the apex.

Question 6

Miscanthus sinensus

vs

Pennisetum alopicuroides

Answer 6

Misc. has a prominent white midrib. Branched inflorescences are tall, stick up above the leaves, look like bunches of long pubescent finger-like spikes. Penn. leaves slightly more narrow and solid green - no different collored midrib. Non-branched inflorescences thick bottle brush-type spike. May have purplish or pinkish hues, while Misc. rarely anything but tan.

Question 7

Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’

vs

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Answer 7

‘Walker’s Low’ short and compact form - shorter than Salvia. Perov. grows tall and starts to flop over. Inflorescences of Nep. are shorter, raceme. Perov. have much taller inflorescences and they are branched (panicles). Nep. leaves greener than P**erov. leaves’ more gray. Veins of Nep. are a bit more destinctly impressed.

Question 8

Bignonia capreolata

vs

Campsus radicans

vs

Gelsemium sempervirens

Answer 8

Leaves of all three are very different. Bignonia leaves are technically opposite, trifoliate compound with two oblong to oblanceolate large leaflets and one branched tendril ending in adhesive discs. Large leaflets are smooth, and entire. Campsus r. climb by adventitious roots at every node. Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound. Leaflets have large dentate teeth and acute to accuminate apicies. Gel. semp. leaves are opposite and simple. Lanceolate with entire margins, and typically glossy. Big. funnelform flowers are typically a lighter color inside, while the coloration on Camp. and Gel. are one color for the whole corolla. Calyx of Camp. has destinctive teeth, while the teeth of Gel.’s calyx are more subtle and the calyx on Big. have no teeth at all. Big. flowers are orange or red (with the eyespot), Camp. flowers are redish-orange to orange to yellow-orange, and Gel. flowers are only yellow. Fruit of Gel. persist on branches and can be seen throughout the year.

Question 9

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

vs

Hedera helix

Answer 9

Parth. climbs by both branched tendrils with adhesive pads (when it’s younger) and by adventitious roots (when it’s older). Grows only as a climbing vine. Hedera helix grows both as a groundcover and a climbing vine using only adventitious roots. H.h. leaves usually have five palmate lobes and are typically dark green with destinctly lighter veins, while P.t. leaves only ever have three lobes and are lighter green. P.t. leaves are also bluntly serrate. H.h. transforms as it begins to climb - leaves change shape and lose lobes.