List of Canadian plants by family O facts for kids
Canada is a huge country with many different types of plants! From towering trees to tiny mosses, Canada's plant life is incredibly diverse. This article explores some of the fascinating plant families found in Canada, specifically those whose scientific names start with the letter 'O'. Learning about these families helps us understand how plants are related and what makes them special.
Main page: List of Canadian plants by family
Families: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I J K | L | M | N | O | P Q | R | S | T | U V W | X Y Z
Contents
Oedipodiaceae
This is a very small family of mosses. Only one species from this family, Oedipodium griffithianum, is found in Canada. It's a unique moss that grows in cold, damp places.
- Oedipodium griffithianum
Oleaceae =
The Oleaceae family is known for its beautiful trees and shrubs, including the well-known ash trees. These plants often have opposite leaves and sometimes produce winged seeds. Many species in this family are important for wildlife or for their wood.
- Fraxinus americana — white ash
- Fraxinus latifolia — Oregon ash
- Fraxinus nigra — black ash
- Fraxinus pennsylvanica — green ash
- Fraxinus profunda — pumpkin ash
- Fraxinus quadrangulata — blue ash
Onagraceae
The Onagraceae family, often called the evening-primrose family, includes many wildflowers with four-petaled flowers. These plants are found in various habitats across Canada, from forests to open fields. Some, like fireweed, are very common and create stunning displays of color.
- Boisduvalia densiflora — denseflower spike-primrose
- Boisduvalia glabella — smooth spike-primrose
- Calylophus serrulatus — yellow evening-primrose
- Camissonia andina — Blackfoot River suncup
- Camissonia breviflora — shortflower suncup
- Camissonia contorta — dwarf contorted suncup
- Circaea alpina — small enchanter's-nightshade
- Circaea lutetiana — southern broadleaf enchanter's-nightshade
- Circaea x intermedia — intermediate enchanger's-nightshade
- Clarkia amoena — farewell-to-spring
- Clarkia pulchella — largeflower clarkia
- Clarkia purpurea — winecup clarkia
- Clarkia rhomboidea — tongue clarkia
- Epilobium anagallidifolium — alpine willowherb
- Epilobium angustifolium — fireweed
- Epilobium arcticum — arctic willowherb
- Epilobium brachycarpum — panicled willowherb
- Epilobium ciliatum — hairy willowherb
- Epilobium clavatum — clavate-fruit willowherb
- Epilobium coloratum — purpleleaf willowherb
- Epilobium davuricum — Dahuria willowherb
- Epilobium foliosum — California willowherb
- Epilobium glaberrimum — glaucous willowherb
- Epilobium halleanum — glandular willowherb
- Epilobium hornemannii — Hornemann's willowherb
- Epilobium lactiflorum — whiteflower willowherb
- Epilobium latifolium — river beauty
- Epilobium leptocarpum — slender-fruited willowherb
- Epilobium leptophyllum — linear-leaved willowherb
- Epilobium luteum — yellow willowherb
- Epilobium minutum — smallflower willowherb
- Epilobium mirabile — Olimple Mountain willowherb
- Epilobium oregonense — Oregon willowherb
- Epilobium palustre — marsh willowherb
- Epilobium saximontanum — Rocky Mountain willowherb
- Epilobium strictum — downy willowherb
- Epilobium x wisconsinense
- Gaura biennis — biennial gaura
- Gaura coccinea — scarlet gaura
- Gayophytum diffusum — diffuse groundsmoke
- Gayophytum humile — low groundsmoke
- Gayophytum racemosum — racemed groundsmoke
- Gayophytum ramosissimum — much-branch groundsmoke
- Ludwigia alternifolia — bushy seedbox
- Ludwigia palustris — marsh seedbox
- Ludwigia polycarpa — many-fruit false-loosestrife
- Oenothera biennis — common evening-primrose
- Oenothera caespitosa — tufted evening-primrose
- Oenothera clelandii — lesser four-point evening-primrose
- Oenothera elata — Hooker's evening-primrose
- Oenothera flava — long-tubed evening-primrose
- Oenothera fruticosa — narrowleaf sundrops
- Oenothera nuttallii — white-stemmed evening-primrose
- Oenothera oakesiana — Oakes' evening-primrose
- Oenothera pallida — pale evening-primrose
- Oenothera parviflora — northern evening-primrose
- Oenothera perennis — small sundrops
- Oenothera pilosella — meadow evening-primrose
- Oenothera villosa — hairy evening-primrose
Ophioglossaceae
This family includes ferns like the adder's-tongue and grapeferns. These ferns are quite ancient and have a unique way of reproducing. They often have a single leaf that divides into two parts: one for photosynthesis and one for producing spores.
- Botrychium acuminatum — moonwort
- Botrychium ascendens — upward-lobed moonwort
- Botrychium boreale — northern moonwort
- Botrychium campestre — prairie dunewort
- Botrychium crenulatum — crenulate moonwort
- Botrychium dissectum — cutleaf grapefern
- Botrychium hesperium — western moonwort
- Botrychium lanceolatum — triangle grapefern
- Botrychium lineare — narrowleaf grapefern
- Botrychium lunaria — moonwort grapefern
- Botrychium matricariifolium — chamomile grapefern
- Botrychium minganense — Mingan's moonwort
- Botrychium montanum — mountain moonwort
- Botrychium mormo — little goblin moonwort
- Botrychium multifidum — leathery grapefern
- Botrychium oneidense — bluntlobe grapefern
- Botrychium pallidum — pale moonwort
- Botrychium paradoxum — peculiar moonwort
- Botrychium pedunculosum — stalked moonwort
- Botrychium pinnatum — northern moonwort
- Botrychium pseudopinnatum — false daisyleaf grapefern
- Botrychium rugulosum — rugulose grapefern
- Botrychium simplex — least grapefern
- Botrychium spathulatum — spoonleaf moonwort
- Botrychium tunux
- Botrychium virginianum — rattlesnake fern
- Botrychium x watertonense
- Botrychium yaaxudakeit
- Ophioglossum pusillum — northern adder's-tongue
- Ophioglossum vulgatum — southern adder's-tongue
Orchidaceae
Orchids are one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants. They are famous for their incredibly beautiful and often complex flowers, which have unique shapes and colors to attract specific pollinators. Many Canadian orchids are rare and protected.
- Amerorchis rotundifolia — round-leaved orchis
- Aplectrum hyemale — puttyroot
- Arethusa bulbosa — dragon's mouth
- Calopogon tuberosus — tuberous grass-pink
- Calypso bulbosa — fairy slipper
- Cephalanthera austiniae — phantom orchid
- Coeloglossum viride — longbract green orchis
- Corallorhiza maculata — spotted coralroot
- Corallorhiza mertensiana — Merten's coralroot
- Corallorhiza odontorhiza — autumn coralroot
- Corallorhiza striata — striped coralroot
- Corallorhiza trifida — early coralroot
- Cypripedium acaule — pink lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium arietinum — ram's-head lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium candidum — small white lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium guttatum — spotted lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium montanum — mountain lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium parviflorum — American yellow lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium passerinum — sparrow's-egg lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium reginae — showy lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium x andrewsii — Andrews' lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium x columbianum — Columbian lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium x favillianum
- Cypripedium x landonii — Landon's lady's-slipper
- Dactylorhiza praetermissa — southern marsh orchid
- Epipactis gigantea — giant helleborine
- Galearis spectabilis — showy orchis
- Goodyera oblongifolia — giant rattlesnake-plantain
- Goodyera pubescens — downy rattlesnake-plantain
- Goodyera repens — dwarf rattlesnake-plantain
- Goodyera tesselata — checkered rattlesnake-plantain
- Isotria medeoloides — small whorled pogonia
- Isotria verticillata — large whorled pogonia
- Liparis liliifolia — large twayblade
- Liparis loeselii — Lösel's twayblade
- Malaxis brachypoda — white adder's-mouth
- Malaxis diphyllos — Aleutian adder's-mouth
- Malaxis paludosa — bog adder's-mouth
- Malaxis unifolia — green adder's-mouth
- Neottia auriculata — auricled twayblade
- Neottia australis — southern twayblade
- Neottia borealis — northern twayblade
- Neottia caurina — western twayblade
- Neottia convallarioides — broad-leaved twayblade
- Neottia cordata — heartleaf twayblade
- Neottia x veltmanii — Veltman's twayblade
- Piperia candida — white piperia
- Piperia elegans — hillside rein orchid
- Piperia elongata — denseflower rein orchid
- Piperia transversa — royal rein orchid
- Piperia unalascensis — Alaska rein orchid
- Platanthera albida — vanilla-scent bog orchid
- Platanthera aquilonis
- Platanthera blephariglottis — white-fringe orchis
- Platanthera chorisiana — Choriso bog orchid
- Platanthera clavellata — small green woodland orchid
- Platanthera dilatata — leafy white orchis
- Platanthera flava — southern rein orchid
- Platanthera grandiflora — large purple-fringe orchis
- Platanthera hookeri — Hooker's orchis
- Platanthera hyperborea — leafy northern green orchid
- Platanthera lacera — green-fringe orchis
- Platanthera leucophaea — eastern prairie white-fringed orchid
- Platanthera leucostachys — Bog rein orchid, scentbottle
- Platanthera obtusata — small northern bog orchid
- Platanthera orbiculata — large roundleaf orchid
- Platanthera praeclara — western prairie white-fringed orchid
- Platanthera psycodes — small purple-fringe orchis
- Platanthera stricta — slender bog orchid
- Platanthera x andrewsii — Andrews' platanthera
- Platanthera x hollandiae — Holland's platanthera
- Platanthera x keenanii — Keenan's platanthera
- Platanthera x media
- Platanthera x reznicekii — Reznicek's platanthera
- Platanthera x vossii — Voss' platanthera
- Pogonia ophioglossoides — rose pogonia
- Spiranthes casei — Case's ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes cernua — nodding ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes lacera — southern slender ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes lucida — shining ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes magnicamporum — Great Plains ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes ochroleuca — yellow nodding ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes ovalis — lesser ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes romanzoffiana — hooded ladies'-tresses
- Spiranthes x intermedia
- Spiranthes x simpsonii — Simpson's ladies'-tresses
- Triphora trianthophora — nodding pogonia
Orobanchaceae
Plants in the Orobanchaceae family are often called broomrapes. Many of them are parasitic, meaning they get their nutrients by attaching to the roots of other plants. They can have interesting, often colorful, flower spikes.
- Boschniakia hookeri — Vancouver groundcone
- Boschniakia rossica — northern groundcone
- Boschniakia strobilacea — California groundcone
- Conopholis americana — American cancer-root
- Epifagus virginiana — beechdrops
- Orobanche californica — California broomrape
- Orobanche corymbosa — flat-top broomrape
- Orobanche fasciculata — clustered broomrape
- Orobanche ludoviciana — Louisiana broomrape
- Orobanche pinorum — pine broomrape
- Orobanche uniflora — one-flowered broomrape
Orthotrichaceae
This family consists of mosses, which are small, non-flowering plants that grow in damp, shady places. Mosses play an important role in ecosystems, helping to prevent soil erosion and providing habitat for tiny creatures.
- Amphidium californicum
- Amphidium lapponicum
- Amphidium mougeotii
- Drummondia prorepens
- Orthotrichum affine
- Orthotrichum alpestre
- Orthotrichum anomalum
- Orthotrichum consimile
- Orthotrichum cupulatum
- Orthotrichum gymnostomum
- Orthotrichum hallii
- Orthotrichum laevigatum
- Orthotrichum lyellii
- Orthotrichum obtusifolium — blunt bristle-moss
- Orthotrichum ohioense
- Orthotrichum pallens
- Orthotrichum pellucidum
- Orthotrichum pulchellum
- Orthotrichum pumilum
- Orthotrichum pusillum
- Orthotrichum pylaisii
- Orthotrichum rivulare
- Orthotrichum rupestre
- Orthotrichum sordidum
- Orthotrichum speciosum
- Orthotrichum stellatum
- Orthotrichum stramineum
- Orthotrichum strangulatum
- Orthotrichum striatum
- Orthotrichum tenellum
- Ulota coarctata
- Ulota crispa
- Ulota curvifolia
- Ulota drummondii
- Ulota hutchinsiae
- Ulota megalospora
- Ulota obtusiuscula
- Ulota phyllantha
- Zygodon conoideus
- Zygodon gracilis
- Zygodon reinwardtii
- Zygodon viridissimus
Osmundaceae
The Osmundaceae family includes some of the largest and most recognizable ferns, like the royal fern and cinnamon fern. These ferns are often found in wet, swampy areas and are known for their distinct fronds (leaves).
- Osmunda claytoniana — interrupted fern
- Osmunda spectabilis — royal fern
- Osmundastrum cinnamomeum — cinnamon fern
Oxalidaceae
The Oxalidaceae family is commonly known as the woodsorrel family. These plants often have clover-like leaves and small, delicate flowers. Many species have a sour taste due to oxalic acid, which is safe to eat in small amounts.
- Oxalis dillenii — Dillen's woodsorrel
- Oxalis montana — white woodsorrel
- Oxalis oregana — Oregon woodsorrel
- Oxalis stricta — common yellow woodsorrel
- Oxalis suksdorfii — western yellow oxalis
