The number of petals a flower has can be an important key to identifying the flower. Newcombe's Wildflower Guide is based on this concept.
An important thing to remember about this concept is that the "number of petals" represents the number of apparent petals. This is not necessarily the botanically-correct number of petals. Oftentimes what appear to be petals are actually sepals or bracts. It is an aid to identification, not a botanical classification.

Adder's Mouth, Green (Malaxis unifolia)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Archangel, Yellow (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)
Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa)
Arrowgrass, Marsh (Triglochin palustris)
Arum, Water (Calla palustris)
Basil, Wild (Clinopodium vulgare)
Bean, Trailing Wild (Strophostyles helvola)
Beardtongue, Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis)
Beardtongue, Hairy (Penstemon hirsutus)
Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)
Betony, Wood (Pedicularis canadensis)
Bladderwort, Common (Utricularia vulgaris)
Bladderwort, Flat-leaved (Utricularia intermedia)
Bladderwort, Horned (Utricularia cornuta)
Bladderwort, Humped (Utricularia gibba)
Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris)
Calypso (Calypso bulbosa)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Coralroot, Early (Corallorhiza trifida)
Coralroot, Spotted (Corallorhiza maculata)
Coralroot, Striped (Corallorhiza striata)
Corn, Squirrel (Dicentra canadensis)
Corydalis, Golden (Corydalis aurea)
Corydalis, Yellow (Corydalis flavula)
Cowwheat (Melampyrum lineare)
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
Gentian, Orange-fruited Horse (Triosteum aurantiacum)
Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus)
Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)
Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine)
Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)
Horsemint (Monarda punctata)
Hyssop, Yellow Giant (Agastache nepetoides)
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)
Indigo, False (Amorpha fruticosa)
Ivy, Ground (Glechoma hederacea)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Ladies' Tresses, Great Plains (Spiranthes magnicamporum)
Ladies' Tresses, Hooded (Spiranthes romanzoffiana)
Ladies' Tresses, Nodding (Spiranthes cernua)
Ladies' Tresses, Wide-leaved (Spiranthes lucida)
Lady's Slipper, Hybrid (Cypripedium parviflorum X C. candidum)
Lady's Slipper, Large Yellow (Cypripedium parviflorum var pubescens)
Lady's Slipper, Pink (Cypripedium acaule)
Lady's Slipper, Ram's Head (Cypripedium arietinum)
Lady's Slipper, Showy (Cypripedium reginae)
Lady's Slipper, Small White (Cypripedium candidum)
Lady's Slipper, Small Yellow (Cypripedium parviflorum var makasin)
Lobelia, Great (Lobelia siphilitica)
Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya)
Lupine, Wild (Lupinus perennis)
Medick, Black (Medicago lupulina)
Mint, Downy Wood (Blephilia ciliata)
Monkey Flower, Square-stemmed (Mimulus ringens)
Mountain Mint, Virginia (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Orchid, Alaska (Platanthera unalascensis)
Orchid, Blunt Leaf Rein (Platanthera obtusata)
Orchid, Club Spur (Platanthera clavellata)
Orchid, Hooker's (Platanthera hookeri)
Orchid, Large Round Leaf (Platanthera macrophylla)
Orchid, Northern Green (Platanthera hyperborea)
Orchid, Prairie White Fringed (Platanthera leucophaea)
Orchid, Ragged Fringed (Platanthera lacera)
Orchid, Round Leaf (Platanthera orbiculata)
Orchid, Small Round-leaved (Galearis rotundifolia)
Orchid, Smaller Purple Fringed (Platanthera psycodes)
Orchid, White Bog (Platanthera dilatata)
Orchid, White Fringed (Platanthera blephariglottis)
Orchis, Showy (Galearis spectabilis)
Pansy, Field (Viola bicolor)
Pea, Beach (Lathyrus japonicus)
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
Pogonia, Rose (Pogonia ophioglossoides)
Polygala, Fringed (Polygaloides paucifolia)
Rattlesnake Plantain, Downy (Goodyera pubescens)
Rattlesnake Plantain, Dwarf (Goodyera repens)
Rattlesnake Plantain, Green-leaved (Goodyera oblongifolia)
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
Snakeroot, Seneca (Polygala senega)
Snapdragon, Dwarf (Chaenorrhinum minus)
Speedwell, Bird's-eye (Veronica chamaedrys)
Speedwell, Common (Veronica officinalis)
Speedwell, Marsh (Veronica scutellata)
Speedwell, Persian (Veronica persica)
Speedwell, Slender (Veronica filiformis)
Speedwell, Thyme-leaved (Veronica serpyllifolia)
Speedwell, Water (Veronica anagallis-aquatica)
Squawroot (Conopholis americana)
Tea, Oswego (Monarda didyma)
Tick Trefoil, Showy (Desmodium canadense)
Toadflax, Dalmation (Linaria dalmatica)
Tobacco, Indian (Lobelia inflata)
Touch-me-not, Pale (Impatiens pallida)
Trefoil, Birdsfoot (Lotus corniculatus)
Twayblade, Auricled (Neottia auriculata)
Twayblade, European Common (Neottia ovata)
Twayblade, Heart-leaved (Neottia cordata)
Twayblade, Loesel's (Liparis loeselii)
Twayblade, Purple (Liparis liliifolia)
Vetchling, Marsh (Lathyrus palustris)
Vetchling, Pale (Lathyrus ochroleucus)
Vetchling, Tuberous (Lathyrus tuberosus)
Vetchling, Yellow (Lathyrus pratensis)
Violet, Arrow-leaved (Viola sagittata)
Violet, Birdfoot (Viola pedata)
Violet, Canada (Viola canadensis)
Violet, Common Blue (Viola papilionacea)
Violet, Dog (Viola conspersa)
Violet, Downy Yellow (Viola pubescens)
Violet, Green (Hybanthus concolor)
Violet, Kidney-leaved (Viola renifolia)
Violet, Labrador (Viola labradorica)
Violet, Long-spurred (Viola rostrata)
Violet, Marsh Blue (Viola cucullata)
Violet, Northern Bog (Viola nephrophylla)
Violet, Northern White (Viola macloskeyi)
Violet, Pale (Viola striata)
Violet, Sand (Viola adunca)
Violet, Woolly Blue (Viola sororia)

Irregular 2 petals 3 petals 4 petals 5 petals 6 petals 7 or more Indistinguishable

THUMBNAILS
Adder's Mouth, Green (Malaxis unifolia)	Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)	Archangel, Yellow (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)	Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa)

Arrowgrass, Marsh (Triglochin palustris)	Arum, Water (Calla palustris)	Basil, Wild (Clinopodium vulgare)	Bean, Trailing Wild (Strophostyles helvola)

Beardtongue, Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis)	Beardtongue, Hairy (Penstemon hirsutus)	Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)	Betony, Wood (Pedicularis canadensis)

Bladderwort, Common (Utricularia vulgaris)	Bladderwort, Flat-leaved (Utricularia intermedia)	Bladderwort, Humped (Utricularia gibba)	Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris)

Calypso (Calypso bulbosa)	Catnip (Nepeta cataria)	Coralroot, Early (Corallorhiza trifida)	Coralroot, Spotted (Corallorhiza maculata)

Coralroot, Striped (Corallorhiza striata)	Corn, Squirrel (Dicentra canadensis)	Corydalis, Golden (Corydalis aurea)	Corydalis, Yellow (Corydalis flavula)

Cowwheat (Melampyrum lineare)	Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)	Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus)	Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine)

Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)	Horsemint (Monarda punctata)	Hyssop, Yellow Giant (Agastache nepetoides)	Indigo, False (Amorpha fruticosa)

Ivy, Ground (Glechoma hederacea)	Ladies' Tresses, Great Plains (Spiranthes magnicamporum)	Ladies' Tresses, Hooded (Spiranthes romanzoffiana)	Ladies' Tresses, Nodding (Spiranthes cernua)

Ladies' Tresses, Wide-leaved (Spiranthes lucida)	Lady's Slipper, Hybrid (Cypripedium parviflorum X C. candidum)	Lady's Slipper, Ram's Head (Cypripedium arietinum)	Lady's Slipper, Small White (Cypripedium candidum)

Lady's Slipper, Small Yellow (Cypripedium parviflorum var makasin)	Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya)	Lupine, Wild (Lupinus perennis)	Medick, Black (Medicago lupulina)

Mint, Downy Wood (Blephilia ciliata)	Orchid, Alaska (Platanthera unalascensis)	Orchid, Blunt Leaf Rein (Platanthera obtusata)	Orchid, Club Spur (Platanthera clavellata)

Orchid, Hooker's (Platanthera hookeri)	Orchid, Large Round Leaf (Platanthera macrophylla)	Orchid, Northern Green (Platanthera hyperborea)	Orchid, Round Leaf (Platanthera orbiculata)

Orchid, Small Round-leaved (Galearis rotundifolia)	Orchis, Showy (Galearis spectabilis)	Pansy, Field (Viola bicolor)	Pea, Beach (Lathyrus japonicus)

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)	Polygala, Fringed (Polygaloides paucifolia)	Rattlesnake Plantain, Downy (Goodyera pubescens)	Rattlesnake Plantain, Dwarf (Goodyera repens)

Rattlesnake Plantain, Green-leaved (Goodyera oblongifolia)	Redbud (Cercis canadensis)	Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)	Snapdragon, Dwarf (Chaenorrhinum minus)

Speedwell, Bird's-eye (Veronica chamaedrys)	Speedwell, Common (Veronica officinalis)	Speedwell, Marsh (Veronica scutellata)	Speedwell, Persian (Veronica persica)

Speedwell, Slender (Veronica filiformis)	Speedwell, Thyme-leaved (Veronica serpyllifolia)	Speedwell, Water (Veronica anagallis-aquatica)	Tea, Oswego (Monarda didyma)

Toadflax, Dalmation (Linaria dalmatica)	Tobacco, Indian (Lobelia inflata)	Touch-me-not, Pale (Impatiens pallida)	Trefoil, Birdsfoot (Lotus corniculatus)

Twayblade, Auricled (Neottia auriculata)	Twayblade, Heart-leaved (Neottia cordata)	Twayblade, Purple (Liparis liliifolia)	Vetchling, Marsh (Lathyrus palustris)

Vetchling, Pale (Lathyrus ochroleucus)	Vetchling, Tuberous (Lathyrus tuberosus)	Vetchling, Yellow (Lathyrus pratensis)	Violet, Arrow-leaved (Viola sagittata)

Violet, Birdfoot (Viola pedata)	Violet, Canada (Viola canadensis)	Violet, Common Blue (Viola papilionacea)	Violet, Dog (Viola conspersa)

Violet, Downy Yellow (Viola pubescens)	Violet, Green (Hybanthus concolor)	Violet, Kidney-leaved (Viola renifolia)	Violet, Labrador (Viola labradorica)

Violet, Long-spurred (Viola rostrata)	Violet, Marsh Blue (Viola cucullata)	Violet, Northern Bog (Viola nephrophylla)	Violet, Northern White (Viola macloskeyi)

Violet, Pale (Viola striata)	Violet, Sand (Viola adunca)	Violet, Woolly Blue (Viola sororia)

Irregular 2 petals 3 petals 4 petals 5 petals 6 petals 7 or more Indistinguishable

To see all Species with Irregular in order by Common Name → START HERE

If you enjoyed this website you might also enjoy these other websites in the Wildwood Canada group

Wildwood Survival   Stone Age Skills   Wildwood Tracking   Tracking Quiz   Tracker Trail   Leatherwood Trail
James Bay Road   Route de la Baie James   Rupert River   Trans-Labrador Hwy   Moped Trip   Grey Bruce Wildflowers
Ontario Wildflowers   Ontario Trees & Shrubs   Ontario Ferns   Ontario Grasses   Ontario Insects   World of Mosses
Wildwood Canada   Mumart   Wild Ontario   Ontario Trackers   Orangeville Trackers   Wildwood Trackers   Earth Caretaker

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