Flora of the Southeastern United States

1 Leaves pinnately compound; fruit 3-5-seeded; [subfamily Adoxoideae; tribe Sambuceae]

1 Leaves evergreen.

  2 Plant a shrub, erect, not requiring support.

    3 Leaves with spiny margins

    3 Leaves with crenate or serrate margins.

      4 Leaves slightly to strongly fleshy; inflorescence a head; [maritime situations]

      4 Leaves not fleshy; inflorescence either a head or otherwise; [collectively widespread].

        5 Leaves > 8 cm long, typically spotted with yellow, coarsely toothed; fruit a red drupe; [commonly cultivated, rarely seeding down nearby]

        5 Leaves < 8 cm long, not yellow-spotted, serrulate; fruit a capsule or purplish drupe; [plants native or cultivated].

          6 Inflorescence a head; [s. FL]

          6 Inflorescence otherwise; [more widespread].

             7 {XXXX}

             7 {YYYY}

               8 {ZZZZ}

               8 {AAAA}

  2 Plant a subshrub, creeping shrub, or liana.

                 9 Leaves spinose-serrate; [aliens, rarely naturalized]

                 9 Leaves serrate (not spinose), serrulate, or crenate; [aliens and natives, collectively widespread].

                   10 Leaves slightly to strongly fleshy; inflorescence a head; [maritime situations]

                   10 Leaves not fleshy; inflorescence otherwise; [collectively widespread].

                     11 Leaves on vigorous shoots with a few coarse rounded teeth towards the base (most leaves entire)

                     11 Leaves serrulate to serrate, the teeth uniformly around the margin or concentrated towards the tip; fruit dry, either indehiscent and 1-seeded or capsular and with several seeds.

                       12 Flowers 5-merous; petals fused; fruit indehiscent, 1-seeded; [montane, from e. TN, WV, and w. MD northwards in our area]

                       12 Flowers 4- or 5-merous; petals separate; fruit capsular, dehiscent, several-seeded; [collectively widespread in our area]

1 Leaves deciduous.

                          13 Leaves slightly to strongly fleshy; inflorescence a head, subtended by an involucre of phyllaries; [maritime situations]

                          13 Leaves not fleshy; inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above (sometimes the flowers in a head subtended by bracts, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or petals separate, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.); [collectively widespread].

                            14 Lianas climbing by twining or by adventitious roots.

                              15 Stems with retrorse prickles; foliage scabrous

                              15 Stems not prickly; foliage smooth to variously hairy, but not scabrous.

                                16 Leaves on vigorous shoots with a few coarse rounded teeth towards the base (most leaves entire), the larger leaves < 3 cm wide; lianas climbing by twining; fruit a fleshy berry; flowers 5-merous, with a fused, tubular corolla

                                16 Leaves serrate, the teeth towards the leaf apex, the larger leaves > 4 cm wide; lianas climbing by adventitious roots; fruit a capsule; flowers 7-10-merous, with separate petals

                            14 Upright shrubs or trees, lacking any adaptations for climbing.

                                  17 Trees; leaves often a mix of alternate and opposite.

                                    18 Leaves harshly scabrous on the upper surface; fruit a multiple of achenes; leaf venation pinnate but irregular

                                    18 Leaves not scabrous; fruit a 2-4-seeded drupe; leaf venation neatly pinnate, the lateral veins nearly straight and parallel to one another

                                  17 Shrubs or trees; leaves strictly opposite (or often a mix of alternate and opposite in RHAMNACEAE).

                                       19 Trees; leaves palmately-veined, with 5 or more veins from the base; [rarely naturalizing]

                                       19 Shrubs; leaves either triple-veined from near the base or pinnate-veined; [collectively widespread and common]

                                         20 Leaves strongly triple-veined from at or near the base of the blade, the 2 lateral veins arching towards the tip and rejoining the midvein or nearly so (becoming diffuse before rejoining); petals 4, white; stamens 15-90

                                         20 Leaves pinnate-veined; petals various, not both 4 and white (except sometimes in Hydrangea); stamens 1-15 (except 15-30 in Exochorda in ROSACEAE).

                                           21 Inflorescence head-like; flowers sympetalous and 4-lobed; fruit 2 seeded

                                           21 Inflorescence more diffuse, with internal axes and pedicels; flowers not both sympetalous and 4-lobed (except in Forsythia and Buddleja); fruit 1-seeded, 2-4-seeded, or 4-many-seeded.

                                             22 Plants in flower.

                                               23 Corolla absent; flowers inconspicuous and small, in axillary fascicles or catkins.

                                                 24 Flowers in catkins; leaves usually a mix of opposite and alternate

                                                 24 Flowers in axillary fascicles; leaves strictly opposite (subopposite)

                                               23 Corolla present; flowers larger, in terminal cymes, corymbs, racemes, panicles, or in axillary cymes or fascicles.

                                                    25 Petals separate; stamens 8-10 (-60) (or 4-6 in RHAMNACEAE and Euonymus in CELASTRACEAE).

                                                      26 Flowers 1-few, in axillary cymes; stamens 4-6; stems brown, tan, gray, or green.

                                                        27 Leaf venation pinnate, but irregular and reticulated; stems green

                                                        27 Leaf venation neatly pinnate, the lateral veins nearly straight and parallel to one another; stems brown, tan, or gray

                                                      26 Flowers 1 and terminal, or many, in terminal panicles or corymbs; stamens 8-10 (-60); stems brown, tan or gray.

                                                          28 Inflorescence a solitary, terminal flower; stamens 30-60

                                                          28 Inflorescence a terminal panicle or corymb; stamens 8-15

                                                    25 Petals fused, at least basally, and often strongly tubular; stamens 2, 4, or 5.

                                                            29 Stamens 5.

                                                              30 Petals pink, yellow, or reddish, fused for most of their length

                                                            29 Stamens 2 or 4.

                                                                 31 Stamens 2; petals yellow; flowers radially symmetrical; inflorescence an axillary fascicle

                                                                 31 Stamens 4; petals white, pink, or lavender; flowers bilabiate; inflorescence a terminal thyrse or panicle or an axillary cyme.

                                                                   32 Petals 4; inflorescence a terminal thyrse

                                                                   32 Petals 5; inflorescence a terminal panicle or an axillary cyme.

                                                                     33 Inflorescence an axillary cyme

                                                                     33 Inflorescence a terminal panicle

                                             22 Plants in fruit.

                                                                       34 Fruit a drupe or achene, indehiscent, fleshy at maturity (or dry in Kolkwitzia).

                                                                         35 Fruit an achene (1-seeded), dry at maturity

                                                                         35 Fruit a drupe (1-4 seeded), fleshy at maturity.

                                                                           36 Inflorescence axillary, fascicled or a cyme.

                                                                              37 Foliage with stellate hairs; fruit a pink-purple 4-seeded drupe

                                                                              37 Foliage glabrous or with simple hairs; fruit a dark red, black, or blue 1-4-seeded drupe.

                                                                                38 Fruit a 1-seeded drupe; [NC southwards and westwards]

                                                                                38 Fruit a 2-4-seeded drupe; [widespread in our region]

                                                                       34 Fruit a capsule, dehiscent, dry at maturity.

                                                                                  39 Inflorescence a catkin, the flowers small (< 5 mm in diameter) and tightly arranged on the inflorescence axis (>5 per cm of the axis)

                                                                                  39 Inflorescence various, but more diffuse, the flowers larger (> 5 mm in diameter, except for some flowers in Hydrangea in HYDRANGEACEAE) and loosely arranged (< 5 per cm of axis).

                                                                                    40 Capsule prominently 5-angled (star-shaped in ×-section)

                                                                                    40 Capsule not angled.

                                                                                      41 Inflorescence axillary, fascicled.

                                                                                        42 Capsule pink to red; fruits solitary or in axillary cymes

                                                                                        42 Capsule brown; fruits in axillary fascicles

                                                                                      41 Inflorescence terminal, a raceme, panicle, corymb, or compound cyme.

                                                                                           43 Inflorescence a flat-topped corymb or rounded compound cyme, as wide as or wider than long

                                                                                           43 Inflorescence elongated, a raceme or panicle, longer than wide.

                                                                                             44 Capsule elongate (>3× as long as wide), 8-25 mm long

                                                                                             44 Capsule about as long as wide, 3-6 mm long.

                                                                                               45 {XXXX}

                                                                                               45 {YYYY}

1 Aerial and epiphytic, hemiparasitic shrub

1 Terrestrial, autotrophic or hemiparasitic shrub or subshrub.

  2 Leaves succulent, nearly as thick as wide; [brackish to saline situations]

  2 Leaves herbaceous (succulent in Borrichia), much wider than thick; [various habitats].

    3 Creeping or short subshrubs, the stems primarily prostrate, < 2 dm tall.

      4 Well-developed leaves 4-6 per stem; inflorescence a head subtended by 4 large white bracts

      4 Well-developed leaves many per stem; inflorescence of individual flowers axillary in pairs or clusters or in terminal cymes.

        5 Flowers yellow; leaves with pellucid or dark punctate glands (use at least 10× magnification)

        5 Flowers white, pale pink, or deep pink; leaves lacking sessile, punctate glands.

          6 Leaves linear; flowers pale to deep pink, 5-merous

          6 Leaves orbicular or elliptic; flowers white to pale pink, 4-merous or 5-merous

             7 Leaves elliptic; flowers 5-merous; fruit a brownish capsule

             7 Leaves orbicular; flowers 4-merous; fruit a red berry

    3 Upright or scrambling shrubs, > 3 dm tall

               8 Scrambling shrubs, armed with recurved paired spines at the nodes

               8 Upright shrubs, unarmed.

                 9 Inflorescence a terminal head of many flowers.

                   10 Head spherical, lacking an involucre of conspicuous bracts or phyllaries

                   10 Head flattened, either subtended by 4 large white bracts or by an involucre with >5 green phyllaries.

                     11 Head subtended by 4 large white bracts; leaves with prominently parallel-arcing secondary veins; flowers 4-merous

                     11 Head subtended by an involucre of >5 green phyllaries; leaves with venation otherwise; flowers 5-merous

                 9 Inflorescence otherwise, either of a solitary flower, or one of a wide variety of inflorescences with flowers attached at different points along branched or unbranched axes. {add: [Lagerstroemia] LYTHRACEAE; [Rosmarinus] LAMIACEAE; [Laguncularia] COMBRETACEAE; [Buxus] BUXACEAE; [Exochorda] ROSACEAE; various other [see spreadsheet]}

                       12 Inflorescence flat-topped (broader than long), terminal, a compound cyme or corymb.

                          13 Flowers bright yellow; stamens many; leaves < 1.5 cm wide; fruit a capsule; leaves with pellucid or dark punctate glands (use at least 10× magnification)

                          13 Flowers white or creamy; stamens 4-5; leaves > 1.5 cm wide; fruit a drupe; leaves lacking sessile, punctate glands.

                            14 Petals 4; foliage with T-shaped hairs

                       12 Inflorescence either terminal and not flat-topped, or axillary and variously shaped, or terminal and solitary, or leaf-opposed.

                              15 Carpels many (> 9), either separate or fused; stamens many; perianth segments either many and undifferentiated into calyx and corolla, maroon, brown, or yellow (in CALYCANTHACEAE), or differentiated into a fleshy and persistent calyx of 5-9 sepals, and a deciduous corolla of 5-9 red (or white) petals (Punica in LYTHRACEAE).

                                16 Fruit a wrinkled, 3-7 cm long, brown to black, elliptical aggregate of nearly spherical, large achenes; flowers solitary in axils; perianth segments many and undifferentiated into calyx and corolla, maroon, brown, or yellowish; ovary superior; branches unarmed

                                16 Fruit a leathery, 4-15 cm in diameter, reddish, spherical berry with obpyramidal seeds surrounded by a juicy sarcotesta (pomegranate); perianth differentiated, the sepals fleshy and persistent on the fruit, the petals deciduous, 5-9, bright red to white; ovary inferior; branches typically armed with axillary spines

                              15 Carpels 1-5, fused; stamens either 1-5 or 8-10; perianth segments 4-5 or 8, variously colored; fruit a simple capsule, drupe, or berry; flowers 2-many, in axillary or terminal inflorescences (pistillate flowers sometimes solitary in SANTALACEAE and THESIACEAE); [Eudicots].

                                  17 Ovary inferior; corolla absent, radially symmetrical, or bilaterally symmetrical; fruit either a berry or a 1-seeded drupe.

                                    18 Flowers unisexual and plants dioecious; corolla absent; pistillate flowers solitary, staminate flowers in pedunculate umbels or cymes, either terminal or axillary; fruit a 1-seeded drupe; leaves acute to acuminate at the apex

                                       19 Inflorescences terminal

                                       19 Inflorescences axillary

                                    18 Flowers bisexual and plants hermaphroditic; corolla present; flowers paired, terminal or axillary, or in axillary spikes; fruit a berry; leaves rounded, obtuse, to acute (or acuminate in Lonicera maackii) at the apex

                                  17 Ovary superior; corolla radially symmetrical (absent in Forestiera in OLEACEAE); fruit either a 1-4-seeded drupe, or a many-seeded berry, or a capsule.

                                         20 Stamens 8-10, of 2 different lengths in each flower; petals separate, 4-5 (-7), pink purple, 10-15 mm long; stems strongly arching, rooting at the tips; [plants of flooded to saturated wetlands]

                                         20 Stamens either (1-) 2 (-4), or 4-5, or 10, all of the same length; petals fused (separate in RHAMNACEAE and BUXACEAE, but then < 5 mm long and white or cream), white, bright-yellow, lilac, or pink; stems erect (or at least not arching and rooting at the tips); [plants of various habitats].

                                           21 Petals separate, 4-5, white or cream; stamens 4-5.

                                             22 Fruit a loculicidal capsule, dehiscing into 3 valves; branches square in ×-section; leaves < 2 cm long; [alien, cultivated and weakly established, of temperate areas]

                                             22 Fruit a drupe with 2-4 pyrenes; branches round or nearly so in ×-section; leaves > 2 cm long; [natives, of peninsular FL]

                                           21 Petals fused, 4-5, white, bright yellow, lilac, or pink; stamens either (1-) 2 (-4) or 10; fruit either a capsule or a 1-seeded drupe.

                                               23 Perianth 5-merous; corolla pink; stamens 10; fruit a 5-locular capsule

                                               23 Perianth 4-merous; corolla white, bright yellow, or lilac; stamens (1-) 2 (-4); fruit either a 1-seeded drupe or a 2-locular capsule