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Key to Indigofera

Fabaceae

Indigofera

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1 Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate.
  2 Stem pubescence simple, pilose and spreading
  2 Stem pubescence of T-shaped (medifixed) hairs, white, appressed
1 Leaves odd-pinnately compound, with 5+ leaflets.
    3 Leaflets borne alternately or irregularly on the rachis; prostrate or ascending herbs.
      4 Stipules subulate, < 1.5 mm wide; legumes divergent to deflexed, spaced on the rachis; flowers 6-10 per inflorescence
      4 Stipules deltate to lanceolate, 2-3 mm wide; legumes deflexed, crowded on the rachis; flowers many per inflorescence.
        5 Staminal tube (3.5-) 4-5 mm long, distinctly exceeding the calyx; leaves with 9-11 leaflets; leaflets 2.5-5× as long as wide; legumes dark brown, sharply deflexed, curving slightly inwards towards the rachis; infructescence 10-23 cm long
 Indigofera hendecaphylla
        5 Staminal tube 3-3.5 (-5) mm long, about as long as the calyx; leaves with 5-8 leaflets; leaflets 1.2-2.5× as long as wide; legumes tan, deflexed to spreading, straight; infructescence < 10 cm long
    3 Leaflets borne opposite on the rachis; mat-forming or ascending herbs, upright, bushy-branched herbs, or shrubs.
          6 Creeping, decumbent or ascending herbs; leaflets (3) 5-11 per leaf.
             7 Stem pubescence hirsute or pilose with long brownish hairs; leaflets 5-11 per leaf.
               8 Hairs of stem glandular; fruits spreading; leaflets (5-) 9-11 per leaf
               8 Hairs of stem non-glandular, brownish; fruits deflexed; leaflets 5-9 per leaf
          6 Erect, bushy-branched suffruticose herbs or shrubs; leaflets (7-) 9-15 per leaf.
                 9 Shrub; leaflets 20-75 (-100) mm long; corollas 12-18 mm long, bright pink or bright purple
                 9 Herb or suffrutescent herb; corollas 5-9 mm long, cream, rose, tan, yellow, greenish, orange, or purplish.
                   10 Legume 7-9 mm long, ovoid, not falcate, indehiscent, with 2-3 seeds; corolla 6-9 mm long; [native species]
                   10 Legume 15-36 mm long, linear-cylindric, slightly to strongly falcate, dehiscent, with 3-12 or more seeds; corolla 5-6 mm long; [introduced species].