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Key to Polygonella

Polygonaceae

Polygonella

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1 Inner perianth segments fimbriate; stamen filaments monomorphic; ocreae ciliate.
  2 Leaves not hyaline-bordered; stem (below the inflorescence) minutely but densely scabrous; [of e. GA south to Panhandle FL]
  2 Leaves hyaline-bordered; stem (below the inflorescence) glabrous or slightly scabrous on the angles; [of e. FL Panhandle south into peninsular FL]
1 Inner perianth segments not fimbriate; stamen filaments dimorphic (the inner 3 stamen filaments dilated more abruptly than the outer 5, with toothed or horned shoulders); ocreae ciliate or not.
    3 Ocreae ciliate.
      4 Ocreolae not encircling the rachis of the raceme, attached at the sides and base; racemes 2.0 6.0 (-8.0) mm long, bearing (10-) 16-22 (-27) ocreolae per 5 mm of length; outer sepals 0.5-0.7 (-0.9) mm long at anthesis; [e. TX]
      4 Ocreolae encircling the rachis of the raceme, attached at base only; racemes (9.0-) 14.0- 33.0 (-45.0) mm long, bearing (5-) 6-9 (-13) ocreolae per 5 mm of length; outer sepals (0.7-) 0.8-1.3 (-1.5) mm long at anthesis; [FL peninsula]
        5 Stems branched rather prolifically at base
        5 Stems simple or sparsely branched towards the top of the plant
    3 Ocreae not ciliate.
          6 Leaves (3-) 9-30 mm wide; [of sand pine scrub and coastal dunes in Panhandle FL and s. AL]
          6 Leaves 0.3-6 mm wide; [collectively more widespread].
             7 Style and stigma (0.4-) 0.5-0.8 (-1.0) mm long at anthesis; inner sepals (1.7-) 1.9-2.5 (-2.9) mm long in flower, (3.1-) 3.3-4.7 (-6.0) mm long in fruit; perennial; leaves very numerous, (4.0-) 5.2-12.0 (-19.0) mm long, 0.5-0.9 (-1.2) mm wide, nearly as thick as wide.
               8 Stems erect; outer sepals strongly reflexed in flower and in fruit; [fairly widespread in se. United States, but absent in FL]
               8 Stems prostrate; outer sepals loosely appressed in flower, sometimes spreading in fruit; [of c. FL scrub]
             7 Style and stigma 0-0.1 (-0.2) mm long at anthesis; inner sepals (0.6-) 0.7-1.8 (-2.3) mm long at anthesis, (1.6-) 1.7-2.8 (-3.6) mm in fruit; annual or perennial; leaves (2.5-) 4.4-39.0 (-65.0) mm long, (0.3-) 0.6-5.0 (-8.0) mm wide, wider than thick.
                 9 Annual, simple to much-branched from above the base; leaves lacking hyaline margins, mostly deciduous before fruiting (or even flowering); ocreae obtuse; achenes 1.0-1.4 mm wide.
                   10 Leaves (0.4-) 0.6-1.0 (-1.2) mm wide; flowers exserted from the ocreolae on pedicels (0.9-) 1.3-1.7 (-2.1) mm long at anthesis; [of the outer Coastal Plain of ne. NC and e.VA northward]
                   10 Leaves (0.8-) 1.0-5.0 (-8.0) mm wide; flowers barely exserted from the ocreolae on pedicels ca. 0.1 mm long at anthesis; [of the outer Coastal Plain of se. SC southward]
                 9 Perennial, much-branched from near the distinctly woody base; leaves with hyaline margins toward the tip, persistent through fruiting; ocreae obtuse, acute, acuminate, or aristate-attenuate; achenes (0.7-) 0.8-1.0 (-1.2) mm wide.
                     11 Vernal leaves (larger leaves toward the base of the plant) 4-13 mm long, 0.5-1.2 (-2.1) mm wide, linear to linear-spatulate; leaf ocreae tips 1-1.5 mm long, acuminate to aristate-attenuate; floral ocreolae orange-reddish to orange-brownish throughout or pale distally, the pale portion no more than 1/5 the length of the ocreolae; longitudinal grooves evident in ocreolae
                     11 Vernal leaves 7-30 mm long, 1.0-6 mm wide (leaves remaining at flowering often only 1-2 mm wide), spatulate to linear-spatulate; leaf ocreae tips 0.3-0.7 mm long, obtuse, acute, or long-acute; floral ocreolae olivaceous proximally, pale orange to beige distally, the pale portion 1/3-1/2 the length of the ocreolae; longitudinal grooves absent or faint in ocreolae