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Keyed in multiple places:

Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key Q: herbaceous dicots with whorled leaves on the stem {add [Platycodon] CAMPANULACEAE}

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1 Cauline leaves palmately compound.
  2 Cauline leaves essentially sessile, and also palmately cleft to the base, and further lacerately divided into linear or oblanceolate segments
  2 Cauline leaves petiolate, with 3-5, sessile or petiolulate, ovate, elliptic, or obovate leaflets (these serrate and sometimes with additional lobes).
    3 Inflorescence a spherical umbel of many flowers; fruit a drupe with 2-3 seeds; stem leaves 3-5
      4 Leaflets 3 (-5), sessile or subsessile, the petiolules 0-3 mm long; larger leaflets 4-8 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, averaging about 2.5× as long as wide, the apex obtuse to acute; fruit yellow-green when ripe, longitudinally winged and ribbed in ×-section; petals white (rarely tinged with pink); inflorescence nodding in bud; underground storage organ a spherical tuber
      4 Leaflets (3-) 5, petiolulate, the petiolules (7-) 10-25 mm long; larger leaflets 6-15 cm long, 3.5-7 cm wide, averaging about 1.8× as long as wide, the apex acuminate; fruit bright red when ripe, smoothly elliptical in ×-section; petals light green; inflorescence erect in bud; underground storage organ an +/- elongate root, this vertical or horizontal, and sometimes branched
    3 Inflorescence of single terminal flowers on the 1-several branches; fruit an aggregate of achenes; stem leaves 3
1 Cauline leaves simple.
        5 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela
        5 Inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit various, not as above (sometimes the flowers tightly grouped, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.).
          6 Fruit a 3-lobed, 3-locular capsule; inflorescence a cyathium, consisting of a single pistillate flower (reduced to a single 3-carpellate pistil) and 2 or more staminate flowers (each reduced to 1 stamen), borne in a cup-like involucre, the involucre bearing pointed or rounded glands, these sometimes brightly colored and petaloid, mimicking an individual flower (the cyathia then secondarily arranged in terminal cymes, or solitary and axillary, etc.); fresh plants with milky juice
          6 Fruit various, not as above; inflorescence not a cyathium (and staminate or bisexual flowers almost always with > 1 stamen); fresh plants lacking milky juice.
             7 Leaves succulent, the terminal whorls closely juxtaposed; pistils 4-5; fruit an aggregate of follicles
             7 Leaves herbaceous, thin in texture, whorls separated; pistil 1, of 2-5 fused carpels; fruit a capsule, achene, or drupe.
               8 Larger whorled leaves on a plant < 10 mm wide [some taxa keyed here and under the second lead].
                 9 Inflorescence a cymule, either axillary, or axillary and terminal; ovary inferior.
                   10 Leaves markedly variable in shape or size in each whorl; fruit a capsule; petals 5
                   10 Leaves similar in size and shape in each whorl; fruit dry or fleshy, indehiscent; petals (3-) 4
                 9 Inflorescence a terminal raceme, panicle, spike, cyme, corymb, or umbel; ovary superior.
                     11 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical, the petals connate; carpels 2; stamens 4, 6, or 8.
                       12 Stamens 4; corolla blue or almost white
                       12 Stamens 6 or 8; corolla pink or yellow
                     11 Corolla radially symmetrical, the petals separate; carpels 2, 3, or 5; stamens 5, 10, or many.
                          13 Inflorescence an axillary umbel; leaves narrowly linear and more than 10× as long as wide, > 20 mm long and < 2 mm wide; whorls of 3-6 leaves
                          13 Inflorescence a terminal cyme, raceme, panicle, or umbel; leaves as above, or broader in shape, narrower, or shorter; whorls of 3-16 leaves.
                            14 Inflorescence a terminal cyme or umbel; corolla white; carpels 5.
                              15 Leaves narrowly linear, 12-16 in each whorl; stamens 5
                              15 Leaves ovate or obovate, 3 (-4) in each whorl
                            14 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; corolla reddish, maroon, or yellow.
                                16 Corolla reddish or maroon
                                16 Corolla yellow
               8 Larger whorled leaves on a plant > 10 mm wide.
                                  17 Inflorescence a spike; perianth absent; fruit a drupe
                                  17 Inflorescence various, but not a spike; perianth present; fruit various, but not a drupe.
                                    18 Inflorescence of terminal involucrate clusters; perianth of 6 tepals; fruit an achene; stamens 9; [plants of very dry habitats]
                                    18 Inflorescence various, but not as above; perianth of 2 whorls (the calyx often obsolete in Galium in RUBIACEAE), 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-merous; stamens 2-7; [plants of dry-mesic to very wet habitats].
                                       19 Fruit dry or fleshy, indehiscent; petals (3-) 4; ovary inferior
                                       19 Fruit a capsule or follicle, dehiscent; petals 4-7; ovary superior.
                                         20 Inflorescence not an umbel; fresh plants with clear juice.
                                           21 Corolla pink-purple, 6-merous, the petals separate and borne on the edge of a hypanthium; stamens 8, 10, or 12; [plants of wetlands]
                                           21 Corolla white, yellow, or greenish, 4-, 5-, or 7-merous, the petals fused at least basally into a tube (falling as a unit), not on a hypanthium; stamens 2, 4, 5, or 7; [plants of mesic habitats].
                                             22 Stamens 2; corolla bilaterally symmetrical
                                             22 Stamens 4, 5, or 7; corolla radially symmetrical.
                                               23 Petals yellowish-white, with prominent green streaks; biennial or monocarpic plant, 10-30 dm tall when fertile; leaves 15-35 cm long
                                               23 Petals white or yellow; perennial plants, 1-15 dm tall; leaves 1-15 cm long.
                                                 24 Leaves punctate; stem without swollen nodes
                                                 24 Leaves not punctate; stem with swollen nodes

Key to Asclepias, Key D: milkweeds with milky sap, with petiolate, nonlinear leaves, in flower

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1 Corolla (not the corona) greenish, either pale green or yellowish green.
  2 Leaves subopposite (to alternate upwards); corolla lobes 7-17 mm long.
    3 Corolla lobes 7-12 mm long; leaves mostly 4-7× as long as wide, acuminate at the apex; [e. OK and e. TX and westwards]
    3 Corolla lobes 13-17 mm long; leaves mostly 2-4× as long as wide, obtuse at the apex; [c. TX and c. OK and eastwards]
  2 Leaves opposite; corolla lobes 6-10 mm long.
      4 Corona 2-3 mm across; corolla lobes pale green, 5-7 mm long; [of various provinces, Coastal Plain and also especially inland]
        5 Corolla lobes reflexed-rotate; corona white to pink, with purple markings; [ne. FL to s. peninsular FL]
        5 Corolla lobes strongly reflexed, appressed to the pedicel; corona green, white, or yellowish, with purple markings; [widespread in our area, but not ne. FL and peninsular FL]
      4 Corona 5-9 mm across; corolla lobes yellowish green, 9-10 mm long; [strictly of the Coastal Plain, of NC and SC, and southward].
          6 Hoods ca. 6 mm long, about 2× as long as the gynostegium; stem and leaves densely tomentulose
          6 Hoods ca. 4 mm long, scarcely exceeding the gynostegium; stem and leaves softly puberulent
1 Corolla (NOT the corona) pink, purple, crimson, orange, or white.
             7 Hoods about as long as the anther heads; horns 1-2× as long as the hood, exserted slightly to well beyond the hood.
               8 Hood opening truncate, the hood therefore beaker-shaped; corolla lobes 8-12 mm long; [primarily of mesic forests of the Mountains]
               8 Hood opening very oblique, the hood therefore scoop-shaped; corolla lobes 2.5-10 mm long; [primarily of wetlands of various provinces].
                 9 Corolla bright orangey red, the lobes 5-10 mm long; corona orangey yellow; gynostegium orangey yellow
                 9 Corolla white, pink, rose, or purple, the lobes 2.5-6 mm long; corona white, pink, or rose; gynostegium white or pale pink.
                   10 Plants 3-5 dm tall; corolla lobes usually white (rarely slightly pink); corona white; leaves glabrous beneath; [of the Coastal Plain of SC]
                   10 Plants 5-15 dm tall; corolla lobes rose to purple (rarely white); corona pink or rose; leaves pubescent to glabrate beneath; [collectively widespread].
                     11 Stems and leaves sparsely pubescent to glabrescent; leaves narrow, the base obtuse to truncate, the apex long-acuminate; plants usually much branched
                     11 Stems and leaves moderately to densely pubescent; leaves broader, the base rounded to subcordate, the apex acute to short-acuminate; plants usually relatively strict
             7 Hoods distinctly longer than the anther heads; horns 0.5-1× as long as the hood, not conspicuously exserted beyond the hood.
                       12 Lower leaf surface pubescent over the surface.
                          13 Hood margin irregular but not with a sharp tooth; umbels terminal and extra-axillary; corolla purplish-rose; leaves with 1-2 stipular colleters on each side of petioles, abaxial surfaces sparsely pilosulous; plants 4-10 dm tall
                          13 Hood margin with a single, ascending, triangular tooth; ; leaves with 1-5 stipular colleters on each side of petioles, abaxial surfaces tomentose to glabrate; corolla rose or greenish-white; plants (5-) 8-20 dm tall
                       12 Lower leaf surface glabrous to sparsely pubescent along the midvein only.
                            14 Hood opening very oblique, the hood therefore scoop-shaped, and also with 2 prominent lateral teeth; corolla pink to greenish (rarely white); plants 2-5 dm tall
                            14 Hood opening truncate and constricted, and lacking prominent teeth; corolla white (often pink at the "waist"); plants 3-12 dm tall

Key to Asclepias, Key E: milkweeds with milky sap, with petiolate, nonlinear leaves, in fruit (or sterile)

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1 Leaves subopposite
1 Leaves opposite (or apparently whorled in A. quadrifolia).
  2 Follicle pendant; seeds without a coma; [of swamp forests of SC and southward]
  2 Follicle erect; seeds with a coma; [collectively widespread].
    3 Leaf-bearing nodes 3-4, the upper and lower opposite, the middle with a whorl of 4 leaves
    3 Leaf-bearing nodes 3-many, all opposite.
      4 Follicle slightly to strongly muricate
      4 Follicle smooth.
        5 Lower leaf surface glabrous, or pubescent on the midrib only
          6 Leaves 1-3 cm wide; follicles 6-10 cm long
          6 Leaves 3-11 cm wide; follicles 12-14 cm long
        5 Lower leaf surface pubescent.
             7 Leaves lanceolate, 4-10× as long as wide.
               8 Leaves coriaceous, 3-10 cm long, 1.5-4.5 cm wide; [of dry upland situations]
               8 Leaves herbaceous, 6-15 cm long, 2-7 cm wide; [of moist to wetland situations].
                 9 Stems and leaves sparsely pubescent to glabrescent; leaves narrow, the base obtuse to truncate, the apex long-acuminate; plants usually much branched
                 9 Stems and leaves moderately to densely pubescent; leaves broader, the base rounded to subcordate, the apex acute to short-acuminate; plants usually relatively strict
             7 Leaves ovate to elliptic, 1.5-4× as long as wide.
                   10 Stem moderately to densely pubescent; plants 1.5-5 (-7) dm tall; [of xeric pinelands of the Coastal Plain of from NC to s. FL, west to OK, AR, and TX].
                     11 Stem and leaves densely tomentulose; leaves mucronate
                     11 Stem and leaves softly puberulent; leaves apiculate
                   10 Stem glabrous to pubescent in lines only; plants 2-12 dm tall; [collectively of various habitats throughout our area].
                       12 Lower leaf surface densely puberulent; [primarily of moist to wet habitats]
                       12 Lower leaf surface glabrous or slightly pubescent; [of moist or dry habitats].
                          13 Leaves 4-9 cm wide, acuminate at the apex
                          13 Leaves 1-6 cm wide, mostly obtuse at the apex.
                            14 Leaves with subcordate, truncate, or broadly rounded bases; [ne. FL to s. peninsular FL]
                            14 Leaves with cuneate or rounded bases; [widespread in our area, but not ne. FL and peninsular FL]