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Key to Evolvulus

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1 Flowers primarily terminal, sometimes lateral, in dense globose or ovoid spikes, flowers sessile, corolla 15-20 (-25) mm diameter; [cultivated and rarely escaped]
1 Flowers axillary, in few- to 1-flowered dichasia, corolla <12 mm diameter.
image of plant
Show caption*© Sequoia Janirella Wrens, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sequoia Janirella Wrens
  2 Flowering peduncle well-developed, longer than the subtending leaf; [collectively almost restricted to s. FL; also s. AL, coastal TX, and as a waif in MD].
    3 Corollas 3.5-5 mm wide, sepals glabrous or sparsely pilose, ciliate, 2-2.5 mm; leaf blades linear to narrowly lanceolate; stems sparsely pubescent; [historically as a waif on ballast in MD]
    3 Corollas 5-12 mm wide, sepals villous, or sparsely pilose with marginal cilia; [s. FL; also s. AL, coastal TX, and as a waif in MD].
      4 Stems pubescent (rarely glabrous), corolla 4.5-7 mm, erect to prostrate.
      4 Stems glabrous to sparingly pubescent, corolla 8-12 mm, stems usually prostrate to ascending
image of plant
Show caption*© Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sue Carnahan
  2 Flowering peduncle absent or < 0.5 mm long, much shorter than the subtending leaf; [collectively somewhat widespread in the Coastal Plain; also c. TN].
        5 Sepals lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, 4-5 mm, with spreading hairs; phyllotaxis pentastichous; leaves with pinnate venation; [calcareous glades and barrens of c. TN, and west of the Mississippi River in MS, AR, and TX westwards]
        5 Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 3-5 mm, with appressed hairs; phyllotaxis distichous; leaves with palmatripinnate venation (generally visible on some leaves without clearing); [wet flatwoods, seepages, bogs, Altamaha Grit outcrops, rocklands in the Coastal Plain].
          6 Leaves ovate, < 2× as long as wide, stems strictly prostrate [pine rocklands, Big Pine Key, FL]
          6 Leaves filiform to oblong, > 2× as long as wide.
             7 Leaves glabrous above and below; stems wiry-filiform, often erect and many-branched from base; leaves linear to linear-subulate; [rocklands of s. FL]
             7 Leaves pubescent below; stems decumbent to ascending; leaf-blades linear to oblong.
               8 Leaves pubescent above; [rocklands of s. FL]
               8 Leaves glabrous above; [widespread in the Coastal Plain]