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Key to Solanum

Solanaceae

Solanum

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1 Stems, and often leaves, armed with sharp prickles or spines.
  2 Shrubs to 3.5 m tall; leaves sessile; leaves paired and of different sizes
  2 Herbs to 2 (-3) m tall or shrubs, small trees, or scrambling, vine-like shrubs to 5 m tall or long; leaves petiolate; leaves not paired.
    3 Shrubs, small trees, or scrambling, vine-like shrubs to 5 m tall or long; stems with either recurved or straight prickles.
      4 Berry yellow, 1.0-1.5 cm in diameter; corolla shallowly lobed, the sinuses < ½ of the way to the base
      4 Berry red, < 1 cm in diameter; corolla lobed nearly to the base, rotate
    3 Herbs to 2 (-3) m tall; stems with prickles, but these not strongly recurved.
          6 Berry 2.5-5 cm long, densely hirsute with hairs (2-) 3-5 mm long
          6 Berry 0.5-5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent with hairs < 1 mm long.
             7 Berry enveloped at least until near maturity by prickly calyx; leaves regularly and strongly pinnately parted or very deeply divided (sinus depth greater than 1/2 distance from leaf margin to midvein).
               8 Corolla yellow; inflorescence stellate-pubescent only; calyx tightly enveloping the fruit; seeds coarsely undulate-rugose
               8 Corolla violet to (rarely) white, anthers all similar; inflorescence glandular-villous and stellate-pubescent; calyx loosely or tightly enveloping the fruit; seeds minutely reticulate-pitted.
                 9 Anthers unequal, the lowest violet-tinged, longer, and incurved; fruiting pedicels erect; berry enclosed by the closely fitting and often adhering calyx
                 9 Anthers about equal, all yellow; fruiting pedicels spreading; berry loosely enclosed by the calyx
             7 Berry not enveloped by prickly calyx; the leaves not pinnately parted or divided (except in S. sisymbriifolium), or only weakly so (sinus depth < ½ the distance from leaf margin to midvein).
                   10 Berry (1.5-) 2-5 cm long; lower leaf surface pubescent with simple hairs, these viscid (gland-tipped) or not.
                     11 Ripe berry orange-red to reddish, leaves deeply lobed (sinus depth up to 1/2 distance from leaf margin to midvein); plants with eglandular, villous pubescence; seeds winged
                     11 Ripe berry yellow, immature berry green with white mottles, leaves shallowly lobed (sinus depth typically < 1/3 distance from leaf margin to midvein); plants glandular-viscid; seeds not winged
                   10 Berry < 2 cm in diameter; lower leaf-surface stellate-pubescent.
                       12 Leaves linear-lanceolate, 1-3 cm wide, trichome clusters 0.5 mm broad, with 12 or more rays
                       12 Leaves ovate to elliptic, 2-8 cm wide, often lobed or cleft, trichome clusters 1 mm broad, with 5-10 rays.
                          13 Leaves pinnately parted or divided, the segments often pinnately lobed; calyx enveloping fruit when ripe, berry red; plant annual
                          13 Leaves irregularly lobed or cleft, the lobes or segments entire; calyx not enveloping fruit when ripe; berry yellowish orange, never red; plant perennial.
                            14 Stellate trichomes of lower leaf surface stipitate, the 6-8 rays, the central one as long as or shorter than the lateral rays, of 1 cell; corolla 3-4 cm wide, calyx 8-12 mm long
                            14 Stellate trichomes of lower leaf surface sessile, with 2-5 rays, the central one elongate, of 1-5 cells, and longer than the lateral rays; corolla 2-3 cm wide, calyx 5-7 mm long.
                              15 Leaves entire, margins at most sinuate; plants up to 2 dm in stature; prickles few, absent, and/or confined to midveins; corollas white; inflorescence with up to ca. 4 flowers; [rare plants of c. AL and wc. GA]
                              15 Leaves not entire, lobed, cleft, pinnately parted, or divided; plants 3-10 dm in stature; prickles more abundant and generally distributed; corollas purple, rarely white; inflorescence with up to ca. 15 flowers; [plants more widely distributed, weedy or ruderal].
                                16 Stems sparsely to moderately armed with prickles up to 12 mm long; inflorescences 2- to several-branched; corollas 2.0-4.4 cm in diameter; [mainly AL, FL, and GA, rarely MS]
                                16 Stems unarmed or sparsely armed with prickles up to 6 mm long; inflorescences unbranched or once branched; corollas 2.2-3.0 cm in diameter; [collectively widespread].
                                  17 Leaf margins deeply lobed to parted; sinuses of lobes reaching more than half the distance to the midvein or almost to the midvein; apex of leaf lobes typically rounded; [s. GA and FL]
                                  17 Leaf margins subentire, sinuate, or lobed; sinuses of lobes, when present, reaching less than half the distance to the midvein; apex of leaf lobes subacute to acute, sometimes rounded; [widespread]
1 Stems and leaves unarmed, lacking prickles or spines.
                                    18 Leaves compound (at least well-developed leaves), pinnatifid, or basally auriculate-lobed.
                                         20 Leaves with 2 basal lobes or leaflets much smaller than the terminal one (some upper leaves simple); [mainly northwards]
                                         20 Leaves pinnately to bipinnately deeply lobed, usually with 3-9 lobes of relatively equal size; [peninsular FL]
                                           21 Leaves sessile or short-petiolate, 1-5 cm long, regularly pinnatifid, the lobes similar in size and shape; plant more or less prostrate
                                           21 Leaves distinctly petiolate, 10-40 cm long, pinnately or bipinnately compound, the lateral leaflets ovate, often with smaller leaflets intercalated between the main leaflets; plant erect, scrambling, or sprawling.
                                               23 Shrubs and small trees; [mainly FL and s. TX southwards, rarely northwards].
                                                    25 Leaves of new growth with stipule-like auricled miniature leaves at the petiole base; corolla lavender to deep purple; [collectively widespread]
                                                                   32 Corolla 10-16 mm long, lavender; fruits 10-15 mm in diameter, yellow when ripe (blackening with age); trichomes of stems and leaves stellate, with 9-13 branches
                                                                   32 Corolla 5-8 mm long, white to cream; fruits 5-10 mm in diameter, black, purple, green, orange, red, or dark yellow when ripe; trichomes of stems and leaves simple (when present).
                                                                           36 Leaf bases attenuate to cuneate; inflorescences mostly internodal, with 4-8 (-10) flowers; corolla with a central greenish yellow star with black or purple margins; berries dark green to greenish brown, marbled with white, becoming translucent and shiny; stone cells 1-3, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter
                                                                           36 Leaf bases cordate or truncate; inflorescences mostly leaf-opposed, with 2-5 (-7) flowers; corolla with a central greenish yellow star without black or purple margins; berries pale green, not marbled with white, becoming matte, opaque; stone cells 4-6, 0.8-1 mm in diameter
                                                                     33 Foliage lacking glandular trichomes, sometimes with a few scattered trichomes with glandular tips, but not markedly glandular (fresh plants not sticky to the touch).
                                                                                           43 Anthers (2.7-) 3-4.5 mm long, slightly tapering to the tip; buds ovoid, tapering to the apex; free portion of the filaments minute, ca. 1/4 the length of the anther; corolla to 20 mm in diameter
 Solanum douglasii
                                                                                               45 Berries 10-20 mm in diameter, shiny, slightly flattened; fruiting pedicels strongly spreading; anthers somewhat tapering, often drying brownish orange; [cultivated, perhaps a waif]

Key O: herbaceous dicots with alternate, compound leaves on the stem

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1 Leaves either 3-foliolate or palmately 4-11-foliolate (all the leaflets attached at a common point, or the leaflets slightly pedate in Helleborus foetidus in RANUNCULACEAE).
  2 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, the heads solitary or many and variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences, the ovary inferior, the corolla connate and tubular at least basally, the calyx absent, the stamens 5, the fruit a cypsela
  2 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
    3 Leaflets obviously and sharply serrate; pistils 1 or 5-many; fruit an achene, or an aggregate of achenes, drupelets, or follicles.
      4 Leaflets 7-11, slightly pedate in their arrangement, evergreen
        5 Pistils 5-many; fruit an aggregate of achenes, drupelets, or follicles
    3 Leaflets entire, finely denticulate, or very obscurely toothed (or irregularly serrate or lobed in Cardamine in BRASSICACEAE); pistil 1; fruit simple, a legume, capsule, silique, or berry.
          6 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; petals 5; fruit a legume; carpel 1
          6 Corolla radially symmetrical; petals 4 or 5; fruit either an elongate capsule or a berry; carpels 1, 2, or 5.
             7 Leaflets radially arranged at the summit of the petiole, not differentiated in size or placement into a terminal leaflet and 2 lateral leaflets; leaflets prominently notched at the apex; petals 5, yellow; inflorescence axillary, cymose or umbelliform; carpels 5
             7 Leaflets differentiated in size and placement into a terminal leaflet and 2 or more lateral leaflets; leaflets not regularly notched at the apex (a few may be slightly retuse); petals 4, white, pink, or yellow; inflorescence terminal and racemose; carpels 1 or 2.
               8 Carpel 1; fruit a capsule; petals separate, white, pink, or yellow.
                 9 Stem leaves 1-3, alternate [or whorled or opposite]; leaflets 3, irregularly serrate, lacerate, or additionally divided or lobed; fruit a silique; carpels 2
                 9 Stem leaves >3, alternate; leaflets (1-) 3-7, each entire or obscurely toothed; fruit a capsule; carpel 1
1 Leaves either 1-pinnately compound (all leaflets attached to a central rachis) or more complexly compound (with several orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
                   10 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela; ovary inferior
                   10 Inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit various, not as above; ovary superior.
                       12 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical, papilionaceous; fruit a legume; leaves even-pinnately or odd-pinnately compound, the terminal leaflet sometimes replaced by a tendril; leaflets entire or at most minutely denticulate
                       12 Flowers radially symmetrical (or barely bilaterally symmetrical in Erodium in GERANIACEAE); fruit a capsule, capsular but of 5 mericarps, or an aggregate of achenes, nutlets, or follicles (in some cases the # of pistils from many down to 2 or even 1); leaves odd-pinnately compound, never with tendrils; leaflets serrate (or entire to shallowly lobed in Polemonium in POLEMONIACEAE, Cardamine in BRASSICACEAE, and Floerkea in LIMNANTHACEAE).
                          13 Pistils many (only 1-2 in Agrimonia, Poteridium, Poterium, and Sanguisorba); fruit an aggregate of achenes, nutlets, or follicles; hypanthium present; stamens 5-many (only 4 in Poteridium and Sanguisorba)
                          13 Pistil 1 (or deeply 2-3-lobed in Floerkea in LIMNANTHACEAE); fruit a silique, capsule, schizocarp of 2-3 mericarps, or a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps (Erodium in GERANIACEAE); hypanthium absent; stamens 3-6.
                              15 Petals 5, fused (distinct in Erodium in GERANIACEAE); stamens 5; inflorescence axillary or terminal, cymose, consisting of subcapitate, umbel-like, or helicoid cymes; fruit either a capsule, or a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps (Erodium in GERANIACEAE).
                                16 Flowers slightly bilaterally symmetrical (2 of the petals of different size than the other 3); fruit a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps; carpels 5
                     11 Leaves more complexly compound (with 2 or more orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
                                           21 Inflorescence either a terminal solitary flower or terminal raceme or panicle; ovary superior, either of 2 fused carpels or of 1-5or many distinct 1-carpellate pistils; fruit either a capsule or an aggregate of follicles or achenes.
                                                 24 Leaflets sharply serrate, with usually many teeth on each leaflet side, the total number of “points” per leaflet > 10.
                                                 24 Leaflets entire, or with 1-several, broad, obtuse, rounded, or broadly acute “sublobes”, especially towards the tip of the leaflet, the total number of “points” per leaflet < 10.
                                                            29 Perianth of 4-5 whorls of 3 parts each (some of the whorls modified into nectaries); pistil 1, 1-carpellate; fruit a drupelike, blue, naked seed; largest leaflets > 6 cm long, obviously longer than wide
                                                            29 Perianth of 1 whorl; of 4-5 parts; pistils many, each 1-carpellate; fruit an aggregate of achenes or an aggregate of follicles; largest leaflets either < 6 cm long, or if longer than 6 cm, also about as wide as long

Key P3: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and pinnately lobed leaves on the stem

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1 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, the heads solitary or many and variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences, the ovary inferior, the corolla connate and tubular at least basally, the calyx absent, the stamens 5, the fruit a cypsela
1 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above (sometimes the flowers in a head, e.g. Eryngium in APIACEAE, or the fruit a cypsela in Cevallia in LOASACEAE, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.).
  2 Perianth uniseriate, with only undifferentiated tepals; flowers many and small, greenish or brownish, inconspicuous individually; inflorescence of glomerules that are usually further aggregated into racemes or panicles; fruit an achene or utricle
  2 Perianth biseriate, both sepals and petals present and differentiated (except uniseriate and of 2 white to cream-colored sepals 5-10 mm long in Macleaya in PAPAVERACEAE); flowers larger, usually with the petals prominently colored; inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit a capsule, silique/silicle, or a schizocarp of 2 mericarps.
    3 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical and the petals connate into a tube (or the corolla 2-lipped but the corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical); stamens 4; fruit a 2-locular and loculicidal capsule opening by 2 valves
    3 Corolla radially symmetrical and either connate into a tube or distinct (except Reseda in RESEDACEAE, with bilateral symmetry but separate petals); stamens 5 or more; fruit a silique/silicle, a schizocarp of 4 mericarps, or a 1-, 3-, or 4-locular capsule (2-locular in Ipomoea in CONVOLVULACEAE and Glaucium in PAPAVERACEAE), opening variously.
      4 Ovary inferior; fruit either a schizocarp of 2 mericarps (Eryngium), a 4-loculicidal (Oenothera) or apically dehiscent (Mentzelia) capsule with a persistent perianth (Mentzelia), or a cypsela (Cevallia).
        5 Flowers 5-merous (sometimes superficially 10+ in Mentzelia, the numerous "petals" actually a combination of 5+ petaloid stamen filaments and 5 petals).
          6 Flowers aggregated into a head; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps
          6 Flowers solitary or in dichasia (Mentzelia) or if headlike, then plants with abundant trichomes, flowers yellow and fruit a cypsela with a persistent perianth (Cevallia); [LOASACEAE]
             7 Stamens 5; fruits indehiscent (a cypsela with a persistent perianth), bearing one seed each; plants with four trichome types (knobbed, retrorse, dendritic, and stinging), these sometimes but not always all present on the same plant.
             7 Stamens numerous (8-50+), often strongly exerted; petals 5 (sometimes superficially appearing to have ca. 10+ due to the presence of 5+ petaloid stamen filaments and 5 petals), fruits dehiscent (capsules with apical dehiscence); plants with two types of trichomes (antrorse/smooth or retrorse)
      4 Ovary superior; fruit either a silique/silicle, or a 1-, 2-, or 3-locular capsule, or a berry.
               8 Sepals and petals of different numbers, the sepals 2-3, the petals 0, 4, or 6; stamens many
               8 Sepals and petals the same number, 4-8 each; stamens 5 or 6 (10-25 in Reseda in RESEDACEAE).
                 9 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 10-25
                 9 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5 or 6.
                       12 Corolla with a long tube, much longer than the lobes, scarlet, white, pink, or blue; leaves shallowly to deeply pinnately parted into 3-many lobes
                       12 Corolla with a short tube, the lobes longer than the tube, purplish; leaves with a single large terminal l lobe, and 2 small basal lobes (these almost separate as leaflets)
                          13 Fruit a capsule, 1-locular; corolla white, pink, lavender, or blue, the tube short (< 4 mm long), the lobes flaring, the corolla < 15 mm long or wide
                          13 Fruit either a capsule, 2- or-3 locular, or a berry; corolla scarlet, blue, white, yellow, greenish-yellow, or purple, the tube long (>10 mm long) and cylindrical, the corolla > 10 mm long or wide.
                            14 Stigmas 3; fruit a capsule with 3 valves; leaf lobes 0.5-5 mm wide, often themselves lobed, the sinuses very deep, often nearly to the leaf midvein
                            14 Stigmas 2; fruit either a capsule with 2 valves or a berry; leaf lobes > 5 mm wide, not lobed themselves, the sinuses shallow, often < 1/2 way to the midvein