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1 Leaves predominantly basal. |
2 Veins of the 3 upper calyx lobes parallel, the lobes themselves minute and widely-spaced (> 1 mm between the 2 lateral teeth), separated by flattish sinuses; basal leaves lobed; [native, though weedy, common throughout our area] |
2 Veins of the 3 upper calyx lobes converging, the lobes themselves minute and spaced within a distance of 1 mm; basal leaves lobed or toothed; cauline leaves toothed (rarely lobed); [ exotic weeds, rarely naturalized in our area]. |
3 Upper corolla- lip strongly arched; leaves serrate |
3 Upper corolla- lip straight; leaves lobed |
1 Leaves predominantly cauline, not lobed. |
4 Leaves rhombic- ovate, the base cordate, subcordate, truncate, or broadly cuneate. |
5 Petiole not clearly differentiated from the leaf blade (leaf tissue decurrent on the petiole for most or all its length); corolla blue |
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6 Leaves with abruptly truncate bases into a winged petiole; plants typically with a single terminal inflorescence; corolla 10-17 mm long; flowering Apr-May |
5 Petiole clearly differentiated from the leaf blade; corolla blue, white, or scarlet. |
7 Corolla scarlet; larger leaves 3-6.5 cm long |
7 Corolla blue or whitish; leaves 5-20 cm long |
8 Upper calyx lip > ½× as long as the calyx tube; flowers 4-12 per node; leaves (8-) 12-20 cm long |
8 Upper calyx lip < 1/3× as long as the calyx tube; flowers 12-30 per node; leaves 5-10 cm long |
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9 Shrub, distinctly woody; leaves linear, strongly revolute |
9 Herb, not woody; leaves lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, not revolute |
10 Leaves canescent, gray; [introduced, rarely persistent from cultivation in gardens] |
10 Leaves puberulent, green; [native, of dry woodlands from sc. NC southward and westward]. |
11 Flowers 2 (-4) per node; corolla 8-12 mm long; annual |
11 Flowers 6-10 flowers per node; corolla > 13 mm long; perennial |
12 Stem usually with sparse, antrorse or somewhat spreading pubescence; calyx with antrorse hairs limited to major veins; flowers of mature inflorescences spaced out, most internodes elongate and ranging up to 25 (-34) mm; [Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain and adjacent piedmont, from south-central NC to central FL to southeast LA] |
12 Stem usually with dense, retrorse pubescence; calyx with dense antrorse pubescence; flowers of mature inflorescences densely arranged, internodes between flowers very short, only the lowermost 1-3 internodes elongate and ranging up to 12 (-17) mm; [inland and prairie sites, ranging from IL, IA, NE, and e. CO south to nw. GA, n. AL, ne. MS, LA, and se. and c. TX] |