1 Fruit a fleshy
drupe ; plant a small tree, shrub, or
sprawling vine ; mature stems
terete or obscurely 4-sided (by secondary growth).
2 Flowers
zygomorphic ;
palmately (3-) 5-7 (-9) foliolate or simple (
V. rotundifolia ); [subfamily
Viticoideae ]
2 Flowers essentially
actinomorphic ; leaves simple.
3 Stems
glabrous or
pubescent with simple (unbranched)
hair ;
inflorescence terminal (rarely only
axillary );
calyx lobe conspicuous or diminuitive.
4 Corolla 5-40 mm long;
calyx 5-18 mm, the
lobe conspicuous, the
calyx length often surpassing the fruit when mature; [subfamily
Ajugoideae ]
4 Corolla 2-5 mm long; the
calyx lobe inconspicuous and not surpassing the mature fruit; [subfamily
Premnoideae ]
1 Fruit a
schizocarp of 4 dry
mericarp ; plant either an herb or a shrub to 5 (-20) dm tall; mature stems usually distinctly 4-sided (sometimes
terete or obscurely 4-sided).
5 Calyx with either a distinctly enlarged
protuberance on the upper surface, or the upper
lobe expanded and “cap-like”.
6 Calyx with 5
lobe , clearly separate apically, with the upper
lobe expanded and “cap-like”
6 Calyx with 2
entire lobe joined at the
margin , rounded apically, with a distinct
protuberance on the upper surface
5 Calyx without an enlarged
protuberance or “cap-like” upper
lobe .
7 Upper
lip of
corolla greatly reduced or
lobe laterally disposed, thus the
corolla appearing to consist of one large lower
lip ; [subfamily
Ajugoideae ].
8 Lower
lip with 2-4
lobe ; flowers yellow or deep blue-purple; plants
stoloniferous
8 Lower
lip appearing 5-
lobed (
proximal 2
lateral , erect
lobe represent the cryptic upper
lip ); flowers white to pink; plants
cespitose
7 Upper
lip of
corolla conspicuous, flaring or
galeate .
9 Plants distinctly
repent and rooting at the
node , or producing elongate
stolon .
11 Herbs; leaves
cordate -
reniform , coarsely
crenate , the
blade > 1 cm long;
inflorescence of
axillary cymule ;
corolla 10-20 mm
11 Subshrub ; leaves
ovate to
elliptic ,
entire , the
blade < 1 cm long;
inflorescence a terminal
thyrse ;
corolla 4-5 mm
12 Inflorescence terminal;
calyx and
corolla zygomorphic ,
calyx 5-
lobed , flowers 20-30 mm long
9 Plants not distinctly
repent or
stoloniferous .
13 Calyx with 6-10
lobe or teeth.
13 Calyx with 5 or fewer
lobe or teeth.
15 Calyx with 3-4 prominent
lobe (rarely 5, if one includes small teeth).
17 Calyx with 4 unequal primary
lobe ; flowers large, 2.5-3.5 cm long, in
bracteate terminal
raceme
17 Calyx with 3 primary
lobe (upper
lobe occasionally with 3
apiculate teeth, e.g.
Salvia lyrata ); flowers 3 cm or less, in terminal
thyrse .
18 Stamen 4;
calyx enveloped and partially concealed by subtending
bract
18 Stamen 2;
calyx not enveloped by subtending
bract .
19 Shrubs;
calyx with simple and
dendritic hair ; leaves
revolute ,
coriaceous
19 Herbs;
calyx with simple
trichome ; leaves non-
revolute ,
margin various, membranaceous
15 Calyx usually with 5 prominent
lobe (except for
Clinopodium with rarely fused upper
lobe ).
22 Corolla actinomorphic ,
lobe spreading and nearly equal (one
lobe slightly
emarginate and/or enlarged).
23 Inflorescence axillary ; foliage not or faintly aromatic
23 Inflorescence terminal; foliage strongly aromatic
24 Inflorescence densely
capitate (often also
axillary );
corolla strongly
galeate , arching
25 Corolla 7-20 mm;
inflorescence a densely clustered terminal or
axillary cyme , or a well developed
panicle .
26 Inflorescence a dense cluster of one or more terminal
cymule (occasionally just
axillary ); lower
lip of
corolla not
fringed
25 Corolla ca. 3-10 mm long;
inflorescence a
loose axillary cyme or slender terminal
spike or
spike -like
panicle .
27 Corolla 3.5-4 mm, borne 2 per
node in a slender terminal
spike ; middle
lobe of upper
calyx reduced
27 Corolla 4-10 mm, borne in
axillary cyme or
spike -like
panicle ; upper
calyx lobe similar.
28 Flowers in
loose axillary cyme ;
calyx gibbous , throat closed by
hair ;
corolla ca. 4-5 mm long
28 Flowers in a
spike -like
panicle ;
calyx not
gibbous or closed by
hair ;
corolla ca. 10 mm long
29 Stamen ascending under the upper
corolla lip , either included within the tube (or at least not clearly
exserted beyond it).
31 Flowers borne in terminal
verticil or
thyrse , with reduced
bracteal leaves.
32 Calyx 15-nerved;
verticil tightly aggregated
32 Calyx 5-10-nerved;
verticil well spaced
31 Flowers borne in
axil of well-developed leaves, or a terminal
raceme with 1 flower per
node .
34 Stems often with swollen
node (areas just below appear dark and sunken upon drying, except
G. ladanum );
hair of the stem either exclusively
hispid or short
recurved and mixed with longer
glandular trichome ;
corolla 15-28 mm long
34 Stems without swollen
node ;
hair of the stem finely and softly
retrorse , generally lacking
glandular hair (though
sessile gland may be present);
corolla 5-14 mm long.
35 Corolla 5-7 mm long, not much longer than the
calyx , weakly
bilabiate and lacking an
annulus
35 Corolla 8-14 mm long and well-exceeding the
calyx , strongly
galeate and
annulate
33 Calyx lobe without
spinescent apices (although
lobe may be pointed or
acute ).
36 Flowers in terminal
raceme ,
corolla tube broadly
inflated
36 Flowers borne in
axil of well developed leaves,
corolla tube not broadly
inflated .
37 Verticil 6-12-flowered, compact;
corolla 10-30 mm.
38 Corolla 10-15 mm long;
calyx with 10+
nerve
38 Corolla 10-30 mm long;
calyx 5-nerved
39 Shrubs, diffusely branched; [restricted to se. Coastal Plain and Cumberland Plateau]
39 Herbs, branched or unbranched; [collectively widespread].
40 Calyx teeth distinctly white or pink, noticeably different from the tube
40 Calyx teeth coloration not noticeably different from the tube.
41 Flowers 1 per
bracteal axil .
42 Corolla nearly
regular , 4-6 mm long.
42 Corolla bilabiate , >10 mm long
41 Flowers 2-many per
bract or leaf
axil .
43 Plants lemon-scented, flowers in the
axil of well-developed leaves
43 Plants mint-scented or non-aromatic, flowers terminal and/or
axillary .
44 Upper
median calyx lobe longer and wider than the other 4; flowers terminal
44 Upper
lobe differing in
sinus depth and/or size from the lower
lobe ; flowers borne variously.
45 Bract broadly rounded,
apiculate or absent.
46 Bract broadly rounded,
apiculate ;
inflorescence terminal
45 Bract setaceous or
elliptic , but not broadly rounded or
apiculate , present.
47 Calyx clearly
bilabiate ;
corolla 7-15 mm long
47 Calyx scarcely
bilabiate ;
corolla 5-7 mm long
29 Stamen (at least some) well
exserted beyond the upper
corolla lobe .
48 Lower
lip of
corolla distinctly
fringed
48 Lower
lip of
corolla not
fringed .
50 Flowers in dense terminal
capitate clusters, subtended by large
bracteal leaves (these often whitened on the upper surface and especially towards the
base )
50 Flowers borne otherwise.
51 Flowers borne in few-flowered
cymose axillary clusters, overall appearing
paniculate ; [subfamily
Ajugoideae ]
51 Flowers borne in a
spike -like terminal
thyrse .
52 Corolla pink to lavender or white, 11-17 mm long
52 Corolla blue (rarely white), 7-12 mm long
53 Flowers borne in a dense terminal
spike , 2-3-verticilled
globose head, or
spiciform thryse.
55 Small plants to ca. 30 cm; leaves short,
sessile ,
linear -
lanceolate with
revolute ,
entire margin ; [
endemic to FL and se. GA]
55 Large plants, well over 30 cm tall; leaves often
petiolate , broadly
ovate or
lanceolate ,
margin not
revolute or
entire ; [collectively widespread].
56 Bract broadly rounded;
corolla distinctly
bilabiate ; plants 1-3 m tall
53 Flowers borne in
axillary verticil or terminal (
capitate to loosely flowered) clusters.
57 Flowers in
axillary clusters,
corolla nearly
regular .
58 Axillary clusters
loose , 1-3-flowered; [subfamily
Ajugoideae ]
58 Axillary clusters dense, many-flowered;
corolla white-pink
59 Stems
scabrous ;
corolla mostly blue-violet
59 Stems
glabrous to
pubescent ;
corolla mostly white-pink
57 Flowers in densely
capitate or loosely flowered terminal clusters,
corolla distinctly
bilabiate .
60 Flowers in loosely branched terminal and
axillary cyme
60 Flowers densely
capitate cluster or terminal
spike of well spaced
verticil .
61 Inflorescence either
capitate or a
spike , not subtended by large
bracteal leaves
61 Inflorescence capitate , subtended by large
bracteal leaves (these often whitened on the upper surface and especially towards the
base )