1 Cauline leaves palmately compound.

  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

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 an umbel; fresh plants with milky juice

                                         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

1 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela

1 Inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit various, not as above.

  2 Leaves pinnately compound.

    3 Leaves even-pinnate

    3 Leaves odd-pinnate.

      4 Plants vines, climbing or sprawling, the leaves often with tendril like petioles and leaf rachises; corolla 4-parted, radially symmetrical

      4 Plants not vines, more or less erect to arching and lacking adaptations for climbing; corolla 5-parted, radially or bilaterally symmetrical

        5 Plants often with a mix of mostly opposite, deeply 3-lobed leaves or trifoliate leaves (leaves sometimes simple); flowers pink or purplish-white, axillary; plants annual

        5 Plants typically with all leaves with > 3 leaflets; flowers primarily white, borne in dense terminal corymbs/cymes; plants perennial

  2 Leaves palmately compound.

          6 Cauline leaves petiolate, with 3-5, sessile or petiolulate, ovate, elliptic, or obovate leaflets (these serrate and sometimes with additional lobes).

             7 Plants annual; flowers typically unisexual and not showy, green; plants highly resinous and glandular; inflorescences variously arranged

1 Leaflets linear, < 1.5 mm wide.

  2 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Delphineae]

  2 Flowers radially symmetrical.

    3 Aquatic; [native]; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

    3 Terrestrial; [exotic].

      4 Flower closely subtended by a finely dissected involucre; pistils compound; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Nigelleae]

      4 Flower lacking involucre; pistils simple.

        5 Petals 8-15 mm long, red, purple, or orange; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Adonideae]

        5 Petals 3-5 mm long, yellow; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

1 Leaflets broader, rounded, lobed, or toothed.

          6 Leaves all cauline, opposite; stems somewhat woody at base; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]

          6 Leaves basal and cauline, the cauline alternate (or with opposite or whorled involucral bracts).

             7 Petals present, conspicuous

               8 Flowers dangling; petals red, orange with yellow, or blue, spurred; [subfamily Thalictroideae]

               8 Flowers not dangling; petals yellow, not spurred; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

             7 Petals absent or inconspicuous (soon deciduous or altered into a nectary-bearing clavate structure); sepals sometimes petaloid and conspicuous.

                 9 Sepals petaloid, conspicuous, white (or cream, rose, pink, or tinged with green).

                   10 Involucre absent, all leaves on the stem alternate; petaloid sepals 5, white; [subfamily Thalictroideae]

                   10 Involucre of opposite or whorled, leaflike bracts present; petaloid sepals (4-) 5-20 (-30), white, cream, rose, or green.

                     11 Basal leaves with > 5 leaflets; these with 0-3 rounded lobes at the tip; petaloid sepals white to pale pink; [subfamily Thalictroideae]

                 9 Sepals absent, or inconspicuous in comparison to the stamens or pistils.

                       12 Leaflets 3; flower solitary; [subfamily Coptidoideae]

                       12 Leaflets many; flowers many, in a panicle or raceme.

                          13 Inflorescence a raceme; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Cimicifugeae]

                          13 Inflorescence a panicle; [subfamily Thalictroideae]

1 Fruit a follicle or capsular (or fleshy and berrylike in some Actaea).

  2 Mature leaves > 4 dm wide; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Cimicifugeae]

  2 Mature leaves < 3 dm wide.

    3 Leaflets linear; [exotics].

      4 Flowers in a raceme, not subtended by an involucre; fruit follicular, each with a 1-2 mm long beak; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Delphineae]

      4 Flower solitary, subtended by a finely divided involucre; fruit a spherical capsule-like structure composed of 5 or 10 partially connate follicles, each follicle terminated by a linear beak 13-20 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Nigelleae]

    3 Leaflets broad, rounded; [mostly natives].

        5 Follicles borne on stipes, forming an umbel-like cluster; rhizomes yellow or orange; [subfamily Coptidoideae]

        5 Follicles sessile; rhizomes brown or tan; [subfamily Thalictroideae].

          6 Follicles 15-31 mm long, with beaks 7-18 mm long

          6 Follicles 3.5-6.5 mm long, with beaks 1.5-3 mm long

1 Fruit an achene.

             7 Leaves divided into numerous linear segments, all of which are < 1 mm wide.

               8 Plant aquatic (if leaves divided into numerous linear segments); [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

               8 Plant terrestrial.

                 9 Achenes 3-5 mm long, glabrous, with a persistent beak 0.5-1 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Adonideae]

                 9 Achenes 1.6-2 mm long, tomentose, with a persistent beak 3.5-4.5 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

             7 Leaf segments rounded or cleft, > 1 mm wide.

                   10 Leaves cauline, opposite; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]

                   10 Leaves basal and/or cauline, cauline leaves (if present) alternate (leaflike involucral bracts sometimes present and opposite or whorled).

                     11 Leaflike involucral bracts present, opposite or whorled.

                       12 Achenes conspicuously ribbed or veined on lateral surfaces; leaf texture thin, delicate; [subfamily Thalictroideae]

                     11 Leaflike involucral bracts not present.

                          13 Leaflets 3-many, if many the leaflets typically with teeth, or sharp lobes; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]

                          13 Leaflets many, unlobed or typically with 3-9 rounded lobes; [subfamily Thalictroideae]