Flora of the Southeastern United States

1 Trees, shrubs, or woody vines.

  2 Prostrate or climbing woody vines (lianas), or sprawling shrubs.

    3 Leaf bases cordate, rounded, or truncate; leaves usually cordate, ovate, or deltoid shaped (occasionally hastate or broadly elliptic); corolla pale lilac colored; [non-native, se. US including FL; tribe Paederieae]

    3 Leaf bases cuneate to rounded but not cordate; leaves oblanceolate, lanceolate or linear; corolla white or yellow; [native, FL].

      4 Flowers and fruit sessile or subsessile; fruit yellow

      4 Flowers and fruit borne on pedicels or peduncles; fruit white

  2 Shrub or tree, plants upright.

        5 Inflorescence spherical or globular, in a tight round head; [collectively widespread].

          6 Inside of corolla glabrous; [waif, s. FL]

          6 Inside of corolla pubescent; [natives and non-native; widespread, including s. FL]

             7 Fruits dry, dehiscent, composed of nutlets; lobes of the corolla smaller; [subfamily Cinchonoideae; tribe Naucleeae]

             7 Fruits fleshy, indehiscent, composed of drupe-like syncarps; lobes of the corolla larger (inflorescence with 1 petaloid calycophyll in M. citrifolia); [subfamily Rubioideae; tribe Morindeae]

        5 Inflorescence cymose, thyrsoid, or corymbose (the inflorescence more open, not globular); [Coastal Plain, from s. SC southward].

               8 Plants with paired spines.

                 9 Corolla lobes 4; leaves to ca. 1 cm long; fruit ca. 5 mm long

                 9 Corolla lobes 5; leaves ca. 2-5 cm long ; fruit ca. 10 mm long

               8 Plants unarmed, not bearing spines or thorns.

                   10 Flowers orange-red; leaves usually whorled; [subfamily Cinchonoideae; tribe Hamelieae]

                   10 Flowers white, green, or maroon; leaves predominantly opposite.

                     11 Leaves linear, revolute, and strongly congested at branch tips; [FL keys southward]

                     11 Leaves broad, not linear, nor strongly congested (except sometimes in Guettarda); [widespread, including s. FL].

                       12 Flowers solitary, terminal, appearing Rose or Magnolia-like; [horticultural waif; subfamily Ixoroideae; tribe Gardenieae]

                       12 Flowers in cymose or thyrsoid inflorescences, not appearing Magnolia or Rose-like (sometimes singular in Exostema, but the corolla is conspicuously salverform); [natives, s. SC southward through FL]

                          13 Corolla salverform, the tube long and slender, ca. (1.5-) 2-9 cm long, the petals noticeably shorter than the tube (or if of similar length then the lobes linear, as in Exostema); [c. and s. FL only in our area].

                            14 Leaves ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, not conspicuously rounded in shape (or at least this not predominant); corolla tube 2-5 cm long, the corolla lobes often recurved apically, linear and of similar length to corolla tube; stamens conspicuously exerted; [s. FL]

                            14 Leaves sub-orbicular to oval, conspicuously rounded in shape (the surfaces scabrous in G. scabra); corolla tube (1.5-) 2-9 cm long, the corolla lobes shorter than the corolla tube; [c. and s. FL]

                          13 Corolla not salverform (or if the tube somewhat lengthened not 2-5 cm long), the corolla lobes broadened and not typically recurved apically; stamens exerted or not; [s. SC southward through FL].

                              15 Inflorescence cymose; some calyx lobes expanded into pink or reddish “flags”, the corolla lobes often pink-dotted; leaves deciduous; domatia not present; [of s. SC southward]; [subfamily Ixoroideae; tribe Condamineeae]

                              15 Inflorescences thyrsoid; calyx lobes inconspicuous; leaves evergreen; domatia present or absent in secondary abaxial vein axils; [of ne. FL southward].

                                16 Fruit large, fig-like (5-7 cm long berries), obovoid, green-colored when ripened and somewhat dull; [subfamily Ixoroideae; tribe Gardenieae]

                                16 Fruit smaller (pea-sized or smaller, ca. 4-6 mm in diameter), rounded and berry or drupe-like, white, red, or black colored when ripened, usually at least somewhat lustrous.

                                  17 Leaves with 8-14 pairs of prominently depressed secondary veins on the upper (adaxial) surface, the veins nearly arising perpindicular from the midvein and often curving (arcuate) toward the leaf margins (thus causing the leaf tissue to almost "rise" from between the veins), the blades herbaceous or membranous; fruit red; [subfamily Rubioideae; tribe Psychotrieae]

                                  17 Leaves usually with < 8 secondary veins, these not conspicuously depressed within the leaf blade (sometimes the midvein moderately depressed); the blades leathery; fruit black or white; [subfamily Cinchonoideae; tribe Chiococceae]

                                    18 Inflorescence elongate-thyrsoid, pedicels bent to one side, petals yellowish; ripened fruit white; plants often vine-like or sprawling shrubs

                                    18 Inflorescence cymose or corymbose, usually terminal, petals whitish; ripened fruit black; plants upright shrubs

1 Herbs (or creeping subshrubs in Mitchella); [ADD Borreria]

                                       19 Leaves opposite.

                                         20 Fruit bright blue or purple, the apex bearing a partially persistent calyx; [waif, c. FL]

                                         20 Fruit variously colored but not bright blue to purple, the calyx not partially persistent or inconspicuously so; [widespread natives and non-natives].

                                           21 Flowers paired, the ovaries connate and developing into a single fleshy red fruit; leaves roundish; creeping subshrub; [subfamily Rubioideae; tribe Mitchelleae]

                                           21 Flowers single or in inflorescences with multiple flowers, the fruits either dry or fleshy and yellowish or black; leaves various; herb; [subfamily Rubioideae; tribe Spermacoceae].

                                             22 Carpels with few to many seeds.

                                               23 Corolla 5-lobed.

                                                 24 Flowers variously colored, often pinkish-purple or whitish-pink; leaf blades often > 5 cm long; plants perennial, erect, not succulent; [waif, c. and s. FL]

                                                 24 Flowers white; leaf blades < 5 cm long; plants annual, creeping or only partially erect, partially succulent; [uncommon exotic, SC s. to FL, w. to TX and AR]

                                               23 Corolla 4-lobed.

                                                    25 Leaf blades 1-5 mm long; plants conspicuously creeping

                                                    25 Leaf blades (3-) 5-50 mm long; plants erect, spreading, or prostrate.

                                                      26 Capsule longer than the calyx tube; flowers blue, pink, or white

                                                      26 Capsule not longer than the calyx tube; flowers white

                                             22 Carpels 1-seeded.

                                                        27 Flowers in dense, terminal, involucrate heads; flowers 4- or-6-lobed; styles 3

                                                        27 Flowers in axillary or terminal clusters, or single in axils, not involucrate; flowers 4-lobed; styles 2.

                                                          28 Flowers usually solitary in leaf axils; fruit separating into 2 parts.

                                                            29 Sepals 4 and similar in size; style entire; [of dry habitats]

                                                            29 Sepals 2 (or 4, and then markedly dimorphic); style cleft; [of moist to wet habitats]

                                                          28 Flowers in terminal and axillary clusters; fruits not separating into 2 parts.

                                                              30 Carpels opening transversely

                                                              30 Carpels opening longitudinally

1 Cauline leaves palmately compound.

  2 Cauline leaves essentially sessile, and also palmately cleft to the base, and further lacerately divided into linear or oblanceolate segments

  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

    3 Inflorescence of single terminal flowers on the 1-several branches; fruit an aggregate of achenes; stem leaves 3

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

                 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 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