1 Plant parasitic; stems orange; [tribe Cuscuteae)

1 Plant photosynthetic; stems green.

  2 Corolla minute (0.1-0.2 cm long), much shorter than calyx lobes; capsules deeply 2-lobed; leaves orbicular-reniform (appearing Asarum-like in shape), with long petioles, not fleshy; [tribe Dichondreae]

  2 Corolla 1-10 cm long (or if < 1 cm as in Poranopsis, then the corolla longer than the calyx, and flowers borne in large panicles); capsules not deeply lobed; leaves various, but not as above (if rarely orbicular, then leaves fleshy and plants of beach habitats as in Convolvulus soldanella, Ipomoea brasiliensis, and Ipomoea imperati), the petioles short or absent.

    3 Flowers numerously arranged in large panicles; [uncommon non-native, se. FL]

    3 Flowers not arranged in large panicles; [widespread, native and non-native].

      4 Styles 2, free or only fused basally; leaves cuneate or rounded at the base, and narrowly ovate, lanceolate, or linear in outline; [tribe Cresseae].

        5 Styles free, each 2-cleft, the stigmas therefore 4, linear-filiform

        5 Styles free or fused at the base, the stigmas 2, globose-peltate or capitate.

          6 Leaf blades 1-10 mm long (sometimes scale-like), corollas 5-7 mm long; [saline or alkaline habitats, TX southward]

          6 Leaf blades 10-60 mm long (sometimes linear, but never scale-like); corolla (8-)10-100 mm long; [habitats various, collectively widespread]

             7 Flowers 70-100 mm long; leaves ovate, < 2× as long as wide; [FL only, north to Marion County]

             7 Flowers (8-)10-25 mm long; leaves narrowly ovate, lanceolate, or linear, > 2× as long as wide; [widespread in our area, primarily in the Coastal Plain]

      4 Styles 1 (sometimes with 2 stigmas, or a bilobed stigma); leaves cordate, sagittate, or truncate at the base, and (mostly) ovate in outline.

               8 Calyx concealed by 2 large bracts; [tribe Convolvuleae]

               8 Calyx not concealed by bracts (Aniseia sometimes with 3 large outer sepals appearing superficially similar to bracts).

                 9 Outer 3 sepals distinctly wider and longer than the inner sepals (and lacking an attenuated tip).

                 9 Outer 3 sepals similarly sized to the inner, or if longer then with an attenuated tip.

                   10 Capsules indehiscent (not splitting); leaves abaxially black-glandular-punctate; [uncommon non-native, s. FL]

                   10 Capsules dehiscent (splitting at maturity); leaves not abaxially black-glandular-punctate; [widespread, natives and non-natives]

                     11 Stigmas 2, the lobes not capitate or globse (instead cylindric or elliptic to subulate); leaves 2-4 cm long, truncate or weakly hastate at base; corolla white or pink.

                       12 Stigmas elongate but not linear; [tribe Jacquemontiae]

                       12 Stigmas filiform; [tribe Convolvuleae]

                     11 Stigma 1, capitate or globse (sometimes 2-lobed); leaves 3-15 cm long, mostly strongly hastate or cordate at base; corolla white, pink, lavender, blue, yellow, orange, or red. ADD CAMONEA

                          13 Anthers coiled after dehiscence (making 1-4 complete 360 degree turns); fruits longitudinally or irregularly dehiscent; [tribe Merremieae].

                            14 Leaf blades unlobed, simple; flowers yellow

                            14 Leaf blades palmately lobed or compound; flowers primarily white with lighter purple or blue coloration (except Distimake tuberosus, which has yellow flowers but deeply palmately lobed leaves).

                              15 Fruit a four-valved capsule; [s. GA and FL to TX in our region]

                              15 Fruit an operculate capsule (with a leathery exocarp that falls off like a lid and a brittle endocarp that shatters irregularly); [s. TX only in our region]

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, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.).

  2 Plant a vine, climbing by tendrils or twining.

    3 Vine climbing by twining.

      4 Leaf margins entire; flowers bisexual; plants hermaphroditic; petals connate, large and showy

      4 Leaf margins serrate; flowers unisexual; plants dioecious; petals absent

    3 Vine climbing by tendrils.

        5 Ovary inferior; petals connate; flowers unisexual

        5 Ovary superior; petals distinct; flowers bisexual

  2 Plant an herb, sometimes sprawling, reclining (e.g. Cymbalaria in PLANTAGINACEAE, Aconitum in RANUNCULACEAE), but lacking climbing adaptations such as tendrils or twining stems.

          6 Ovary inferior; inflorescence an umbel (or flowers solitary or in dichasia in Mentzelia); fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps or a capsule (Mentzelia).

             7 Flowers solitary or in dichasia; fruit capsules dehiscing via apical valves

             7 Inflorescence an umbel; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps

               8 Involucre well-developed and obvious

               8 Involucre absent or minute

          6 Ovary superior; inflorescence various, not an umbel; fruit various, a capsule, an aggregate of achenes or follicles, or a ring of (>2) mericarps.

                 9 Perianth uniseriate, the corolla absent (the calyx petaloid and white in Cnidoscolus); flowers unisexual; plants either with stinging hairs or not

                 9 Perianth biseriate (uniseriate in Aphanes in ROSACEAE and in Trautvetteria in RANUNCULACEAE); flowers bisexual; plants lacking stinging hairs.

                   10 Pistils many (or 2-3 in Aphanes in ROSACEAE), each with 1 carpel, arranged spirally or in a ring (if in a ring, of 2-5); fruit an aggregate of achenes, follicles, or utricles.

                     11 Perianth bilaterally symmetrical, either hooded or spurred; fruit an aggregate of follicles

                     11 Perianth radially symmetrical, not hooded or spurred; fruit an aggregate of utricles or achenes (plumose achenes in Geum)

                       12 Stamens showy, bright white, dilated towards the tip; pistils ca. 15; fruit an aggregate of utricles

                       12 Stamens not showy, white, or dilated towards the tip; pistils many (> 25); fruit an aggregate of achenes.

                          13 Flowers lacking a hypanthium; achenes short-beaked

                          13 Flowers with a prominent hypanthium; achenes with an elongate, plumose beak

                   10 Pistil 1, with 1-to many carpels (in many MALVACEAE, the carpels loosely united in a ring of more than 5 around the style); fruit a capsule, an achene, a follicle, or a ring of 3 or 5-many 1-seeded mericarps.

                            14 Perianth uniseriate, the corolla absent

                            14 Perianth biseriate, with well-developed and differentiated calyx and corolla

                              15 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical, the petals connate (except distinct in Delphinium in RANUNCULACEAE); fruit a capsule, a follicle, or a schizocarp of 3 1-seeded mericarps.

                                16 Corolla not spurred; fruit an elongate (10-20 cm) capsule with 2 curved beaks

                                16 Corolla with a nectar spur; fruit < 3 cm long.

                                  17 Petals distinct; fruit a follicle

                                  17 Petals connate; fruit a capsule or a schizocarp of 3 1-seeded mericarps.

                                    18 Carpels 2; fruit a capsule; stamens 4

                                    18 Carpels 3; fruit a schizocarp of 3 1-seeded mericarps; stamens 8

                              15 Corolla radially symmetrical, the petals distinct (fused and tubular in Ipomoea); fruit a capsule or a schizocarp consisting of a ring of 5-many 1-seeded mericarps.

                                       19 Stem erect; petals separate.

                                         20 Stamens many, connate into a stamen tube; carpels 5-many, completely or only loosely fused; fruit a capsule or a schizocarp of 5-many mericarps borne in a ring; calyx often subtended by an epicalyx (an additional calyx-like, green, foliaceous whorl of bracts)

                                         20 Stamens 5 or 10, distinct; carpels 2 or 5, fused; fruit a capsule or a schizocarp of 5 1-seeded mericarps.

                                           21 Fruit a schizocarp of 5 1-seeded mericarps; carpels 5; stamens 10

                                           21 Fruit a capsule with 2 locules, loculicidal; carpels 2; stamens 5

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 4-merous, in a diffuse inflorescence; fruit a 4-locular capsule

        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.

                   10 Petals 4, distinct; stamens 6; fruit a silique/silicle

                   10 Petals 5, connate into a tube; stamens 5; fruit either a capsule or a berry.

                     11 Plant a twining vine.

                       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)

                     11 Plant an erect or sprawling herb.

                          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