Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Click images to enlarge and show more photo credit.

Key to Polemoniaceae

Polemoniaceae

Copy permalink to share

1 Plant a low shrub or subshrub, woody at base or throughout, < 3 dm tall.
  2 Leaves alternate, palmately divided into 3-7, sharp-tipped linear segments; [rare waif]
  2 Leaves opposite, linear to lanceolate, in some species needle-like or nearly so; [collectively widespread]
1 Plant an herb, 1-20 dm tall.
    3 Leaves simple and entire.
      4 Leaves alternate; [subfamily Polemonioideae; tribe Gilieae]
      4 Leaves all or at least the lower opposite; [subfamily Polemonioideae; tribe Polemoniae]
    3 Leaves compound or deeply divided or lobed, 1-3× pinnately or 1× palmately.
        5 Leaves 1× palmately divided into linear segments; leaves all opposite; [rare waif]
        5 Leaves 1-3× pinnately divided into linear or broader segments; leaves all alternate, or at least the upper and midstem leaves alternate.
          6 Corollas salverform or funnelform, the tube narrow and 20-40 mm long, red, yellow, white, or lavender; larger leaves 1-pinnately lobed, the ultimate segments linear (and not further divided or toothed)
          6 Corollas variously funnelform, rotate, campanulate, the tube broadening and 3-21 mm long, lavender, white, blue, violet, or pink; larger leaves 1× or more (2-3) pinnately divided or lobed, the ultimate segments linear or broader (ovate, elliptic).
             7 Leaves 1-3-pinnately divided, the segments either broad or linear, 0.5-5 mm wide, often toothed, lobed or additionally divided; corollas rotate or funnelform, borne either in diffuse panicles or in bracted, terminal heads or head-like clusters.
               8 Inflorescences of bracted terminal heads or head-like clusters (sometimes looser); leaf lobes linear.
                 9 Inflorescence bracts spine-tipped; inflorescence not long-pedunculate, subtended by bracts; flowers white; plant < 1 dm tall