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1 Plant with an upright or arching stem with alternate cauline leaves. |
..2 Shrub; "leaves" (actually cladophylls) coriaceous, evergreen, glossy; [exotic, rarely naturalized]; [tribe Rusceae] |
..2 Herb; leaves herbaceous, deciduous, dull or slightly glossy; [native]; [tribe Polygonatae]. |
....3 Inflorescence terminal, a raceme or panicle; tepals separate leaves with 3 main parallel veins, acute to acuminate at the apex; leaves acute to acuminate at the apex; foliage green, not glaucous |
....3 Inflorescence of 1-several axillary flowers; tepals fused; leaves with > 7 main parallel veins, obtuse to acute at the apex; foliage blue-green, glaucous |
1 Plant tufted, the leaves essentially basal (although the sheathing bases form a 'false' stem in Convallaria). |
......4 Leaves 2-3, narrowly elliptic, often variegated with light and dark green; tepals fused, white, greenish, or purplish. |
........5 Leaves deciduous, narrowly elliptic, the blades < 30 cm long; flowers in a raceme; the tepals not fleshy; [tribe Convallarieae] |
........5 Leaves evergreen, linear-lanceolate, the blades > 40 cm long; flower either solitary, axillary, the tepals fleshy, or flowers in a raceme, the tepals not fleshy. |
..........6 Leaves broadly lanceolate, ca. 6× as long as broad; flower solitary, axillary, the tepals fleshy; [tribe Convallarieae] |
..........6 Leaves narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, ca. 12× as long as broad; flowers in a raceme, the tepals not fleshy; [tribe Dracaeneae] |
......4 Leaves many, linear, not variegated with light and dark green; tepals separate (or fused basally), white or violet. |
............ 7 Fruit dehiscent, dry and capsular; inflorescence a panicle or raceme, to 15 dm tall; [natives, of longleaf pine woodlands of SC, GA, and FL]; [tribe Nolineae] |
............ 7 Fruit indehiscent, quickly exposing berry-like seeds with a fleshy seed coat; inflorescence spikelike, to 4 dm tall; [aliens, naturalized from horticultural plantings]; [tribe Ophiopogoneae]. |
............ ..8 Flowers erect, the pedicel strict; ovary superior |
............ ..8 Flowers nodding, the pedicel recurved; ovary inferior or half-inferior |
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..2 Plants herbaceous; leaves palmately 3-foliolate or pedately compound |
..2 Plants woody; leaves either palmately divided or pinnately compound into > 20 segments |
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....3 Leaves opposite or whorled, cauline. |
......4 Leaves opposite; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
......4 Leaves whorled; flowers radially or bilaterally symmetrical. |
........5 Plant with 2 or more leaf-bearing nodes (all nodes whorled or some alternate). |
..........6 Leaves broad, < 2× as long as wide, cordate at the base; flowers unisexual and plants dioecious |
..........6 Leaves lanceolate, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, > 4× as long as wide, cuneate at the base; flowers bisexual and plants hermaphroditic |
........5 Plant with a single leaf-bearing node. |
............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 3 leaves |
............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 5 or more leaves. |
............ ..8 Stem floccose, wiry (and at maturity with a second smaller whorl with usually 3 leaves subtending the flowers); flowers radially symmetrical |
............ ..8 Stem glabrous, fleshy, never with a second whorl; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
....3 Leaves alternate, either cauline or basal. |
............ ....9 Inflorescence a spadix (a dense spike of hundreds of flowers, the rachis thickened and somewhat fleshy) subtended by a spathe (a green, white, orange, yellowish-green, or maroon bract) (spathe missing in Orontium) |
............ ....9 Inflorescence otherwise, a raceme, panicle, cyme, umbel, spike, etc., the flowers arrayed in a more diffuse manner, the central rachis not thickened, the inflorescence subtended or not by green or scarious spathes. |
............ ......10 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical; fertile stamens 1 or 2 (or 5 in MUSACEAE), often with several staminodes present as well; tepals 6. |
............ ........11 Leaf venation parallel; leaves various in size and shape, if > 3 dm long, then < 1 dm wide; perianth often differentiated into a lip and 5 petaloid tepals |
............ ........11 Leaf venation prominently penni-parallel; leaves large, at least some on a plant with blade > 2 dm long. |
............ ..........12 Fertile stamens 5-6; leaf blades 6-30 dm long |
............ ..........12 Fertile stamen 1; leaf blades 0.5-7 dm long. |
............ ............ 13 Leaves spirally arranged. |
............ ............ ..14 Leaves lacking ligules; ovary and fruit with warty excrescences |
............ ............ ..14 Leaves with 2 stipule-like ligules; ovary and fruit smooth |
............ ............ 13 Leaves 2-ranked. |
............ ............ ....15 Leaves jointed and swollen at the summit of the petiole |
............ ............ ....15 Leaves neither jointed not swollen at the summit of the petiole |
............ ......10 Flowers radially symmetrical (weakly to strongly bilaterally symmetrical in PONTEDERIACEAE); stamens 6 (rarely 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15, or 18); tepals usually 6 (rarely 3 or 4), when 6, either undifferentiated (6 or 4 tepals) or differentiated into 3 petals and 3 sepals. |
............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence subtended by spathes (well-developed green or scarious bracts). |
............ ............ ........17 Perianth not differentiated, consisting of 6 similarly colored and shaped tepals; flowers strongly to slightly bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence lacking well-developed spathaceous bracts |
............ ............ ........17 Perianth differentiated into green sepals and more brightly colored petals; flowers radially symmetrical (or weakly bilaterally symmetrical, as in some Commelina). |
............ ............ ..........18 Ovary superior; fruit a capsule; stamens 6; [plants mainly of uplands ( Murdannia and sometimes Commelina of wetlands)] |
............ ............ ..........18 Ovary inferior; fruit a berry; stamens 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18; [plants of wetlands] |
............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence not subtended by spathes, though individual small green bracts sometimes subtending individual flowers. |
............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 2 or more pistils (6 in Butomus); fruit achenes or follicles; inflorescence a raceme or panicle with branching in whorls of 3 OR a bracteate umbel; [wetland plants]. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of white petals and green sepals, with 1-many stamens and 3-many carpels (but not consistently with 9 stamens and 6 carpels); inflorescence a raceme or panicle in whorls of 3, branched; leaf blades flat or terete |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of pink petals and green-pink sepals, usually with 9 stamens and 6 carpels; inflorescence an umbel; leaf blades triquetrous in cross-section |
............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 1 pistil; fruit simple, a capsule or berry; inflorescence various, terminal or axillary, but if a raceme or panicle, not with branching in whorls of 3; [upland (or very rarely wetland) plants]. |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves basal or basally disposed. |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 2 (rarely 3 in Convallaria in RUSCACEAE). |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence a raceme; fruit a berry; tepals united, the perianth urceolate |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence an umbel or a solitary flower; fruit a capsule; tepals separate or basally fused. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers in an umbel, white; fresh plants with oniony odor |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers solitary, white or yellow; fresh plants without strong odor |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 4 or more. |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; fruit a blue or black berry; tepals white or yellow; flowers bisexual |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; fruit a capsule; tepals white, green, yellowish, or pink; flowers either bisexual ( Helonias in HELONIADACEAE), or unisexual and primarily on different plants (dioecious) ( Chamaelirium in CHIONOGRAPHIDACEAE), or a mix of bisexual and unisexual staminate flowers ( Veratrum in MELANTHIACEAE) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescences bracteate, with bracts subtending individual pedicels and (if they are present) branches of the inflorescence; tepals white, greenish-white, or cream |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescence ebracteate, lacking bracts subtending pedicels; flowers bisexual ( Helonias) or predominantly unisexual and on different plants (dioecious) ( Chamaelirium); tepals pink ( Helonias) or white to cream ( Chamaelirium). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers white to cream; plants dioecious (individual plants either male or female, with all male flowers or all female flowers) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers pink; plants hermaphroditic (individual flowers bisexual) |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves cauline. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves both cordate/subcordate (rarely merely rounded at the base) and obviously petiolate. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary many-flowered umbel; fruit a berry; axillary tendrils often present (absent in some species) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary solitary flower, a few-flowered cyme, or a panicle; fruit a capsule (winged in Dioscorea, unwinged in Croomia); axillary tendrils never present (plant not climbing, or climbing by twining). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 6; stamens 6; flowers unisexual (and generally on separate plants, therefore dioecious); inflorescence of a solitary flowers or a panicle; ovary inferior; [widespread in our area] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 4 (-5); stamens 4 (-5); flowers bisexual; ovary superior; [AL and adjacent GA, FL, and perhaps LA] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves not both cordate/subcordate and petiolate (some with cordate clasping or perfoliate leaf bases). {add [ Smilax] SMILACACEAE below} |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves alternate and in whorls at some nodes; flowers orange; tepals > 5 cm long; inflorescence a terminal umbel or single flower |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves strictly alternate; flowers yellow, white, pink, greenish, or maroon; tepals < 5 cm long; inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, panicle or umbel, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; flowers slightly zygomorphic, reddish, the tepals 3.5-4.5 cm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, or panicle, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower; flowers actinomorphic, variously colored (most white or yellow), the tepals < 3.5 cm long (except Uvularia grandiflora). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed spirally around an erect, unbranched stem; fruit a septicidal capsule; flowers a mixture of bisexual and unisexual (staminate) on a plant; perianth white, greenish white, or maroon. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves basally disposed; leaves not at all to slightly plicate, 1-14 cm wide; tepals glabrous, 4-9 mm long, 1-3 mm wide (3-5 mm wide in M. hybridum), with either conspicuous ( M. hybridum) or diffuse ( M. parviflorum and M. woodii) glands; filaments fused to the basal claw of the tepal |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves cauline; leaves strongly plicate, 6-15 cm wide; tepals pubescent, 8-13 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, with a conspicuous pair of glands near the base of the tepal blade (these sometimes more or less fused); filaments free from the tepals |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed distichously (2 ranked) along an arching, unbranched or dichotomously (Y-forking) branched stem; fruit a berry or loculicidal capsule; flowers all bisexual; perianth white, pink, or yellow. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile and sterile individuals simple (never branched); inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle ( Maianthemum) or axillary racemes or clusters of 1-9 flowers ( Polygonatum); fruit a berry. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence terminal, a raceme or panicle; tepals separate; leaves with 3 main parallel veins, acute to acuminate at the apex; foliage green, not glaucous |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence of 1-several axillary flowers; tepals fused; leaves with > 7 main parallel veins, obtuse to acute at the apex; foliage blue-green, glaucous |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile individuals branched (always at least bifurcate), but sterile individuals in some genera characteristically unbranched; inflorescence either of 1 (-2) flower(s) borne in a leaf axil ( Uvularia, Streptopus), or of (1) 2 (-3) flowers borne terminally opposite the last leaf ( Prosartes); fruit a berry or capsule. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves perfoliate; fruit a capsule |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves sessile (though sometimes slightly to strongly clasping); fruit a berry or capsule. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem brown, wiry, puberulent; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch approximate to one another (sometimes subopposite) and with noticeably oblique bases; flowers and fruits terminal on the branches |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem green, not wiry, glabrous; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch no closer together than other leaves, with symmetrical bases; flowers (and fruits) either terminal on the branches or solitary and axillary to most leaves. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits in single terminal clusters (sometimes appearing axillary, but still only one cluster per branch of the stem); tepals pale to rich yellow |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits 1 (-2) in the axils of many leaves; tepals white to pink |