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Key G4: shrubs and subshrubs with alternate, simple, unlobed, entire leaves

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https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-key.php&keyid=40718

1 Leaves evergreen. {add to 1a: Ternstroemia in PENTAPHYLACACEAE, Pyracantha in ROSACEAE, Thymelaea in THYMELAEACEAE; Chrysophyllum in SAPOTACEAE; Glycosmis parviflora in RUTACEAE}.
2 Leaves 1-7 mm long, either acicular and spreading or ovate and appressed to the stems Hudsonia
2 Leaves > 10 mm long.
3 Leaves linear, > 15× as long as wide, usually sharply pointed at the apices (Ilex can have pointed apices, but leaves are not linear and marginal teeth often also present); [Monocots] Yucca
3 Leaves broader, < 15× as long as wide, leaf apices variously shaped, if pointed usually not conspicuously sharpened; [Eudicots, Basal Angiosperms, or Monocots].
4 Plant a creeping subshrub, < 1 dm tall Epigaea repens
4 Plant not creeping, > 3 dm tall (mature plants).
5 Inflorescence an involucrate head or a raceme or a panicle consisting of spherical heads (Conocarpus in COMBRETACEAE).
6 Inflorescence an involucrate head, the heads consisting of a receptacle bearing few-many cypselae; plants of various habitats, but not forming dense stands of shrubs in coastal habitats Asteraceae
6 Inflorescence a raceme or panicle consisting of spherical heads, the fruit densely clustered in conelike heads but not cypselae; leaf abaxial surfaces with conspicuous pit domatia at the junction of midvein and secondary veins; plants salt-adapted shrubs of coastal habitats Conocarpus erectus
5 Inflorescence not an involucrate head, instead either solitary (Illicium in ILLICIACEAE) or variously branched, spicate, racemose, umbellate, or fascicled.
7 Flowers with a 5-lobed, fan-shaped corolla opposing a conspicuously protruding and incurved style Scaevola
7 Flowers various, but not as above.
8 Leaves alternate, but usually clustered densely towards branch tips; leaves narrowly oblanceolate, 1-4 cm long; flowers yellow, 5-merous, the petals diminuitive (ca. 4 mm) and clawed basally (the petals often falling off by midday); [of coastal beaches, dunes, and hammocks; FL peninsula] Suriana maritima
8 Plants not with the above combination of traits: leaves longer and variously shaped (if narrowly oblanceolate, leaves much longer than 40 cm long) usually well-spaced throughout the stems (if clustered, then other characters lacking); [plants widely distributed in a variety of habitats].
9 Carpels separate; fruit an aggregate; fresh foliage strongly fragrant; [Basal Angiosperms].
10 Fruit an aggregate of woody follicles arranged in a whorl Illicium
10 Fruit an aggregate of red to blackish berries, 4-6 mm long, each on a long stipe, giving the aggregate almost the appearance of an umbel Polyalthia suberosa
9 Carpels fused; fruit a berry, drupe, acorn (nut), capsule, or legume; fresh foliage not strongly fragrant; [Eudicots, Monocots, and Basal Angiosperms].
11 Ovary with 3 carpels; fruit a berry; “leaves” actually cladodes; [Monocots] Danae racemosa
11 Ovary with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 carpels; fruit a berry, drupe, capsule, legume, or nut; leaves actually leaves; [Eudicots and Basal Angiosperms].
12 Leaves largely covered with silver and/or bronze lepidote scales and/or dense stellate hairs below (visible at 10× or higher magnification), giving the lower leaf surface a slightly shiny to almost metallic appearance. {add Lyonia ferruginea and L. fruticosa in ERICACEAE; add Loropetalum in HAMAMELIDACEAE}
13 Petals present, conspicuous, connate, white, the corolla rotate; fruit a berry with several seeds; fresh foliage with a strong, tar-like odor Solanum
13 Petals absent or inconspicuous, greenish and separate if present (note that the calyx is petaloid and white or yellowish in Elaeagnus of ELAEAGNACEAE); fruit a dry capsule with 3 seeds, or a drupe with a single seed; fresh foliage lacking a strong odor.
14 Perianth 4-merous; petals absent; petaloid sepals white to cream, fused and salverform; carpel 1; fruit a fleshy, red drupe, with a single seed Elaeagnus
14 Perianth 5-merous; petals green and separate, or absent; sepals greenish, separate; carpels 3; fruit a 3-valved capsule with 3 seeds Croton
12 Leaves with various vestiture (or glabrous), but not as above.
15 Flowers arranged in axillary spikes, umbels of shortened spikes, or sometimes the flowers solitary and leaf-opposing; fruit a drupe or drupe-like.
16 Flowers in spikes, axillary umbels (of shortened spikes), or the flowers solitary and leaf-opposing; leaves spaced, the bases oblique; stipules apparent, and clasping the stem; fruit rarely 3-angled (P. auritum), but not ridged; plants unarmed, the stems swollen at the nodes; branches somewhat zig-zagged, not arranged in conspicuous tiers Piper
16 Flowers arranged in axillary spikes only; the fruit usually somewhat ridged; leaves clustered at branch tips (except T. arjuna), the bases typically cuneate; stipules reduced to glandular hairs at petiole base; plants armed or unarmed, the stem nodes not conspicuously swollen; branches arranged in tiers, the main branches erect, the lateral spreading horizontally Terminalia
15 Flowers in other types of inflorescences, not spikes, if the inflorescence axillary only, then consisting of panicles or racemes (Cestrum) or subsessile to sessile fascicles (Myrsine and SAPOTACEAE); fruit various (acorns, berries, drupes, capsules, legumes).
17 Leaves 1-foliolate on the upper stems, sometimes 3-foliolate below, or all reduced to phyllodial spines; flowers papilionaceous, bright yellow; fruit a legume; stems bright green Fabaceae
17 Leaves simple throughout; flowers variously shaped but not papilionaceous; fruit not a legume, instead acorns, berries, capsules, or drupes.
18 Flowers apetalous; arranged in catkins (Quercus in FAGACEAE; Morella inodora in MYRICACEAE) OR thyrses (Dodonaea in SAPINDACEAE).
19 Flowers tannish, borne in catkins (these drooping at maturity); fruit a nut in a cupule (acorn) Quercus
19 Flowers greenish-red or yellowish-green, borne in thyrses or if in catkins (Morella), these erect and globose in shape; fruit a winged, bladder-like capsule (Dodonaea) or globose, drupe-like, and covered in small, warty protuberances (Morella).
20 Fruit a bladder-like, winged capsule (usually weakly 3-locular), brownish-red or brown when ripened; [peninsular FL from St. Johns County southward] Dodonaea
20 Fruit globose, drupe-like, and covered in small, warty protuberances, blueish purple to black when ripened; [Gulf Coastal Plain from FL Panhandle and sc. GA, w. to e. LA] Morella inodora
18 Flowers not apetalous, with a well-developed corolla, variously colored (white, cream, pink, greenish or reddish-orange), either urceolate OR tubular and with separate and spreading petals (rarely the perianth only consisting of green sepals), arranged in various terminal or axillary inflorescences, or sometimes solitary; fruit either a (3-) 5-valved capsule, or a spherical berry with (1-) 10+ seeds, OR a 1-8 seeded dry or fleshy drupe.
21 Flowers white to pink or reddish-orange, rotate, tubular, or urceolate (the petals also sometimes spreading apically, but united at least basally), in various terminal or axillary inflorescences or solitary; fruit either a 2-5 valved capsule (conspicuously linear-cylindric in CAPPARACEAE), a spherical berry with 10+ seeds OR a drupe bearing 4 bony nutlets (Bourreria).
22 Flowers reddish-orange; corollas bearing post-staminal hairs (appearing as tufts of hair opposite each anther) Schoepfia schreberi
22 Flowers white, greenish-white, yellow, or pink; corollas without obvious tufts of hair opposite each anther.
23 Fruit a fleshy berry; inflorescences of axillary fascicles (SAPOTACEAE), axillary and paniculate (Cestrum) or in Solanum, leaf-opposed and variously arranged (terminal, axillary, and extra-axillary).
24 Plants with milky sap (exuded from petioles when removed from stems); sepals rusty-tomentose; [c. and s. FL only in our area]; {Add Lucuma and Mimusops}.
25 Fruit a smaller, glabrous berry (< 1 cm in diameter), green, purple, or black, glabrous, not roughened; petioles not with a decurrent adaxial wing forming a groove Chrysophyllum
25 Fruit a large, globose berry (2-8 cm in diameter), pale brown in color when mature, the surface roughened in texture; petioles with a decurrent, adaxial wing forming a groove Manilkara
24 Plants not exuding milky sap; sepals variously glabrous or tomentose, but not rusty-tomentose.
26 Leaves 1 per node; inflorescences axillary and paniculate (sometimes with terminal flower clusters present), never leaf opposed (although often bracteate); flowers tubular, the end of the tube often surrounding the anthers Cestrum
26 Leaves 1 per node or also paired (on one side of the stem) at some nodes (the leaves then uneven in size); inflorescences leaf-opposed; flowers campanulate, lacking a tubular corolla Solanum
23 Fruit not a fleshy berry, instead a valved capsule or a drupe bearing 4 bony nutlets (Bourreria); inflorescences terminal or axillary (or occasionally flowers solitary), never leaf-opposed.
27 Capsules pendulous and conspicuously elongate-cylindric, borne on a slender gynophore (a specialized stipe bearing the gynoecium); seeds white, grey, tan, or brownish in color and usually contrasting with the bright red interior of the capsules; plants shrubs or sometimes loosely scrambling over other plants; stamens usually much longer than the petals and conspicuously exerted from the flowers Capparaceae
27 Capsules (or drupes) erect, not linear nor long-cylindric, not borne on a gynophore; seeds variously colored, and sometimes surrounded by a fleshy aril (but the entire capsule interior not bright red); plants shrubs; stamens shorter than or only minimally longer than the corolla (not long exerted)
28 Seeds without fleshy aril or attachment; ovaries 5-10 carpellate; flowers urceolate; leaves serrate or entire Ericaceae
28 Seeds with fleshy aril or attachment (or if not fleshy, the seeds nutlets with abaxial ridges, as in Bourreria); ovaries 2-4 carpellate; flowers rotate; leaves entire or very remotely serrulate.
29 Fruit a drupe, the drupe bearing 4 bony nutlets with abaxial ridges; flowers rotate and salverform (the corolla tube evident), arranged in terminal cymes, the corolla lobes usually orbicular; leaves scabrous or hispid (except B. succulenta) Bourreria
29 Fruit a capsule (the seeds with fleshy arils or attachments); flowers rotate, but not salverform (the corolla tube not lengthened), arranged solitary, few, or in cymes, terminal or axillary, the corolla lobes usually deltoid or somewhat triangular in shape; leaves glabrous or sometimes puberulent (Pittosporum), but the pubescence not rough.
30 Flowers few, not showy, green to greenish-white, inflorescence not densely arranged (flowers also sometimes solitary); capsules not beaked; leaves not revolute or undulate Tricerma
30 Flowers numerous, showy, white; inflorescence densely arranged; capsules with short beak; leaf margins revolute or slightly undulate Pittosporum
21 Flowers white, rotate, the petals spreading, distinct (i.e., separate to the base; nearly so in Myrsine), not tubular; arranged in axillary fascicles or racemes or in subsessile to sessile axillary fascicles (Myrsine); fruit either a fleshy drupe with 4-8 pyrenes, or a dry to leathery single-seeded drupe.
31 Plants sometimes with pneumatophores; leaf blades with apical and pit-domatia present; [non-native, s. FL] Lumnitzera racemosa
31 Plants never producing pneumatophores; leaf blades variously pubescent or glandular, but lacking conspcuous marginal or apical pit-domatia; [collectively widespread natives]
32 Shrub rhizomatous and colonial; fruit an ellipsoid drupe, 2-3 cm long Chrysobalanaceae
32 Shrub not rhizomatous; fruit either a fleshy or dry drupe, < 1 cm long.
33 Inflorescence an axillary fascicle or cluster, the fascicles short-pedicellate, subsessile, or sessile
Show caption© Keith Bradley Show caption© Aidan Campos 34 Inflorescence of sessile or subsessile fascicles, the flowers 5-merous, greenish-white (often with pink streaks or dots) and with obvious staminodes; fruit a 1-seeded fleshy to leathery drupe Myrsine
34 Inflorescence of subsessile or short-pedicellate fascicles, the flowers 4-merous, white (lacking pink streaks or dots); fruit a fleshy drupe with 4-8 pyrenes Ilex
33 Inflorescence an axillary raceme; fruit a dry drupe with 1 seed Cyrillaceae
1 Leaves deciduous.
35 Inflorescence an involucrate head Asteraceae
35 Inflorescence branched, spicate, a catkin, or consisting of a solitary flower or axillary clusters or whorls, not an involucrate head.
Show caption*© Alan Cressler: Leitneria floridana (male catkin), St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, St. Marks Unit, Wakulla County, Florida 1 by Alan Cressler 36 Inflorescence a catkin; flowers unisexual; plants dioecious
37 Leaves 3.5-6 cm wide Leitneria
37 Leaves < 3 cm wide Salix
36 Inflorescence various, not a catkin; flowers bisexual; plants hermaphroditic.
38 Inflorescences consisting of solitary, axillary flowers
Show caption*© Michelle Wong, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W. 39 Fruit a globose, spinose capsule bearing a longitudinal ridge across 1 or both faces, thus essentially resembling a spikey ball; perianth (4-)5-merous, consisting of 3 upper connate petaloid claws and two lower sessile petals; fresh plants without a strange musky odor; [Eudicots] Krameria ramosissima
39 Fruit an oblong berry, greenish-yellow when ripe, not bearing small spines; perianth 3-4-merous, without connate petaloid claws; fresh plants fragrant with a strange, musky odor; [Basal Angiosperms] Annonaceae
38 Inflorescence of 2 or more flowers; perianth 3-5-merous; fresh plants not musky-fragrant; fruits various, not as above.
40 Flowers 3-merous; fruit fleshy, red or greenish-yellow at maturity; ovary superior; [Basal Angiosperms or Eudicots].
41 Leaves elliptic or narrowly elliptic, broadest near the middle; fresh plants strongly fragrant with a citrus-like aroma; stems unarmed; fruit a drupe, with a single seed Lauraceae
41 Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, broadest near the apex; stems armed with nodal spines; fresh plants not fragrant; fruit a berry, with several seeds. Berberis
40 Flowers 4-5-merous; fruit fleshy or dry, black, blue, brown, tan, or red at maturity; ovary superior or inferior; [Eudicots].
42 Fruit a 4-5-valved capsule with many seeds; inflorescence either terminal, a corymb or panicle, or an axillary whorl Ericaceae
42 Fruit either a drupe or berry (indehiscent, and variously fleshy or dry) or a dry 3-valved capsule with 1 seed; inflorescence axillary (solitary, clusters, fascicles, or racemes), or in a terminal raceme (Pyrularia in SANTALACEAE).
43 Leaves largely covered with silver and/or bronze shiny lepidote scales below, giving the lower leaf surface an almost metallic appearance Elaeagnus
43 Leaves with various vestiture, but not as above.
44 Ovary inferior or half-inferior; inflorescence an axillary cluster or raceme, or a terminal raceme.
45 Fruit a spherical berry, with 10 or more seeds Ericaceae
45 Fruit an elongate drupe (definitely longer than thick), with 1 seed.
Show caption© Keith Bradley Show caption© Richard & Teresa Ware 46 Fruit 15-30 mm long; inflorescence a terminal raceme Pyrularia pubera
Show caption© Keith Bradley Show caption© Gary P. Fleming 46 Fruit 6-10 mm long; inflorescence an axillary fascicle Symplocos
44 Ovary superior; inflorescence an axillary cluster or an axillary raceme (borne themselves in clusters).
47 Fruits elongate, 8-20 mm long.
48 Fruit a red or orange berry, 8-20 mm long; leaves usually on spur-shoots; [salty coastal areas, or exotics of disturbed situations] Lycium
48 Fruit a yellowish-green drupe, 12-15 mm long; leaves on main stems; [rich forests, mainly inland] Dirca
47 Fruits spherical, < 10 mm long.
49 Inflorescence a narrowly cylindrical raceme, clustered several to many at the tip of the previous year’s wood and below the current season’s growth; fruit < 3 mm in diameter Cyrilla
49 Inflorescence an axillary cluster; fruit > 4 mm in diameter
50 Fruit dry, opening by 3 valves, 1-seeded; leaf pubescence stellate Styrax
50 Fruit fleshy, with 4-8 seeds; leaf pubescence simple or absent.
51 Fruit yellow to red, the pedicel 10-30 mm long; leaf venation pinnate, but irregular and reticulated Ilex mucronata
51 Fruit dark red to black, the pedicel < 10 mm long; leaf venation very neatly pinnate, with the secondary veins nearly straight and parallel to one another Rhamnaceae

Key G5: shrubs and subshrubs with alternate, simple, unlobed, toothed leaves

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1 Subshrubs or dwarf shrubs, aboveground stems creeping or erect, < 15 cm tall; leaves evergreen.
2 Leaves 1.5-3 cm wide, coarsely toothed; flowers lacking sepals and petals; [exotic species, sparingly naturalized or spreading in suburban situations] Pachysandra
2 Leaves < 1.5 cm wide, finely toothed or entire; flowers with sepals and petals; [native species, collectively widespread and common].
3 Leaves fleshy, terete in ×-section; petals 5, bright pink Talinum
3 Leaves flat, not fleshy; petals white or pale pink.
4 Leaves < 2.5 mm wide; corolla with petals distinct; plant creeping Pyxidanthera
4 Leaves > 5 mm wide; corolla with petals fused (distinct in Chimaphila); plant creeping or erect Ericaceae
1 Shrubs, aboveground stems erect, > 30 cm tall; leaves evergreen or deciduous.
5 Inflorescence an involucrate (composite) 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 Asteraceae
5 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
6 Leaves evergreen. {add to 6a Ardisia in PRIMULACEAE, Rhaphiolepis in ROSACEAE, Camellia in THEACEAE, Ochna in OCHNACEAE}
7 Leaves glandular-punctate on one or both surfaces with golden-yellow glands; flowers unisexual, lacking a perianth (arranged in axillary catkins); fruit a pale gray, waxy drupe with a single seed Morella
7 Leaves not glandular punctate; flowers bisexual or unisexual, with a white, pink, or yellow perianth; fruit various: a red, blue, or black drupe, a berry with several seeds, or a capsule.
8 Petals connate, flowers urceolate (ERICACEAE) or rotate, white to pale pink; flowers bisexual; fruit a drupe (Ehretia in EHRETIACEAE), OR a capsule or berry (ERICACEAE)
9 Flowers rotate, fragrant, the petals white, arranged primarily in terminal cymes; fruit an orange or yellow drupe, each bearing 2 hemispheric nutlets (these each also composed of 2 seeds, thus the fruit bearing 4 seeds) Ehretia
9 Flowers urceolate, fragrant or not, the petals white to pale pink, variously arranged in terminal or axillary inflorescences (occasionally solitary in axils); fruit either a capsule or a red, blue, or black berry Ericaceae
8 Petals distinct, yellow or white; flowers unisexual or bisexual; fruit either a black or red drupe with several pyrenes, a red berry with several seeds, or red or black pomes.
10 Plants with nodal, simple or tripartite thorns; flowers bisexual, with a yellow perianth; fruit a red berry with several seeds Berberis
10 Plants lacking thorns; flowers unisexual or bisexual, with a white perianth (yellow or red in Ochna); fruit either a black or red drupe with several pyrenes or a red or black pome.
11 Petals yellow, clawed; sepals red and forming a persistent red receptacle (torus) bearing numerous blackened drupes. Ochna
11 Petals white, not clawed; sepals not bright red nor persistent, the fruit a drupe or pome.
12 Flowers unisexual; fruit a black or red drupe with several pyrenes Ilex
12 Flowers bisexual; fruit a red or black pome Photinia
6 Leaves deciduous {add [Fagaceae]}.
13 Plants with nodal, simple or tripartite thorns; leaf teeth spinulose Berberis
13 Plants lacking thorns; leaf teeth acute, blunt, rounded, or callus-tipped, but not spinulose.
14 Leaf blade bases conspicuously oblique-cordate or angled-truncate.
15 Leaves crenate-wavy, with 1-2 teeth per cm of leaf margin; pubescence of leaves and stems stellate Hamamelidaceae
15 Leaves crenate or serrate, but usually not wavy, pubescence of leaves and stems simple {add to key; verify} Trema
14 Leaves crenulate, serrate or serrulate, with >2 teeth per cm of leaf margin; leaves cuneate, rounded, or subcordate at base, not oblique; pubescence of leaves and stems absent or simple.
16 Leaves prominently 3-veined from the base.
17 Ovary 5-locular; stamens many or 5, fused or separate; fruit a 5-valved capsule or of 5 mericarps; flowers yellow or pink, or white with a pink blaze Malvaceae
17 Ovary 3-locular; stamens 5, separate; fruit a 3-valved capsule or drupe; flowers white or pale green Rhamnaceae
16 Leaves pinnately veined.
18 Flowers in catkins; perianth absent or very small; fruit a 1-seeded nut, samara, or waxy drupe (capsule in Salix in SALICACEAE).
19 Leaves > 4 cm wide, lacking punctate glands; fruit a 1-seeded nut or samara Betulaceae
19 Leaves < 3 cm wide, either punctate-glandular on one or both surfaces or lacking punctate glands; fruit a 1-seeded waxy drupe or a capsule.
20 Leaves punctate-glandular on one or both surfaces; fruit a 1-seeded waxy drupe. Myricaceae
20 Leaves lacking punctate glands; fruit a capsule. Salix
18 Flowers arrayed variously, but not in catkins; perianth present, conspicuous; fruit a 1-many-seeded capsule, pome, berry, or follicle.
21 Ovary inferior; fruit fleshy and indehiscent, a berry or pome.
22 Fruit a berry; leaves lacking stipules Vaccinium
22 Fruit a pome; leaves usually prominently stipular Rosaceae
21 Ovary superior; fruit either dry and dehiscent, a capsule or an aggregate of follicles or achenes, or fleshy and indehiscent, a drupe with 4-8 pyrenes.
23 Flower apocarpous; fruit an aggregate of follicles or achenes Rosaceae
23 Flower syncarpous; fruit either a capsule or a fleshy drupe.
24 Ovary 1-carpellate; fruit a 1-seeded drupe Prunus
24 Ovary 2-8-carpellate; fruit either a capsule or a drupe with 4-8 pyrenes
25 Ovary 2-8-locular; fruit fleshy and indehiscent, a drupe with 2-8 pyrenes; flowers mostly functionally unisexual (or sometimes bisexual in RHAMNACEAE).
26 Petals connate at the base; stamens alternate to the petals and opposite to the sepals; fruit 4-8-locular, with 4-8 pyrenes Ilex
26 Petals separate (or absent in Rhamnus alnifolia); stamens opposite to the petals (when present) and alternate to the sepals; fruit 2-4-locular, with 2-4 pyrenes Rhamnaceae
25 Ovary 2-3- or 5-locular; fruit dry and dehiscent, a capsule; flowers bisexual (except Stillingia in EUPHORBIACEAE).
27 Ovary and capsule 5-locular; stamens 10-many.
28 Stamens 10; corolla urceolate, sympetalous Ericaceae
28 Stamens many; corolla spreading, apopetalous Stewartia
27 Ovary and capsule 2-3-locular; stamens 2, 5, or 10.
29 Leaves > 5× as long as wide; stamens 2; ovary and capsule 3-locular; [plants of the Coastal Plain of SC, GA, AL, and FL] Stillingia
29 Leaves < 3× as long as wide; stamens 5 or 10; ovary and capsule 2-3-locular; [plants collectively widespread].
30 Stamens 5; ovary and capsule 2-locular; leaves elliptic (widest near the middle), the teeth fine (usually > 5 points per cm of margin), and along much of the margin; inflorescence a terminal raceme; hairs of the lower leaf surface simple, erect Itea virginica
30 Stamens 10; ovary and capsule 3-locular; leaves obovate (widest towards the apex), the teeth obscure to coarse (usually < 4 points per cm of margin), and primarily in the upper half of the leaf; inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme or cyme; hairs of the lower leaf surface either simple and appressed, or stellate.
31 Leaf margins regularly and evenly serrate in the upper half of the leaf (usually nearly entire towards the base); inflorescence an elongate, many flowered (>30) raceme borne at the end of branchlets of the season; corolla of separate petals, the stamens separate; hairs of the lower leaf surface simple and appressed Clethra
31 Leaf margins wavy or irregularly dentate, mainly in the upper half of the leaf; inflorescence a few flowered (<20) axillary raceme, cyme, or cluster; corolla fused basally into a tube, the stamens adnate to the tube; hairs of the lower leaf surface stellate Styrax

Key J4: shrubs and subshrubs with opposite simple leaves with entire margins

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1 Plants aerial and epiphytic, hemiparasitic shrubs (usually growing out of the branches of trees) Phoradendron
1 Plants terrestrial, autotrophic or hemiparasitic shrubs or subshrubs.
2 Leaves succulent, nearly as thick as wide; [brackish to saline situations] Batis maritima
2 Leaves herbaceous or leathery (succulent in Borrichia), much wider than thick; [various habitats].
3 Creeping or short subshrubs, the stems primarily prostrate (< 2 dm tall), or spreading-ascending to decumbent and < 3 dm tall (MALPIGHIACEAE, in part; Galphimia primarily erect subshrubs to 1 m tall, of TX only in our area).
4 Petals clawed, the bases noticeably thinned compared to the broader tips; fruit schizocarps, breaking into 2-3 nutlets or 1-seeded cocci; [in part, Aspicarpa and Galphimia] Malpighiaceae
4 Petals not clawed, of relatively similar width from base to tip; fruit various, but never schizocarps of 2-3 nutlets or 1-seeded cocci.
5 Well-developed leaves 4-6 per stem; inflorescence a head subtended by 4 large white bracts Chamaepericlymenum canadense
5 Well-developed leaves many per stem; inflorescence of individual flowers axillary in pairs or clusters or in terminal cymes.
6 Flowers yellow; leaves with pellucid or dark punctate glands (use at least 10× magnification) Hypericum
6 Flowers white, pale pink, or deep pink; leaves lacking sessile, punctate glands.
7 Leaves linear; flowers pale to deep pink, 5-merous Phlox
7 Leaves orbicular or elliptic; flowers white to pale pink, 4-merous or 5-merous
8 Leaves elliptic; flowers 5-merous; fruit a brownish capsule Kalmia buxifolia
8 Leaves orbicular; flowers 4-merous; fruit a red berry Mitchella repens
3 Upright or scrambling shrubs, > 3 dm tall.
9 Scrambling shrubs, armed with recurved paired spines at the nodes (except Santalum, which can be a scrambling shrub and has red flowers producing drupe-like fruit bearing an apical circular rim).
10 Plants armed with recurved paired spines at the nodes; fruit ribbed, the ribs obviously glandular; petioles not 2-ribbed; flowers greenish-white to yellowish in color Pisonia
10 Plants unarmed; fruit not ribbed, instead drupe-like and bearing a circular rim at the apex; petioles 2-ribbed; flowers red Santalum
9 Upright shrubs, unarmed.
11 Inflorescence a terminal head of many flowers.
12 Head spherical, lacking an involucre of conspicuous bracts or phyllaries Cephalanthus
12 Head flattened, either subtended by 4 large white bracts or by an involucre with >5 green phyllaries.
13 Head subtended by 4 large white bracts; leaves with prominently parallel-arcing secondary veins; flowers 4-merous Cornaceae
13 Head subtended by an involucre of >5 green phyllaries; leaves with venation otherwise; flowers 5-merous Asteraceae
11 Inflorescence otherwise (if terminal, the flowers not arranged in heads), either of a solitary flower, or one of a wide variety of inflorescences with flowers attached at different points along branched or unbranched axes (e.g. axillary). {add: [Lagerstroemia] LYTHRACEAE; [Rosmarinus] LAMIACEAE; [Buxus] BUXACEAE; [Exochorda] ROSACEAE; various other [see spreadsheet]}
14 Inflorescence flat-topped (broader than long), terminal, a compound cyme or corymb.
15 Leaves distinctly 3-veined from the base, the 3 veins converging again at the leaf apex; [s. FL only in our area] Miconia bicolor var. bicolor
15 Leaves with prominently pinnate venation; [collectively widespread]
16 Leaves conspicuously glandular-punctate and aromatic; fruit a berry; ovary inferior; flowers with abundant stamens and a cup-shaped hypanthium; (partial; Mosiera, Myrcianthes, Syzygium). Myrtaceae
16 Leaves not glandular-punctate and aromatic (only herbaceous Hypericum sometimes with black or transluscent leaf punctae, thus keyed instead in S1); flowers with 1-5 or 8-10 stamens; fruit not a berry, instead either a capsule (Hypericum), drupe (Cornus; Viburnum), follicle (APOCYNACEAE), or prominently ribbed and stipitate anthocarp (Pisonia).
17 Fruit prominently ribbed (an anthocarp), the ribs with stipitate glands, the fruit thus usually sticky (this persisting on herbarium specimens) Pisonia rotundata ssp. rotundata
17 Fruit lacking prominent glandular ribs, the fruit not generally sticky.
18 Fresh plants with white, milky juice; pistils 2, united only by the style and stigma; fruit a pair of linear or fusiform follicles, > 5-8× as long as thick, these variously shaped (terete, compressed, or prominently 3-angled) Apocynaceae
18 Fresh plants not exuding a white, milky latex (instead clear or not apparent); pistil 1 (or 2-5 in Hypericum); fruit various, but not of paired, linear follicles (see below).
19 Flowers bright yellow; stamens many; leaves < 1.5 cm wide; fruit a capsule; leaves with pellucid or dark punctate glands (use at least 10× magnification) Hypericum
19 Flowers white or creamy; stamens 4-5; leaves > 1.5 cm wide; fruit a drupe; leaves lacking sessile, punctate glands.
20 Petals 5; foliage with simple hairs Viburnum
20 Petals 4; foliage with T-shaped hairs Cornus
14 Inflorescence either terminal, axillary or leaf-opposed, if terminal elongate (not flat-topped) or flowers solitary; if axillary then variously arranged (sometimes also solitary in the axils).
21 Carpels many (> 9), either separate or fused; stamens many; perianth segments either many and undifferentiated into calyx and corolla, maroon, brown, or yellow (in CALYCANTHACEAE), or differentiated into a fleshy and persistent calyx of 5-9 sepals, and a deciduous corolla of 5-9 red (or white) petals (Punica in LYTHRACEAE).
22 Fruit a wrinkled, 3-7 cm long, brown to black, elliptical aggregate of nearly spherical, large achenes; flowers solitary in axils; perianth segments many and undifferentiated into calyx and corolla, maroon, brown, or yellowish; ovary superior; branches unarmed Calycanthaceae
22 Fruit a leathery, 4-15 cm in diameter, reddish, spherical berry with obpyramidal seeds surrounded by a juicy sarcotesta (pomegranate); perianth differentiated, the sepals fleshy and persistent on the fruit, the petals deciduous, 5-9, bright red to white; ovary inferior; branches typically armed with axillary spines Punica granatum
21 Carpels 1-5 (-6), fused; stamens either 1-5 or 8-10 (except 10+ in MYRTACEAE); perianth segments 4-5 or 8, variously colored; fruit a simple capsule, drupe, or berry (including berry-like fruit); flowers 2-many, in axillary or terminal inflorescences OR sometimes solitary (MYRTACEAE, SANTALACEAE, and THESIACEAE); [Eudicots].
23 Ovary inferior (flowers epigynous); corolla either absent, radially symmetrical, OR bilaterally symmetrical; fruit either a berry or a 1-seeded drupe (a berry or apically dehiscent capsule in MYRTACEAE).
24 Leaves conspicuously glandular-punctate and aromatic, evergreen and usually coriaceous; fruit a berry or apically-dehiscent capsule; flowers with abundant stamens and a cup-shaped hypanthium. Myrtaceae
24 Leaves not both conspicuously glandular-punctate nor aromatic, membranous and deciduous; fruit a drupe or berry; flowers with 1-5 or 8-10 stamens, with or without a cup-shaped hypanthium.
25 Flowers unisexual and plants dioecious; corolla absent; pistillate flowers solitary, staminate flowers in pedunculate umbels or cymes, either terminal or axillary; fruit a 1-seeded drupe; leaves acute to acuminate at the apex
26 Inflorescences terminal Buckleya distichophylla
26 Inflorescences axillary Nestronia umbellula
25 Flowers bisexual and plants hermaphroditic; corolla present; flowers paired, terminal or axillary, or in axillary spikes; fruit a berry; leaves rounded, obtuse, to acute (or acuminate in Lonicera maackii) at the apex Caprifoliaceae
23 Ovary superior (flowers hypogynous); corolla primarily radially symmetrical (zygomorphic in Citharexylum in VERBENACEAE and MALPIGHIACEAE; absent in Forestiera in OLEACEAE); fruit either a 1-4-seeded drupe, or a many-seeded berry (or berry-like fruit), or a capsule.
27 Leaves with a conspicuous mix of silvery stellate hairs (upper) and rusty colored scales (lower); ovaries bearing rusty colored scales; flowers small, yellowish and inconspicuous; [nw. PA northward] Shepherdia canadensis
27 Leaves glabrous or nearly so, lacking a conspicuous mix of stellate hairs adaxially and rusty scales abaxially; ovaries not bearing rusty colored scales; flowers of various size and color.
28 Stamens 8-10, of 2 different lengths in each flower; petals separate, 4-5 (-7), pink purple, 10-15 mm long; stems strongly arching, rooting at the tips; [plants of flooded to saturated wetlands] Decodon verticillatus
28 Stamens either (1-) 2 (-4), or 4-5, or 10, all of the same length; petals fused (separate in RHAMNACEAE and BUXACEAE, but then < 5 mm long and white or cream), white, bright-yellow, lilac, or pink; stems erect (or at least not arching and rooting at the tips); [plants of various habitats].
29 Petals separate, 4-5, white or cream; stamens 4-5.
30 Petals clawed (the bases much thinner than the broader tips); fruit a drupe; inflorescence a terminal raceme (Byrsonima) or axillary corymbs or umbels (Malpighia); [in part, Byrsonima and Malpighia; some vining species will grow shrub-like, but those keyed in J3; TX and FL only in our area] Malpighiaceae
30 Petals not clawed, the width similar throughout; fruit a drupe or capsule; inflorescence axillary and terminal.
31 Fruit a loculicidal capsule, dehiscing into 3 valves; branches square in ×-section; leaves < 2 cm long; [exotic, cultivated and weakly established, of temperate areas] Buxus sempervirens
31 Fruit a drupe with 2-4 pyrenes; branches round or nearly so in ×-section; leaves > 2 cm long; [natives, of peninsular FL] Rhamnaceae
29 Petals fused (at least basally), 4-5, white, bright yellow, lilac, or pink; stamens either (1-) 2 (-4) or 10; fruit either a capsule or a 1-seeded drupe.
32 Inflorescence a drooping axillary raceme (sometimes minutely so), flowers zygomorphic; fruit a drupe Citharexylum
32 Inflorescence various, if a raceme then not conspicuously drooping, flowers actinomorphic; fruit a drupe or capsule.
33 Perianth 5-merous; corolla pink; stamens 10; fruit a 5-locular capsule Ericaceae
33 Perianth 4-merous; corolla white, bright yellow, or lilac; stamens (1-) 2 (-4); fruit either a 1-seeded drupe or a 2-locular capsule Oleaceae

Key N1: herbaceous dicots with mainly basal, compound leaves

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1 Leaves either 2-3-foliolate or palmately 4-11-foliolate (all the leaflets attached at a common point).
2 Leaves 2-foliolate; fruit a capsule, opening by a circumscissile lid Jeffersonia diphylla
2 Leaves either 3-foliolate or palmately or pedately 4-11-foliolate.
3 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 Asteraceae
3 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
4 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior; fruit a mericarp of 2 schizocarps Apiaceae
4 Inflorescence various, usually not an umbel (sometimes an umbel in Oxalis in OXALIDACEAE); ovary superior; fruit an aggregate, legume, berry, or 2-valved capsule.
5 Leaflets either entire or barely and very shallowly crenulate or notched at the tip (but otherwise entire).
6 Inflorescence a spadix, surrounded by a spathe; fruit a berry; [Monocots {illogically keyed here because of the likelihood of being mistaken for a dicot}] Arisaema
6 Inflorescence a raceme or umbel, not surrounded by a spathe; fruit a capsule or legume; [Eudicots].
7 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; fruit a legume; [plant of uplands] Fabaceae
7 Flowers radially symmetrical; fruit a 2-valved or 5-valved capsule; [plant of uplands or wetlands]
8 Leaflets not notched at the tip; flowers white; [plants of saturated saturated or ponded wetlands] Menyanthes trifoliata
8 Leaflets notched at the tip; flowers pink, white, or yellow; [plants of uplands or temporarily flooded wetlands] Key to Oxalis
5 Leaflets serrate, serrulate, or cleft.
9 Petals 4; stamens 6; fruit a silique Cardamine
9 Petals 5 or more; stamens 10 or more; fruit either a legume or an aggregate of achenes or follicles
10 Stamens many, fused into a staminal tube; carpels 10-20, in a ring; pubescence stellate (sometimes mixed with simple hairs) Callirhoe
10 Stamens 10-many, separate, or fused but not all into a staminal tube; carpel either 1 (FABACEAE), or 3-7 in a ring (RANUNCULACEAE), or many and spirally arranged on a conical receptacle (RANUNCULACEAE or ROSACEAE)
11 Leaflets serrulate; flowers bilaterally symmetrical; fruit a legume; corolla variously colored, including white Fabaceae
11 Leaflets serrate; flowers radially symmetrical; fruit an aggregate of achenes or of follicles; corolla white or yellowish or greenish.
12 Fruit an aggregate of follicles Ranunculaceae
12 Fruit an aggregate of achenes (borne on a fleshy, expanded receptacle in Fragaria and some Potentilla)
13 Flowers lacking a hypanthium Ranunculus
13 Flowers with a hypanthium Rosaceae
1 Leaves 1-pinnately compound (all leaflets attached to a central rachis) or more complexly compound (with several orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
14 Leaves 1-pinnately compound (all leaflets attached to a central rachis).
15 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 Asteraceae
15 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
16 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; fruit a legume Fabaceae
16 Flowers radially symmetrical; fruit a silique/silicle, or a schizocarp of mericarps, or an achene.
17 Petals 4; stamens 6; fruit a silique/silicle Brassicaceae
17 Petals 0 or 5 (if 0, the sepals petaloid); stamens 2, 4, 5, or many.
18 Stamens 5; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Apiaceae
18 Stamens 2, 4, or many; fruit an achene Rosaceae
14 Leaves more complexly compound (with 2 or more orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
19 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 Asteraceae
19 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above (sometimes the flowers in a head subtended by bracts, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or petals separate, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.).
20 Leaf segments or ultimate lobes linear or lanceolate, > 2× as long as wide, < 4 mm wide.
21 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior; fruit a mericarp of 2 schizocarps Apiaceae
21 Inflorescence various, but not an umbel; ovary superior; fruit an aggregate of follicles or an elongate capsule.
22 Carpels 2, fused; fruit an elongate capsule; flowers bilaterally symmetrical Fumariaceae
22 Carpels 5-10 or many, separate; fruit an aggregate; flower radially symmetrical Ranunculaceae
20 Leaf segments or ultimate lobes ovate or elliptic, < 3× as long as wide, > 5 mm wide.
23 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior; fruit a mericarp of 2 schizocarps or a 5-seeded drupe.
24 Fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Apiaceae
24 Fruit a 5-seeded drupe Aralia
23 Inflorescence various, but not an umbel; fruit an aggregate of follicles or achenes, an elongate capsule, or a naked seed resembling a drupe.
25 Leaflets with < 10 ultimate ‘points’ (lobe or tooth terminations), these rounded to broadly acute, often large in comparison to the leaflet and appearing as “sublobes”; pistil 1 or 4-many.
26 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; fruit an elongate capsule; [cultivated exotic, rarely persistent near gardens] Lamprocapnos spectabilis
26 Corolla radially symmetrical; fruit an aggregate of follicles or achenes, or a naked seed resembling a drupe; [native plants of moist to dry forests and rock outcrops].
27 Leaflets 5-8 cm long, obviously longer than broad; pistil 1; fruit a naked blue seed resembling a drupe; flowers mainly 3-merous Caulophyllum
27 Leaflets 1-6 cm long, about as long as broad if > 4 cm long; pistils 4-many; fruit an aggregate of follicles or achenes; flowers mainly 4-5-merous Ranunculaceae
25 Leaflets with >11 ultimate ‘points’ (lobe or tooth terminations), these acuminate to acute; pistils 1-8.
28 Pubescence of the stem and lower leaf surface glandular; flowers unisexual, on the same plant (monoecious); stamens 10; pistils 2, partly fused; fruit an aggregate of follicles Astilbe
28 Pubescence of the stem and lower leaf surface non-glandular (or absent); flowers either bisexual (the plants hermaphroditic), or unisexual and the male and female flowers on separate plants (the plants dioecious); stamens 15 or more; pistils 1-8, separate; fruit an aggregate of follicles, a follicle, or a red or white berry.
29 Flowers bisexual (plants hermaphroditic); carpels 1-8 per flower; inflorescence a raceme, or a panicle of racemes with just a few branches; fruit an aggregate of follicles, a follicle, or a red or white berry Actaea
29 Flowers unisexual (plants dioecious); carpels 3-4 per pistillate flower; inflorescence a panicle of racemes, with numerous branches; fruit an aggregate of follicles Aruncus

Key N2: herbaceous dicots with mainly basal, simple leaves

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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 Asteraceae
1 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above (sometimes the flowers in a head subtended by bracts, e.g. Eryngium in APIACEAE, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or petals separate, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.).
2 Basal leaves 2-lobed, pinnately lobed, or palmately lobed (not considering cordate, hastate, or auriculate leaf bases as “lobed”).
3 Basal leaves 2-lobed, hinged between the lobes, each lobe with stiff, marginal, eyelash-like bristles; [Coastal Plain of NC and SC, rarely planted and weakly naturalized elsewhere] Dionaea muscipula
3 Basal leaves 3-many-lobed, palmately or pinnately; [collectively widespread].
4 Leaf lobing pinnate.
5 Gynoecium of separate pistils (each with a single carpel); fruit an aggregate Geum
5 Gynoecium of a single pistil (with 2, rarely more, carpels); fruit simple.
6 Stamens many; sepals 2, petals 4; fresh plants with yellow, orange, or white milky juice Papaveraceae
6 Stamens 4, 5, or 6; sepals 4 or 5; petals 4 or 5.
7 Petals 4, distinct; stamens 6 Brassicaceae
7 Petals 5, fused; stamens 2, 4, or 5.
8 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5 Boraginaceae
8 Corolla 2-lipped, bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical; stamens 2 or 4.
9 Corolla lobes not twisted, the flower bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 2 Salvia
9 Corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical; stamens 4 Pedicularis
4 Leaf lobing palmate.
10 Petiole attachment peltate.
11 Leaves < 10 cm in diameter Hydrocotyle
11 Leaves > 15 cm in diameter Berberidaceae
10 Petiole attachment marginal.
12 Ovary inferior.
13 Petals 4; stamens 8; fruit a capsule Oenothera
13 Petals 5; stamens 5; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps.
14 Fruit tuberculate; leaves 3-lobed Eryngium prostratum
14 Fruit smooth; leaves with 5 or more lobes Hydrocotyle
12 Ovary superior, or half-inferior by fusion of a hypanthium a part of the way up the ovary wall.
15 Gynoecium of separate pistils (each with a single carpel); fruit an aggregate.
16 Perianth of 5 green sepals and 5 colored petals.
17 Carpels partly fused, arrayed in a ring of 10-20 Malvaceae
17 Carpels separate, spiral, many Ranunculaceae
16 Perianth of a single whorl of 3-12 petaloid sepals (the petals absent or small and rudimentary).
18 Leaves 2, the single flower terminal and associated with the upper leaf; fruit an aggregate of berries Hydrastis canadensis
18 Leaves normally > 2, flowers not as above; fruit an aggregate of achenes, utricles, or follicles Ranunculaceae
15 Gynoecium of a single pistil (with 1-5 carpels); fruit simple.
19 Hypanthium present, partially fused or not fused to the pistil; ovary partially inferior to superior Saxifragaceae
19 Hypanthium absent; ovary superior.
20 Petals connate at base; leaves sharply toothed Hydrophyllum
20 Petals distinct; leaves with rounded lobes or teeth.
21 Corolla radially symmetrical; petals 8-12; capsule fusiform, narrowed to both ends, > 5× as long as wide Sanguinaria canadensis
21 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; petals 5; capsule ovoid, < 2× as long as wide Viola
2 Basal leaves not lobed, at most serrate or crenate (and sometimes also cordate, hastate, auriculate, or peltate at the base).
22 Basal leaves petiolate, the blade with a cordate, hastate, auriculate, or peltate base.
23 Leaf margins entire.
24 Inflorescence a terminal and/or axillary raceme, panicle, or cyme of many small flowers; fruit an achene; perianth uniseriate, of 0, 4-5, or 6 tepals.
25 Flowers unisexual; staminate flowers 4-5 tepals, pistillate flowers lacking a perianth Spinacia oleracea
25 Flowers bisexual; flowers with 6 tepals Polygonaceae
24 Inflorescence either a terminal spike, or a 1-7-flowered terminal cyme, or of a solitary axillary or terminal flower; fruit various; perianth biseriate (of differentiated sepals and petals (except uniseriate, of 3 fused sepals in ARISTOLOCHIACEAE).
26 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence a terminal spike (with > 20 flowers); petals 4, usually scarious, transparent; sepals 4, green; stamens 4 Plantago
26 Flowers radially symmetrical; inflorescence either of a solitary flower or of a 1-7-flowered terminal cyme; petals 5, 8-12, or 0; sepals 5 (green), 3 (brown), or 5-9 (yellow); stamens 5, 12, or many.
27 Gynoecium of separate pistils (each with a single carpel); fruit an aggregate of achenes or follicles; flowers bright yellow, either of 5-9 distinct petaloid sepals, or of 8-12 distinct petals subtended by 3-4 green distinct sepals Ranunculaceae
27 Gynoecium either of a single pistil with 6 carpels or of a single pistil with 4 carpels or of 2 nearly separate carpels; fruit a simple capsule (or deeply 2-lobed); flowers white, brown, or greenish, either of 5 fused or distinct white petals and 5 fused or distinct green sepals, or of 3 fused brown or greenish petaloid sepals.
28 Flowers brown or green, of 3 fused brown or greenish petaloid sepals (and 0 petals); carpels 6; stamens 12; leaves 4-10 cm wide Aristolochiaceae
28 Flowers white, of 5 white or whitish petals and 5 green sepals; carpels 2; stamens 5; leaves 1-12 (-15) cm wide
29 Petals separate; sepals separate; plant glabrous Parnassia
29 Petals fused (at least basally in Dichondra); sepals fused; carpels 2; plant pubescent.
30 Fruit a deeply 2-lobed capsule; sepals longer or ca. as long as petals; petals not undulate, fused at their bases or distal ½, the anthers maroon or brown-colored; [common, widespread in our area] Dichondra
30 Fruit a fleshy berry; sepals shorter than the petals; petals undulate, fused, the anthers yellow; [rare exotic] Lycianthes asarifolia
23 Leaf margins crenate, serrate, or incised.
31 Gynoecium of separate pistils (each with a single carpel); fruit an aggregate; perianth of 5 green sepals and 5 colored petals (or of 2 or 4 (-5) white-colored tepals in Begonia).
32 Flowers typically with 2 or 4 (-5) white-colored tepals; leaf bases conspicuously oblique (sometimes variegated); fruit unequally or subequally 3-winged capsules; [ornamental waifs or uncommon non-natives] Begonia
32 Flowers with 5 green sepals and 5 colored petals (not merged into tepals); leaf bases oblique or not; fruit various but not 3-winged capsules; [natives and non-natives].
33 Carpels 10-20, partly fused, arrayed in a ring; petals white, pink, red, or purplish Malvaceae
33 Carpels many, separate, spiral; petals yellow or white.
34 Flowers lacking a hypanthium; fruit an aggregate of achenes or aggregate of follicles Ranunculaceae
34 Flowers with a hypanthium; fruit an aggregate of drupelets or aggregate of achenes Rosaceae
31 Gynoecium of a single pistil (with 1-5 carpels); fruit simple.
35 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence of a solitary flower; fruit a 3-locular capsule Viola
35 Flowers radially symmetrical; inflorescence an umbel (or composite of umbelliform units, or a terminal panicle.
36 Ovary superior; inflorescence a terminal panicle or terminal raceme.
37 Inflorescence a terminal raceme; perianth of 4 green sepals and 4 white petals; fruit a silique/silicle; fresh foliage in spring and summer with a strong garlic odor; larger leaves < 10 cm in diameter Brassicaceae
37 Inflorescence a terminal panicle; perianth of 6 cream-colored petaloid sepals; fruit a winged achene; fresh foliage lacking a garlic odor; larger leaves typically > 30 cm in diameter Rheum
36 Ovary inferior; inflorescence an umbel (or a composite of umbellate units); fruit a schizocarp of mericarps.
38 Petiole attachment peltate Hydrocotyle
38 Petiole attachment marginal (the blade cleft to the petiole.
39 Leaf blades longer than wide, sharply V-cleft at the base and otherwise shallowly denticulate Centella
39 Leaf blades as broad or broader than long, cleft at the base and also irregularly serrate or crenate around the margin Hydrocotyle
22 Basal leaves petiolate or not, with a truncate, rounded, or cuneate leaf base.
40 Leaves tubular, with a sutured ventral flange, erect or reclining, adapted as a pitfall for insects (flat, phyllodial leaves sometimes present as well, common in the winter in some species, such as S. oreophila) Sarracenia
40 Leaves flat, not sutured into a tubular shape.
41 Stem leaves opposite; perianth 5-merous, at least the corolla bilaterally symmetrical (barely so in VALERIANACEAE), or the parts curved so as to be asymmetrical (Pedicularis in OROBANCHACEAE); stamens 2, 3, or 4.
42 Ovary inferior; stamens 3 Valerianaceae
42 Ovary superior; stamens 2 or 4.
43 Corolla narrowly tubular, the five lobes flaring at nearly 90 degrees and nearly radially symmetrical Buchnera
43 Corolla distinctly 2-lipped (with prominently large upper and lower corolla lobes) or hooded (the upper lip hood-like), distinctly bilaterally symmetrical, or the lobes twisted so as to make the corolla asymmetrical.
44 Corolla yellow, the upper lip often slightly to strongly maroon, hooded but the corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical Pedicularis
44 Corolla white, lavender, or blue, 2-lipped and bilaterally symmetrical.
45 Sepals separate to the base or nearly so, not forming a tube Lindernia
45 Sepals connate for at least 0.3× their length to form a tube Mazus
41 Stem leaves alternate; perianth radially symmetrical (less commonly bilaterally symmetrical); stamens 5, 6-8, 9, 10 (rarely 4).
46 Ovary inferior (or half-inferior in Samolus).
47 Perianth 4-merous; stamens 8 Oenothera
47 Perianth 5-merous; stamens 5.
48 Inflorescence an umbel; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Apiaceae
48 Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme; fruit a capsule Samolus
46 Ovary superior.
49 Pistils many, each with a single carpel; fruit an aggregate of achenes Myosurus
49 Pistil 1, with 1-5 carpels; fruit simple (a legume, silique/silicle, capsule, utricle, or schizocarp of 4 nutlets).
50 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical (barely so in Limosella in SCROPHULARIACEAE); stamens 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10.
51 Stamens 6-8 or 10.
52 Petals separate; stamens 10 Micranthes
52 Petals fused; stamens 10 or 6-8.
53 Stamens 10, monadelphous Fabaceae
53 Stamens 6-8, epipetalous Polygalaceae
51 Stamens 2 or 4.
54 Stamens 2 Lentibulariaceae
54 Stamens 4.
55 [plants of coastal wetlands] Limosella
55 [plants of uplands or inland seeps or fens]
56 Flowers (and subtending bracts) red or yellow Castilleja
56 Flowers purple, blue, or lavender Mazus
50 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5, 10, 4-6, or 9.
57 Perianth of 6 tepals; stamens 4-6 or 9; carpels 3 Polygonaceae
57 Perianth of green sepals and more brightly colored petals; stamens 5 or 10; carpels 2, 3, 4, or 5.
58 Leaves covered with sticky, gland-tipped hairs (often red), as flypaper traps for insects Drosera
58 Leaves lacking sticky gland-tipped hairs.
59 Fruit a schizocarp of 4 nutlets (ovary obviously 4-lobed in flower) Boraginaceae
59 Fruit a capsule or silique/silicle (or utricle in Limonium in PLUMBAGINACEAE).
60 Inflorescence of a solitary, terminal flower; carpels 2-3 (-4).
61 Corolla with a long tube and flaring corolla lobes (united > ½ its length) Jaborosa integrifolia
61 Corolla of separate petals or united only for a short length (< ¼ its length).
62 Leaves serrate Shortia
62 Leaves entire Parnassiaceae
60 Inflorescence of several to many flowers; carpels 5 (3 in Galax in DIAPENSIACEAE).
63 Inflorescence an umbel; petals recurved, pink to almost white Primula
63 Inflorescence a raceme or panicle.
64 Fruit a silique/silicle; petals 4; stamens 6 Brassicaceae
64 Fruit either a capsule or a utricle; petals 5; stamens 5 or 10.
65 Inflorescence a somewhat to very diffuse panicle, with 3 or more orders of branching, not giving at all the impression that the overall inflorescence is made of racemose units.
Show caption*© Scott Ward 66 Leaves entire; stamens 5; [plants of tidal marshes] Limonium
66 Leaves serrate or crenate; stamens 10; [plants of various habitats, especially rock outcrops and bottomland forests and streambanks, never in tidal marshes] Micranthes
65 Inflorescence either a single terminal raceme (sometimes spike-like), or of 1 to several terminal and axillary racemes (these sometimes combined into a diffuse panicle, but one whose structure is clearly made up of many racemes).
67 Inflorescence of 1-several terminal and axillary racemes, the plant typically well-branched, especially from the base; stamens 5 Samolus
67 Inflorescence of a single, terminal raceme, the plant unbranched; stamens 10 (or 5, with 5 staminodes)
68 Inflorescence spike-like, the flowers many (> 40), barely pedicelled; capsule 3-locular Galax urceolata
68 Inflorescence a raceme, the flowers fewer (< 20) and distinctly pedicelled; capsule 5-locular Ericaceae

Key O: herbaceous dicots with alternate, compound leaves on the stem

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1 Leaves either 3-foliolate or palmately 4-11-foliolate (all the leaflets attached at a common point, or the leaflets slightly pedate in Helleborus foetidus in RANUNCULACEAE).
2 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 Nabalus
2 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above. {add under 2b [Cynosciadium] APIACEAE}
3 Leaflets obviously and sharply serrate; pistils 1 or 5-many; fruit an achene, or an aggregate of achenes, drupelets, or follicles.
4 Leaflets 7-11, slightly pedate in their arrangement, evergreen Helleborus foetidus
Show caption*© Mark Kluge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mark Kluge 4 Leaflets 3-9, palmate, deciduous
5 Pistil 1; fruit an achene Cannabis sativa
5 Pistils 5-many; fruit an aggregate of achenes, drupelets, or follicles Rosaceae
3 Leaflets entire, finely denticulate, or very obscurely toothed (or irregularly serrate or lobed in Cardamine in BRASSICACEAE); pistil 1; fruit simple, a legume, capsule, silique, or berry.
6 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; petals 5; fruit a legume; carpel 1 Fabaceae
6 Corolla radially symmetrical; petals 4 or 5; fruit either an elongate capsule or a berry; carpels 1, 2, or 5.
7 Leaflets radially arranged at the summit of the petiole, not differentiated in size or placement into a terminal leaflet and 2 lateral leaflets; leaflets prominently notched at the apex; petals 5, yellow; inflorescence axillary, cymose or umbelliform; carpels 5 Oxalis
7 Leaflets differentiated in size and placement into a terminal leaflet and 2 or more lateral leaflets; leaflets not regularly notched at the apex (a few may be slightly retuse); petals 4, white, pink, or yellow; inflorescence terminal and racemose; carpels 1 or 2.
8 Carpels 2; fruit a red berry; petals connate, purplish-blue Solanum dulcamara
8 Carpel 1; fruit a capsule; petals separate, white, pink, or yellow.
9 Stem leaves 1-3, alternate [or whorled or opposite]; leaflets 3, irregularly serrate, lacerate, or additionally divided or lobed; fruit a silique; carpels 2 Cardamine
9 Stem leaves >3, alternate; leaflets (1-) 3-7, each entire or obscurely toothed; fruit a capsule; carpel 1 Cleomaceae
1 Leaves either 1-pinnately compound (all leaflets attached to a central rachis) or more complexly compound (with several orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
10 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela; ovary inferior Asteraceae
10 Inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit various, not as above; ovary superior.
11 Leaves 1-pinnately compound (all leaflets attached to a central rachis).
12 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical, papilionaceous; fruit a legume; leaves even-pinnately or odd-pinnately compound, the terminal leaflet sometimes replaced by a tendril; leaflets entire or at most minutely denticulate Fabaceae
12 Flowers radially symmetrical (or barely bilaterally symmetrical in Erodium in GERANIACEAE); fruit a capsule, capsular but of 5 mericarps, or an aggregate of achenes, nutlets, or follicles (in some cases the # of pistils from many down to 2 or even 1); leaves odd-pinnately compound, never with tendrils; leaflets serrate (or entire to shallowly lobed in Polemonium in POLEMONIACEAE, Cardamine in BRASSICACEAE, and Floerkea in LIMNANTHACEAE).
13 Pistils many (only 1-2 in Agrimonia, Poteridium, Poterium, and Sanguisorba); fruit an aggregate of achenes, nutlets, or follicles; hypanthium present; stamens 5-many (only 4 in Poteridium and Sanguisorba) Rosaceae
13 Pistil 1 (or deeply 2-3-lobed in Floerkea in LIMNANTHACEAE); fruit a silique, capsule, schizocarp of 2-3 mericarps, or a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps (Erodium in GERANIACEAE); hypanthium absent; stamens 3-6.
14 Petals 3 Floerkea proserpinacoides
14 Petals 4-5.
15 Petals 4, distinct; stamens 6; inflorescence a terminal raceme; fruit a silique/silicle Brassicaceae
15 Petals 5, fused (distinct in Erodium in GERANIACEAE); stamens 5; inflorescence axillary or terminal, cymose, consisting of subcapitate, umbel-like, or helicoid cymes; fruit either a capsule, or a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps (Erodium in GERANIACEAE).
16 Flowers slightly bilaterally symmetrical (2 of the petals of different size than the other 3); fruit a capsular schizocarp of 5 mericarps; carpels 5 Erodium
16 Flowers radially symmetrical; fruit either a loculicidal capsule or a berry; carpels 2 or 3.
17 Fruit a berry; fresh plant rankly fragrant Solanaceae
17 Fruit a capsule; fresh plant not aromatic.
18 Capsule 2-valvate; carpels 2; leaflets prominently serrate or with some tooth-like sublobes Hydrophyllaceae
18 Capsule 3-valvate; carpels 3; leaflets with entire margins Polemonium
11 Leaves more complexly compound (with 2 or more orders of branching, some leaflets at least attached to second-order branches from the rachis).
19 Leaves 2× even-pinnate; flowers in spikes or spherical heads; fruit a legume or loment. Fabaceae
19 Leaves either 2× odd-pinnate or more complexly 2-4× ternately or ternately-pinnately compound; flowers in various inflorescences; fruits various (not legumes or loments).
20 Leaf segments linear, less than 2 mm wide.
21 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior, of 2 fused carpels; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Apiaceae
21 Inflorescence either a terminal solitary flower or terminal raceme or panicle; ovary superior, either of 2 fused carpels or of 1-5or many distinct 1-carpellate pistils; fruit either a capsule or an aggregate of follicles or achenes.
22 Ovary of 2 fused carpels; fruit a capsule (1-seeded and indehiscent in Fumaria) Fumariaceae
22 Ovary of 1-5or many distinct 1-carpellate pistils; fruit an aggregate of follicles or achenes Ranunculaceae
20 Leaf segments broader, lanceolate, ovate, or elliptic, > 5 mm wide.
23 Herbaceous vine climbing by axillary tendrils; stamens 8 Cardiospermum
23 Erect or sprawling herb; stamens 5-6 or >15.
24 Leaflets sharply serrate, with usually many teeth on each leaflet side, the total number of “points” per leaflet > 10.
25 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior, of 2 fused carpels; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps; inflorescence an umbel Apiaceae
25 Inflorescence a panicle or raceme; ovary superior, of 1-8 carpels; fruit an aggregate of follicles, a single follicle, or an indehiscent berry-like fruit.
26 Flowers bisexual; carpels 1-8; fruit an aggregate of follicles, a single follicle, or an indehiscent berry-like fruit Actaea
26 Flowers unisexual; carpels (in pistillate flowers) of 3 (-5) carpels; fruit an aggregate of follicles Aruncus
24 Leaflets entire, or with 1-several, broad, obtuse, rounded, or broadly acute “sublobes”, especially towards the tip of the leaflet, the total number of “points” per leaflet < 10.
27 Inflorescence an umbel; ovary inferior, of 2 fused carpels; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Apiaceae
27 Inflorescence a raceme, panicle, or cyme; ovary superior, of either 1-2 fused carpels or of many separate 1-carpellate pistils.
28 Perianth bilaterally symmetrical, the corolla of 4 fused petals; plant a scandent vine or erect or sprawling herb Fumariaceae
28 Perianth radially symmetrical, of 1-5 whorls of separate perianth parts; plant an erect herb.
29 Perianth of 4-5 whorls of 3 parts each (some of the whorls modified into nectaries); pistil 1, 1-carpellate; fruit a drupelike, blue, naked seed; largest leaflets > 6 cm long, obviously longer than wide Caulophyllum
29 Perianth of 1 whorl; of 4-5 parts; pistils many, each 1-carpellate; fruit an aggregate of achenes or an aggregate of follicles; largest leaflets either < 6 cm long, or if longer than 6 cm, also about as wide as long Ranunculaceae

Key P1: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and unlobed leaves on the stem

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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 Asteraceae
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 Perianth uniseriate (represented only by undifferentiated tepals or sepals; look at the front and back of the flowers for two layers) or completely absent; flowers usually unisexual, less commonly bisexual).
3 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; fruit a 3-lobed, 3-locular capsule Euphorbia
3 Inflorescence not a cyathium (and staminate or bisexual flowers with > 1 stamen; fresh plants lacking milky juice (except Stillingia in EUPHORBIACEAE); fruit various, not as above.
4 Leaf margins toothed in some manner (serrate, dentate, crenate, etc.)
5 Leaf teeth rounded to subacute, resembling shallow lobes, irregular, few (mostly < 6 per leaf side).
6 Fruit a single-seeded achene or utricle; [plants of various disturbed or saline, usually sunny habitats] Chenopodiaceae
6 Fruit a 3-lobed, circumscissilely dehiscent capsule; [plants native of rich moist shaded forests or exotics in suburban woodlands] Pachysandra
5 Leaf teeth sharp to crenate, not lobe-like, regular, many (mostly > 10 per leaf side).
7 Leaf bases cuneate (or strongly oblique in Begonia, with one leaf base usually being cuneate, the other variously rounded or cordate).
8 Flowers typically with 2 or 4 (-5) showy, white-colored tepals; leaves sometimes variegated; fruit unequally or subequally 3-winged capsules; [ornamental waifs or uncommon non-natives] Begonia
8 Flowers cyathia, not merely bearing showy tepals; leaf not variegated but sometimes bearing darkened red or black splotches; fruit capsules, but these not conspicuously winged; [natives and non-natives, usually not ornamental] Euphorbiaceae
7 Leaf bases cordate to rounded.
9 Styles 3; fruit a 3-lobed, 3-carpellate capsule (1 carpel sometimes aborting); inflorescence either a terminal or leaf opposed raceme, or a dense axillary condensed cyme with conspicuous toothed bracts subtending the flowers Euphorbiaceae
9 Styles 1 or 2; fruit either an achene or a multiple of achenes; inflorescence either an axillary dense cyme (almost a head), or an axillary spike with glomerules, or a terminal or axillary panicle.
10 Styles 2; inflorescence a dense axillary cyme (almost a head); fruit a multiple of achenes; plant lacking stinging hairs; [exotic plant of weedy situations] Fatoua villosa
10 Style 1; inflorescence an axillary spikes with glomerules, or a terminal or axillary panicle; plant either with stinging hairs or not; [plant a rare exotic (Boehmeria nivea) or a native of moist forests (Boehmeria cylindrica, Laportea)] Urticaceae
4 Leaf margins entire.
11 Ovary inferior (flowers epigynous, the ovary sitting below the perianth and androecium) or half-inferior (perigynous, the ovary sitting level with the remaining floral parts).
12 Leaf base cordate; calyx 3-lobed, fused into a bilaterally symmetrical, curved brown or yellowish tube; fruit a capsule Aristolochiaceae
12 Leaf base cuneate, rounded, or truncate; calyx of 3-4-5 distinct sepals, radially symmetrical, white or yellow; fruit a dry, nutlike drupe or an achene.
13 Leaves subsessile or very short petiolate, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, broadest near the middle; [native] Comandra
13 Leaves distinctly petiolate, rhombic, widest near the base; [rarely naturalized exotics].
14 Inflorescence of a single axillary flower Tetragonia tetragonoides
14 Inflorescence terminal, spikelike Beta
11 Ovary superior (flowers hypogynous, the ovary sitting above the perianth and androecium).
15 Inflorescence a leaf-opposed spike or raceme, the inflorescence arising opposite of stem leaves (except Saururus, whose spikelike racemes are leaf-opposed and/or terminal); flowers visually white from white petaloid sepals, white bracts, or white stamens.
16 Sepals present, 4 or 5; petaloid, white; carpels 1 to many (-12); stamens 4 to many (-25); fruit a berry or an apically 2-lobed achene (as in Petiveria); leaf bases cuneate or rounded (but not cordate); [Eudicots].
17 Sepals 4; carpels 1; fruit subglobose berries or apically lobed achenes Petiveriaceae
17 Sepals 5; carpels 5-12, distinct; fruit an oblate berry Phytolacca
16 Sepals absent; carpels 3-4; stamens 2-6 (-8); fruit a capsule, a 1-seeded drupe, or a schizocarp of 3-4 mericarps; leaf bases cordate or subcordate; [Basal Angiosperms].
18 Fruit a 1-seeded drupe; stamens 2; plants terrestrial or epiphytic Peperomia
18 Fruit a capsule or schizocarp with 3-4 mericarps; stamens 3 or 6-8; plants terrestrial Saururaceae
15 Inflorescence not leaf opposed, instead arising with stem leaves (axillary) or terminal, the inflorescence not spikes nor racemes, instead either simpler (single axillary or glomerules of flowers) or more complexly branched (terminal or axilary panicles or terminal complex cymes); flowers white, reddish, scarious, or greenish.
19 Stipules tubular, sheathing (= ocreae); flowers subtended by tubular, sheathing bracteoles (= ocreolae); nodes usually prominently swollen; perianth usually of 5-6 white to pink tepals Polygonaceae
19 Stipules not tubular or sheathing; flowers not subtended by ocreolae; nodes not swollen; perianth absent or of 3-5 sepals.
20 Inflorescence a terminal involucrate cluster; flowers bisexual; stamens 9 Eriogonum
20 Inflorescence axillary, or a terminal panicle or raceme that is not involucrate; stamens 3-6.
21 Ovary 3-locular; styles 3, each bifid; fruit a capsule, with 6 seeds Phyllanthaceae
21 Ovary 1-locular; styles 1-3, not bifid; fruit a utricle or achene (1-seeded).
22 Sepals petaloid, pink and relatively conspicuous (although the sepals ca. 1-3 mm in length); plants prostrate to somewhat ascending annuals; leaves opposite or nearly whorled; achenes muricate Gisekia
22 Sepals not petaloid, inconspicuous, green or greyish in color; plants prostrate or erect, annual or perennial; leaves alternate OR either alternate or opposite (Amaranthaceae); achenes variously textured (smooth or textured, sometimes reticulate or verrucose, but rarely muricate).
23 Styles 1, stigma 1; flowers unisexual Parietaria
23 Styles 1-3, if style 1, then stigmas 3; flowers bisexual or unisexual.
24 Tepals acute, scarious Amaranthaceae
24 Tepals usually blunt, herbaceous Chenopodiaceae
2 Perianth biseriate (represented by differentiated whorls of sepals and petals, the sepals usually green or drab in color, the petals often brightly colored); flowers nearly always bisexual (there are exceptions).
25 Ovary inferior (epigynous) or half-inferior (perigynous).
26 Petals connate (at least basally, often the lower half of corolla).
27 Inflorescence a leaf-opposed, dense, cylindrical spike Sphenoclea zeylanica
27 Inflorescence not a dense, leaf-opposed spike, instead a terminal head or variously axillary or terminal (the flowers solitary or not, but not in a dense spike).
28 Flowers yellow; stamens numerous (15+), monomorphic or heteromorphic (inner and outer of differing length), conspicuously exerted from the flowers, often surpassing the ovary; leaves basally lobed or unlobed (often a mix in M. floridana and M. oligosperma) Mentzelia
28 Flowers blue or white; stamens fewer (usually < 10), monomorphic, if exerted, the ovary usually still apparent; leaves unlobed.
29 Leaves toothed; flowers blue to white Campanulaceae
29 Leaves entire; flowers white Samolus
26 Petals distinct.
30 Petals 5; stamens 5; inflorescence a head; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps Eryngium
30 Petals 4 7; stamens 6 or more; inflorescence various, not a head; fruit a capsule.
31 Petals 4-7; stamens 1× or 2× as many as the petals, 4-7, 8, 10, 12, or14; leaves herbaceous in texture Onagraceae
31 Petals 5 (or sometimes doubled in horticultural forms); stamens 6-40 (or more); leaves fleshy in texture Portulaca
25 Ovary superior (hypogynous).
32 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical (zygomorphic), petals connate, at least basally (except distinct in VIOLACEAE); fruit a capsule or legume (the capsule conspicuously spiny in Krameria).
33 Petals distinct, 5; carpels 3; fruit a 3-loculed capsule Violaceae
33 Petals connate (at least basally), 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8; carpels 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 (rarely 3 in Reseda in RESEDACEAE); fruit a legume or 1-, 2-, or 5-loculed capsule (except a 1-seeded indehiscent pod in Krameria in KRAMERIACEAE).
34 Stamens 6-10 (-25), more than the number (4 or 5) of petals and the number (4 or 5) of the sepals; fruit a legume or a 1-6-carpellate capsule.
35 Stamens fused, monadelphous or diadelphous.
36 Stamens 10, monadelphous or diadelphous; fruit a legume Fabaceae
36 Stamens 6-8, monadelphous; fruit a capsule Polygalaceae
35 Stamens distinct.
37 Carpel 1; fruit a legume Baptisia
37 Carpels 3-6; fruit a capsule Reseda
34 Stamens 4-5, less than or the same as the number (5) of the petals; fruit a 2-5-carpellate capsule.
38 Pistil 5-carpellate; capsule 5-locular, explosively dehiscent; inflorescence of axillary, small clusters of flowers Impatiens
38 Pistil 2-carpellate; capsule 2 locular, opening gradually or not at all; inflorescence a terminal spike, raceme or panicle (or solitary, axillary flowers in Chaenorrhinum in PLANTAGINACEAE and Krameria in KRAMERIACEAE).
39 Fruit 1-seeded, indehiscent; sepals petaloid, red-purple; petals dimorphic, the upper 3 long-clawed, the lower 2 small, thickened, and glandlike; fruit a spiny pod Krameria
39 Fruit > 2-seeded, dehiscent; sepals sepaloid, green; petals not dimorphic.
40 Stamens 5; corolla not spurred; capsule septicidal; pubescence of the stem and leaves either gland-tipped or dendritically branched Verbascum
40 Stamens 4; corolla with a distinct spur or sac at the base between the the 2 lower calyx lobes (except not spurred in Digitalis and Schwalbea); capsule loculicidal (only at the summit in Antirrhinum and Chaenorrhinum, and septicidal in Schwalbea); pubescence of the stem and leaves neither gland-tipped (except in Antirrhinum and Chaenorrhinum) nor dendritically branched.
41 Capsule septicidal; corolla not spurred Orobanchaceae
41 Capsule loculicidal; corolla spurred (except Digitalis) Plantaginaceae
32 Corolla radially symmetrical (actinomorphic), petals connate or distinct; fruit various (including capsules).
42 Plants herbaceous vines, fleshy and mucilaginous, the leaves variously orbicular, ovate, cordate or sometimes elliptic; fruit utricles (small sacs surrounding an achene), partly to completely enclosed in the persistent, dry to somewhat fleshy perianth; sepals 2 Basellaceae
42 Plants not herbaceous vines, the leaves variously shaped; fruit various, but never utricles; sepals 4 or more.
43 Petals distinct (flowers apopetalous); stamens 5-many (4 or 5 in Capraria).
44 Pistils 4-10 (each 1-carpellate) in a ring, these sometimes fused basally, each with its own style/stigma; fruit either an aggregate of achenes or follicles or a 5 (-7) locular capsule.
45 Pistils 5 (-7); inflorescence a compound terminal cyme.
46 Fruit an aggregate of follicles; leaves fleshy in texture; inflorescence; leaves entire of sparsely and coarsely serrate, with < 12 points per leaf; [plants primarily of dry habitats] Crassulaceae
46 Fruit a 5 (-7) locular capsule; leaves membranaceous in texture; leaves serrate, with > 20 points per leaf; [plants of wet habitats] Penthorum sedoides
45 Pistils many; inflorescence of solitary flowers, or diffuse.
47 Leaves cuneate at the base; flowers in a diffuse inflorescence Ranunculus
47 Leaves cordate at the base; flowers solitary, on long pedicels Dalibarda repens
44 Pistil 1, with 1-to many carpels (in many MALVACEAE, the carpels loosely united in a ring [of more than 5] around the single style/stigma); fruit either a 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, 6-, or 10-locular capsule, or a silique/silicle, or a ring of mericarps.
48 Petals 4; sepals 4; stamens 6; fruit a silique/silicle Brassicaceae
48 Petals 5 (rarely 4 or 6); sepals 5 (rarely 4 or 6); stamens 4, 5 (or multiples of 5), 6, or 12; fruit a capsule or a ring of mericarps.
49 Stamens many, connate into a staminal tube; carpels 5-many; fruit a capsule or ring of mericarps; leaves usually serrate or crenate Malvaceae
49 Stamens (4-) 5-many, distinct (not forming a staminal tube); carpels 2-5; fruit a capsule; leaves entire (serrate in Croton in EUPHORBIACEAE, distally serrate in Capraria in SCROPHULARIACEAE).
50 Flowers unisexual; leaf vestiture of peltate scales and/or stellate hairs Croton
50 Flowers bisexual; leaf vestiture (if present) simple or stellate.
51 Flowers 6-merous (the petals and sepals 6, the stamens 6 or 12); corolla pink or purplish (rarely white); fruit a septicidal capsule Lythrum
51 Flowers 5-merous (the petals and sepals 5, stamens 5 or various multiples of 5); corolla white, yellow, reddish (including pinkish), or blue; fruit a loculicidal or septicidal capsule.
52 Stamens 5 ; corolla yellow or blue; capsule either 10-locular and septicidal (Linum) or 1-locular (with 3 carpels) and loculicidal.
53 Capsule 10-locular (with 5 carpels) and septicidal (splitting at the septa, opening at the top) Linum
53 Capsule 1-locular (with 3 carpels) and loculicidal (splitting along outer edges, not only at the top) Turneraceae
52 Stamens (4-) 10, 15, 20, 30 (-many); corolla white, pink, yellow, or reddish; capsule 2-, 3-, 5- (-10)-locular, loculicidal.
54 Leaf margins distally serrate, the surfaces punctate-glandular and also with internal oil-secreting cavities; corolla white (the inside sometimes with scattered purple spots); [s. FL and s. TX only in our flora area] Capraria
54 Leaf margins entire, serrate, or crenate, lacking punctate-glands and internal oil-secreting cavities; corolla white, pink, yellow, or reddish; [collectively widespread, including s. FL and s. TX].
55 Stamens (5-) 10, 15, 20, 30 (-many); corolla yellow or reddish; filaments not densely villous basally, the anthers the anthers not conspicuously tubular and lacking apical pores; capsule 3 (-10)-locular, loculicidal Cistaceae
55 Stamens 10; corolla white or pink; filament bases dilated basally and densely villous, the anthers tubular with conspicuous apical pore dehiscence; capsule 5-locular Chimaphila
43 Petals fused (flowers sympetalous, this includes salverform and tubular flowers); stamens (4-) 5 (-7).
56 Plants herbaceous vines, fleshy and mucilaginous, the leaves variously orbicular, ovate, cordate or sometimes elliptic; fruit utricles (small sacs surrounding an achene), partly to completely enclosed in the persistent, dry to somewhat fleshy perianth; sepals 2 Basellaceae
56 Plants not with the above combination of characters, if herbaceous vines then fruit not utricles and sepals 4 or more.
57 Pistils 2, united only by the style and stigma; fruit a schizocarp of 2 follicles (often single by abortion); plant with milky juice when fresh; leaves entire; inflorescence an umbel Apocynaceae
57 Pistil 1 (of 2 or 3 fused carpels); fruit a capsule, drupe, or a schizocarp splitting into 4 nutlets; plant lacking milky juice; leaves entire or serrate; inflorescence various (but not an umbel).
58 Ovary slightly to deeply 2-4-lobed (entire or shallowly lobed in Tiquilia and HELIOTROPIACEAE); fruit a schizocarp of 4 mericarps or a drupe; [BORAGINALES].
59 Ovary deeply 4-parted; style gynobasic or terminal.
60 Style gynobasic (originating from the base of the ovary's lobes); ovary slightly to deeply lobed; fruit a schizocarp of 4 mericarps Boraginaceae
60 Style terminal (originating from the apex of the ovary), twice-cleft into 4 branches, each of which then terminates in a stigma; ovary slightly lobed; fruit a drupe with a glutinous mesocarp (or if lacking, a nut) Cordiaceae
59 Ovary slightly 2-4-lobed, or not at all lobed; style terminal or reduced to a sessile terminal stigma.
61 Plants usually strongly gray or white-colored and villous, growing in short, suffrutescent mounds or mats; leaves densely pubescent (hairs densely appressed adaxially, tomentose abaxially); inflorescence of solitary flowers or extra-axillary, never scirpioid; corolla lavender or whitish-lavender, the lobes 1.8-3.0 (-4.5) mm long, broadly rounded; [s. TX, westward; primarily of the Trans-Pecos region] Tiquilia canescens var. canescens
61 Plants variously glabrous or pubescent (sometimes villous), usually herbaceous, occasionally suffrutescent and mound or mat-forming; inflorescence variously elongate or racemose, often scirpioid (curved or coiled on one side of the inflorescence axis; e.g., Heliotropium), occasionally solitary (e.g., Euploca, in part; although in this case the leaves of the shrubby Euploca are significantly narrower); corolla variously colored (including lavender); [plants collectively widespread, including TX] Heliotropiaceae
58 Ovary not lobed; fruit a capsule or berry.
62 Leaves scale-like, 1-4.5 mm long, appressed to the stem; petals 4; stamens 4 Bartonia
62 Leaves larger (or only 2-8 mm long in Pyxidanthera in DIAPENSIACEAE, but then spreading); petals 5-7; stamens 5-7.
63 Plant a creeping subshrub (keyed here as a failsafe); leaves either 0.2-0.8 cm long and acicular, or 2-10 cm long and broadly ovate or elliptic.
64 Leaves 0.2-0.8 cm long and acicular Pyxidanthera
64 Leaves 2-10 cm long and broadly ovate or elliptic Epigaea repens
63 Plant an herb, erect or sprawling; leaves > 1.5 cm long.
65 Leaves cordate at the base; plant a twining vine Convolvulaceae
65 Leaves cuneate to rounded at the base; plant an erect, sprawling, or reclining herb (twining in Solanum dulcamara in SOLANACEAE).
66 Inflorescences (solitary or of several flowers) terminal on the stem.
67 Calyces tubular, conspicuously 5-ribbed and bearing numerous stalked, capitate-glands Plumbago
67 Calyces not as above, flowers typically campanulate (not salverform), if tubular then not also 5-ribbed and capitate-glandular.
68 Corolla lobes longer than the fused corolla cup, blue, pink, or white; styles 2; herbage lacking stipitate glands; fresh plants not aromatic.
69 Flowers in axillary cymes; capsule subglobose; leaves 2-12 cm long Hydrolea
69 Flowers solitary or paired in the leaf axils; capsule cylindrical; leaves 0.5-8 cm long Nama
68 Corolla lobes very short, much shorter than the corolla cup or tube, sometimes barely perceptible and represented only by teeth on the edge of the corolla limb, white or pink; style 1; herbage often with stipitate glands; fresh plants often rankly aromatic Solanaceae
66 Inflorescences (of solitary or several flowers) axillary or lateral on the stem.
70 Flowers sessile or very-short pedicelled, solitary in the leaf axils.
71 Stamens alternate with the corolla lobes; flower ca. 10 mm in diameter Evolvulus
71 Stamens opposite the corolla lobes; flower ca. 1 mm in diameter Lysimachia
70 Flowers either solitary and obviously pedicelled, or several in an axillary or lateral inflorescence.
72 Calyces tubular, conspicuously 5-ribbed and bearing numerous stalked, capitate-glands Plumbago
72 Calyces not as above, flowers typically campanulate (not salverform), if tubular then not also 5-ribbed and capitate-glandular.
73 Corolla lobes longer than the fused corolla cup, blue Hydrolea
73 Corolla lobes very short, much shorter than the corolla cup or tube, sometimes barely perceptible and represented only by teeth on the edge of the corolla limb, white, yellow, pink, various other colors (rarely including blue).
74 Fruit a capsule, 4-seeded Convolvulaceae
74 Fruit a berry or capsule, many-seeded Solanaceae

Key P2: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and palmately lobed leaves on the stem

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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 Asteraceae
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 Convolvulaceae
4 Leaf margins serrate; flowers unisexual; plants dioecious; petals absent Humulus
3 Vine climbing by tendrils.
5 Ovary inferior; petals connate; flowers unisexual Cucurbitaceae
5 Ovary superior; petals distinct; flowers bisexual Passiflora
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 Mentzelia
7 Inflorescence an umbel; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps
8 Involucre well-developed and obvious Apiaceae
8 Involucre absent or minute Hydrocotyle
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 Euphorbiaceae
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 Ranunculaceae
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 Trautvetteria
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 Ranunculus
13 Flowers with a prominent hypanthium; achenes with an elongate, plumose beak Rosaceae
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 Aphanes
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 Martyniaceae
16 Corolla with a nectar spur; fruit < 3 cm long.
17 Petals distinct; fruit a follicle Delphinium
17 Petals connate; fruit a capsule or a schizocarp of 3 1-seeded mericarps.
18 Carpels 2; fruit a capsule; stamens 4 Cymbalaria muralis
18 Carpels 3; fruit a schizocarp of 3 1-seeded mericarps; stamens 8 Tropaeolum majus
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 trailing; petals fused and tubular Ipomoea
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) Malvaceae
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 Geranium
21 Fruit a capsule with 2 locules, loculicidal; carpels 2; stamens 5 Hydrophyllum

Key P3: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and pinnately lobed leaves on the stem

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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 Asteraceae
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 Chenopodiaceae
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 Orobanchaceae
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 Oenothera
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 Eryngium
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. Cevallia
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) Mentzelia
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 Papaveraceae
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 Reseda
9 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5 or 6.
10 Petals 4, distinct; stamens 6; fruit a silique/silicle Brassicaceae
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 long tube, much longer than the lobes, scarlet, white, pink, or blue; leaves shallowly to deeply pinnately parted into 3-many lobes Ipomoea
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) Solanum dulcamara
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 Hydrophyllaceae
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 Key to Polemoniaceae
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 Solanaceae

Key Q: herbaceous dicots with whorled leaves on the stem {add [Platycodon] CAMPANULACEAE}

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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 Anemone
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 Nanopanax trifolius
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 Panax quinquefolius
3 Inflorescence of single terminal flowers on the 1-several branches; fruit an aggregate of achenes; stem leaves 3 Anemone
1 Cauline leaves simple.
5 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela Asteraceae
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 Euphorbia
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 Sedum
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 Molluginaceae
10 Leaves similar in size and shape in each whorl; fruit dry or fleshy, indehiscent; petals (3-) 4 Galium
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 Plantaginaceae
12 Stamens 6 or 8; corolla pink or yellow Polygalaceae
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 Asclepias verticillata
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 Spergula
15 Leaves ovate or obovate, 3 (-4) in each whorl Chimaphila
14 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; corolla reddish, maroon, or yellow.
16 Corolla reddish or maroon Lechea
16 Corolla yellow Primulaceae
8 Larger whorled leaves on a plant > 10 mm wide.
17 Inflorescence a spike; perianth absent; fruit a drupe Peperomia
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] Eriogonum
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 Galium
19 Fruit a capsule or follicle, dehiscent; petals 4-7; ovary superior.
20 Inflorescence an umbel; fresh plants with milky juice Asclepias quadrifolia
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] Lythraceae
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 Veronicastrum virginicum
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 Frasera caroliniensis
23 Petals white or yellow; perennial plants, 1-15 dm tall; leaves 1-15 cm long.
24 Leaves punctate; stem without swollen nodes Lysimachia
24 Leaves not punctate; stem with swollen nodes Silene

Key R: herbaceous dicots with opposite, compound leaves on the stem

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1 Inflorescence an involucrate head subtended by phyllaries, heads solitary or many, variously arrayed in secondary inflorescences; fruit a cypsela Asteraceae
1 Inflorescence various, but not as above; fruit various, not as above.
2 Leaves pinnately compound.
3 Leaves even-pinnate Zygophyllaceae
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 Clematis
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 Ceratotheca triloba
5 Plants typically with all leaves with > 3 leaflets; flowers primarily white, borne in dense terminal corymbs/cymes; plants perennial Valeriana
2 Leaves palmately compound.
6 Cauline leaves essentially sessile, and also palmately cleft to the base, and further lacerately divided into linear or oblanceolate segments Anemone
6 Cauline leaves petiolate, with 3-5, sessile or petiolulate, ovate, elliptic, or obovate leaflets (these serrate and sometimes with additional lobes).
Show caption*© Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger 7 Plants annual; flowers typically unisexual and not showy, green; plants highly resinous and glandular; inflorescences variously arranged Cannabis sativa
7 Plants perennial; flowers radially symmetric, showy, variously colored; plants typically not strongly resinous or glandular; inflorescences terminal Anemone

Key S1: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and unlobed leaves on the stem

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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 Asteraceae
1 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above (sometimes the flowers in a head, e.g. Pycnanthemum in LAMIACEAE, but then with other features differing, such as stamens 4, or green calyx present, or fruit a schizocarp of mericarps, etc.; Carpobrotus is superficially asteroid, but heads are composed of numerous petaloid staminodia, and receptacles lack cypselae;).
2 Leaves scale-like, stems fleshy; flowers embedded in the fleshy stem, no perianth present; [saline environments (coastal or rarely inland)]. Chenopodiaceae
2 Leaves small to large; stems not fleshy (although sometimes plants generally succulent as in Sesuvium); flowers sessile or on pedicels; [collectively of many habitats, saline and not].
3 Ovary inferior or partially inferior.
4 Perianth of a single whorl (petals absent) (note that in Mirabilis in NYCTAGINACEAE the petaloid calyx is subtended by a 5-lobed fused set of involucral bracts).
5 Leaves herbaceous, suborbicular, about as long as wide or wider than long; calyx 3- or 4-merous; stamens 4, 8, or 12.
6 Plant ascending, with a single node (2 leaves); leaves > 6 cm long and wide; calyx 3-merous, brown to yellowish; stamens 12 Asarum
6 Plant creeping, with many nodes; leaves 3-15 mm long and wide; calyx 4-merous, yellow to greenish; stamens 4 or 8 Chrysosplenium americanum
5 Leaves fleshy, linear, lanceolate, to broadly ovate, at least slightly longer than broad; calyx 5-merous; stamens 3, 5, or 10.
7 Flowers axillary, sessile or nearly so, solitary or a few; petaloid sepals widely spreading, separate, usually with a subapical abaxial appendage; leaves linear to oblanceolate; stamens 5 or 30-50 Sesuvium
7 Flowers in terminal cymose panicles; petaloid sepals connate into a narrow tube (reminiscent of the corolla of Ipomoea), lacking subapical abaxial appendages; leaves lanceolate, elliptic, ovate, or broadly ovate; stamens 3 or 5 Key to Nyctaginaceae
4 Perianth in 2 whorls (sepals and petals both present).
8 Plants succulent, mat-forming subshrubs; flowering heads showy and consisting of numerous petaloid staminodia; [waif, FL] Carpobrotus edulis
8 Plants not as above.
9 Petals distinct; inflorescence diffuse.
10 Leaves distinctly 3-veined from the base, the 3 veins converging again at the leaf apex Rhexia
10 Leaves with prominently pinnate venation Onagraceae
9 Petals connate into a tube (at least basally); inflorescence often a head or dense terminal cyme (also axillary, or solitary on long peduncles).
11 Petals 5; stamens 3, 4, or 5
12 Creeping subshrub; flowers paired at tip of an upright peduncle Linnaea borealis var. longiflora
12 Upright herb; flowers in axils or terminal corymbs
13 Flowers in terminal corymbs; fruit dry Valerianaceae
13 Flowers axillary; fruit fleshy Triosteum
11 Petals 4 (or 6 or 8 in Richardia in RUBIACEAE); stamens 4, 6, or 8.
14 Inflorescence a head, subtended by 4 large bright white bracts Chamaepericlymenum canadense
14 Inflorescence a head or more diffuse (see below), sometimes subtended by green bracts.
15 Leaves serrate; corolla bilaterally symmetrical (especially the flowers near the outer edge of the head); inflorescence a head Dipsacaceae
15 Leaves entire; corolla radially symmetrical; inflorescence a head or more diffuse (see below).
16 Petals acute; flowers in terminal panicles, cymes, or panicles, or axillary; plant habit various, not simultaneously with all the characters below Rubiaceae
16 Petals broadly rounded; flowers axillary, solitary; plant a diffusely branched herb with linear leaves Polypremum procumbens
3 Ovary superior.
17 Perianth of a single whorl (petals absent) or missing entirely (petals and sepals both absent).
18 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; fruit a 3-lobed, 3-locular capsule Euphorbia
18 Inflorescence not a cyathium (and staminate or bisexual flowers with > 1 stamen, except Callitriche in PLANTAGINACEAE); fresh plants lacking milky juice; fruit various, not as above.
19 Flowers 1 (or 2) in leaf axils; leaves entire.
20 Flowers unisexual; sepals 0; flowers (staminate) with 1 stamen Callitriche
20 Flowers bisexual; sepals 4; flowers with 2, 4, or 6 stamens.
21 Leaves of an opposite pair markedly different in size Trianthema portulacastrum
21 Leaves of an opposite pair essentially the same size Key to Lythraceae
19 Flowers many, in axillary spikes, cymes, or glomerules, or in terminal spikes, heads, cymes, or panicles; leaves entire or serrate.
22 Fruit a 2-locular capsule Mercurialis
22 Fruit single-seeded, an achene or utricle.
23 Leaves serrate, regularly and sharply so; plants with stinging hairs (or not) Key to Urticaceae
23 Leaves entire, or with a few very obscure crenations (Iresine) or basally disposed rounded lobe-like teeth (Atriplex); plants without stinging hairs.
24 Leaves of a pair slightly to strongly different in size Key to Pilea
24 Leaves of a pair the same size.
25 Styles 1-2 (-3); leaves 2-30 mm long, 0.5-8 mm wide, linear or narrowly elliptic Caryophyllaceae
25 Style 1; leaves generally either longer than 30 mm, or wider than 8 mm (if linear and smaller than those dimensions, then fleshy).
26 Tepals scarious; inflorescence of heads, spikes, or panicles Amaranthaceae
26 Tepals herbaceous; inflorescence of glomerules, these axillary or arrayed in spikes or panicles Atriplex
17 Perianth in 2 whorls (sepals and petals both present).
27 Gynoecium of 4-many pistils, each 1-carpellate.
28 Pistils 4-5, in a single whorl; stamens 4, 5, 8, or 10; fruit an aggregate of follicles Crassulaceae
28 Pistils many, spiral; stamens many; fruit an aggregate of plumose achenes Clematis
27 Gynoecium either of 1 pistil (with 1 or more carpels), or of 2 pistils, united only by the style and stigma (APOCYNACEAE).
29 Petals not at all connate, not even at their bases.
30 Leaves with pellucid punctate glands (most easily visible with transmitted light); stamens often fascicled into 3, 4, or 5 fascicles; petals yellow or pinkish Hypericaceae
30 Leaves lacking pellucid punctate glands; stamens not fascicled; petals variously colored.
31 Sepals 2; stamens opposite the petals Portulacaceae
31 Sepals 3-7; stamens opposite the sepals.
32 Petals 3; sepals 5, dimorphic, the 2 outer sepals narrower than the 3 inner and concave sepals; stamens (3-) 5-15 (-25) Lechea
32 Petals 4-7; sepals 4-7, normally monomorphic; stamens 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12 (or sometimes rarely 2 or 3).
33 Capsule 2-5 (-6) locular; style 1; perianth 4-7-merous; stamens 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 Lythraceae
33 Capsule either 1-locular of 10-locular; styles 2-5; perianth 4-5-merous; stamens 4, 5, 8, or 10 (or rarely 2 or 3).
34 Capsule 1-locular, dehiscent apically by teeth or valves; sepals connate into a tube or separate; styles 2-5; perianth 4-5-merous; stamens 4, 5, 8, or 10 (or rarely 2 or 3) Caryophyllaceae
34 Capsule 10-locular (each of the 5 carpels divided at maturity), septicidal; sepals distinct or nearly so; styles 5, perianth 5-merous; stamens 5 Linum
29 Petals connate at least for a short distance at their bases.
35 Corolla radially symmetrical (or so slightly bilaterally symmetrical as to be mistakable as radially symmetrical); stamens as many as the corolla lobes (or 1 less in Ruellia in ACANTHACEAE, Buchnera in OROBANCHACEAE, Trichostema in LAMIACEAE, and Verbena in VERBENACEAE); carpels 2 or 3.
36 Pistils 2, united only by the style and stigma; fruit a schizocarp of 2 1-carpellate follicles (often single by abortion); plant with milky juice when fresh (except Catharanthus); leaves entire Apocynaceae
36 Pistil 1 (of 2-5 fused carpels); fruit either a 2-5-carpellate capsule or of 2 or 4 1-seeded nutlets derived from 2 carpels; plant lacking milky juice; leaves entire or serrate.
37 Ovary and capsule 3-5-carpellate; capsule 3- or 1-locular.
38 Sepals 2 Montia
38 Sepals 5.
39 Inflorescence a terminal cyme; corolla salverform, with an elongated and very narrow tube, pink or white; capsule 3-locular Phlox
39 Inflorescence various but not cymose, of terminal or axillary racemes or panicles, or of solitary axillary flowers; corolla connate only at the base, the petals appearing nearly separate (not salverform); capsule 1-locular Lysimachia
37 Ovary and capsule 2-carpellate; fruit either a 2-locular capsule or of 2 or 4 1-seeded nutlets derived from 2 carpels.
40 Stamens 4-12, the same number as the corolla lobes; corolla (and the flower as a whole) strictly radially symmetrical.
41 Capsule septicidal; corolla white, pink, blue, yellowish white, or greenish white; inflorescence either a terminal or axillary cyme, or a terminal panicle or raceme, or a terminal or axillary cyme reduced to 1 or a few flowers Gentianaceae
41 Capsule loculicidal and also deeply 2-lobed; corolla white, pink, or scarlet with a yellow interior; inflorescence of cymosely arranged spikes Loganiaceae
40 Stamens either 4, 1 fewer than the 5 corolla lobes, or 2 (with 2 staminodes); corolla usually slightly bilaterally symmetrical (the flower as a whole made bilaterally symmetrical by the 2 or 4 stamens).
42 Leaves entire; corolla tube flaring for all of its length
43 Fruit a schizocarp of 4 1-seeded nutlets; inflorescence terminal, of cymes; corolla ca. 5 mm long; leaves prominently 3-veined Trichostema
43 Fruit a capsule; inflorescence axillary, of cymes or clusters (often reduced to a solitary flower); corolla > 12 mm long; leaves with single primary vein Acanthaceae
42 Leaves serrate; corolla salverform, the tube narrow and nearly the same diameter for most of its length; inflorescence a terminal spike, raceme, raceme of racemes, or head.
44 Fruit a 2-locular capsule; stamens inserted near the base of the corolla tube Buchnera
44 Fruit a schizocarp of 4 mericarps; stamens inserted near or above the middle of the corolla tube Verbenaceae
35 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical (or the corolla 2-lipped but the corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical); fertile stamens fewer than the corolla lobes (except Plantago in PLANTAGINACEAE, which is equal, with 4 each; a few genera have a 5th, sterile, stamen which is obviously different in form than the 4 fertile stamens) (note that many corollas are bilabiate and the number of corolla lobes, 4 or 5, may be difficult to interpret); carpels 2.
45 Carpels 2, each carpel slightly to deeply lobed, separating at maturity into 4 half-carpellate units (not separating in Phyla in VERBENACEAE); fruit a schizocarp of 4 mericarps (or 2 nutlets in Phyla in VERBENACEAE).
46 Inflorescence a thyrse, verticillaster, or terminal cyme, the flowers borne in cymose lateral branches; corolla strongly bilaterally symmetrical (rarely nearly radially symmetrical); stems square in ×-section (or sometimes rounded, especially on older growth); fresh plants often (but not always) aromatic Lamiaceae
46 Inflorescence of spikes, racemes, or heads, the flowers or fruits single at nodes; corolla often nearly radially symmetrical; stems rounded in X-section (rarely square); fresh plants usually not aromatic Verbenaceae
45 Carpels 2, unlobed; fruit a capsule (or an achene in Phryma).
47 Stamens 2.
48 Corolla 4 lobed, almost radially symmetrical; corolla scarious, white, or bluish Plantaginaceae
48 Corolla 4-5-lobed, either strongly bilabiate or salverform (Pseuderanthemum in ACANTHACEAE); white, blue, or yellow.
49 Inflorescence an axillary cluster or spike Acanthaceae
49 Inflorescence of solitary (rarely 2) axillary flower. {add [Hypoestes] ACANTHACEAE}
50 Sepals 4 Linderniaceae
50 Sepals 5, distinct or nearly so.
51 Corolla barely bilaterally symmetrical, the lobes about as long as the tube; outer sepals ovate, much wider than the inner sepals Bacopa
51 Corolla distinctly bilabiate, the lobes shorter than the tube; sepals of nearly the same width.
52 Sterile stamens (the lower pair) consisting of slender filaments Lindernia
52 Sterile stamens minute or completely absent Gratiola
47 Stamens 4.
53 Corolla 4 lobed, nearly radially symmetrical; corolla scarious Plantago
53 Corolla 5-lobed, distinctly bilabiate or in some nearly radially symmetrical; corolla colored.
54 Flowers in terminal racemes, panicles, or spikes, the inflorescence not interspersed with large, leaf-like bracts.
55 Sepals separate to the base or nearly so, not forming a tube Plantaginaceae
55 Sepals connate for at least 0.3× their length to form a tube (this cup-like and flaring in Scrophularia in SCROPHULARIACEAE).
56 Inflorescence a diffuse panicle; corolla 5-11 mm long, reddish-brown (sometimes with some yellow); fruit a septicidal capsule Scrophularia
56 Inflorescence of 1 or more terminal (and sometimes upper axillary) spikes or racemes; corolla 10-50 mm long (6-8 mm long in Phryma in PHRYMACEAE), white, pink, blue, purple, or yellow; fruit either a loculicidal capsule (OROBANCHACEAE) or a single seeded achene (Phryma in PHRYMACEAE).
57 Corolla 10-50 mm long, pink, blue, purple, or yellow; fruit a loculicidal capsule Orobanchaceae
57 Corolla 6-8 mm long, white to pale pink; fruit a 1-seeded achene contained in the accrescent calyx, this “lopping down” against the inflorescence axis Phryma
54 Flowers axillary and solitary, borne in the axils of normally-sized leaves or somewhat reduced but still large and leaf-like bracts [some taxa keyed here and below].
58 Sepals separate to the base or nearly so, not forming a tube.
59 Corolla distinctly bilabiate Lindernia
59 Corolla not bilabiate, only slightly bilaterally symmetrical.
60 Leaves serrate, 2.0-4.5 cm long; plant usually blackening on drying Mecardonia
60 Leaves entire, either mostly larger or smaller [see below]; plant not blackening on drying
61 Leaves 0.6-2.8 cm long, round, obovate, or broadly elliptic, < 1.8× as long as wide; plants creeping, ascending to 3 dm tall; [plants of wet places] Bacopa
61 Leaves 3-30 cm long, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, > 2× as long as wide; plants erect or the stems sprawling; [plants mostly of uplands] Acanthaceae
58 Sepals connate for at least 0.3× their length to form a tube.
62 Corolla yellow, orange, or red.
63 Calyx lobes longer than the tube, or as long as the tube, corolla 25-50 mm long; plants usually blackening on drying Aureolaria
63 Calyx lobes shorter than the tube; corolla 14-22 mm long; plants not blackening on drying.
64 Corolla red or orange, with a very narrow, cylindrical tube, the lobes then flaring into a limb about 1 cm across; plants blackening on drying; [rare exotic, in crop fields, a noxious hemiparasitic weed under quarantine] Striga
64 Corolla yellow, not narrowly cylindrical, the lower lip arched; plants not blackening on drying; [rare, in seepage wetlands] Erythranthe
62 Corolla white, pale blue, lavender, or pink (sometimes with some yellow).
65 Corolla pink (sometimes almost white), often lined with yellow inside; leaves narrowly linear, often filiform (except lanceolate in A. auriculata); plants usually blackening on drying (some species do not); corolla not strongly bilabiate Agalinis
65 Corolla white, blue, or combinations of blue and white (sometimes with some yellow markings); leaves broader, mostly lanceolate; plants not blackening on drying; corolla strongly bilabiate.
66 Upper lip of the corolla hooded, enfolding the anthers Melampyrum
66 Upper lip of the corolla not hooded and enclosing the anthers; plants not blackening on drying.
67 Corolla blue; lower lip of the corolla arched upwards into the throat; plants perennial from rhizomes or crowns, 3-13 dm tall Mimulus
67 Corolla bicolored, the upper lip white or very pale blue, the lower lip bright blue; lower lip of the corolla folded downward into a pouch enfolding the anthers; plants annuals, 0.5-4 dm tall Collinsia

Key S2: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and palmately lobed leaves on the stem {add [Humulus] CANNABINACEAE}

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1 Leaf lobes very narrow, < 3 mm wide; 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 Asteraceae
1 Leaf lobes broad, >20 mm wide; inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
2 Leaves >4 per above-ground stem; perianth 5-merous; flowers bilaterally symmetrical, the corolla with connate petals, lavender-white with yellow markings in the throat; fruit a large curved capsule Proboscidea louisiana ssp. louisiana
2 Leaves 1-2 per above-ground stem; perianth 3-merous; flowers radially symmetrical, the corolla absent or with distinct petals, white; fruit a berry or aggregate of berries.
3 Leaves with peltate petiole attachment; carpel 1; petals present, white Berberidaceae
3 Leaves with petiole attached marginally; carpels many, as separate pistils; petals absent Hydrastis

Key S3: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and pinnately lobed leaves on the stem

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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 Asteraceae
1 Inflorescence, flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features 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.).
2 Flowers tiny, individually inconspicuous; perianth absent or vestigial; fruit a utricle Atriplex
2 Flowers larger, individually conspicuous; perianth present, the petals or sepals brightly colored; fruit a capsule (or aggregate of achenes in Clematis in RANUNCULACEAE or schizocarp of 4 mericarps in Glandularia in VERBENACEAE).
3 Flowers radially symmetrical; stamens 5 or many; fruit a capsule or aggregate of achenes.
4 Stamens 5; fruit a capsule Ellisia nyctelea
4 Stamens many; fruit an aggregate of plumose achenes Clematis
3 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical (sometimes only slightly so); stamens 4 (or 2 in Veronica in PLANTAGINACEAE); fruit a capsule or schizocarp of mericarps.
5 Inflorescence of cymosely arranged spikes or heads; fruit a schizocarp of 4 nutlets Glandularia
5 Inflorescence of solitary axillary flowers or terminal racemes.
6 Corolla yellow, orange, or red; plants often drying black (but not Striga); sepals connate into a tube at least 1/3 as long as the corolla lobes; calyx 5-merous Orobanchaceae
6 Corolla white, pink, lavender, or blue; plants not drying black; sepals distinct or only shortly connate into a short tube, the calyx lobes much longer than the tube; calyx 5- or 4-merous Plantaginaceae

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No key was found for the requested taxon, but it is the only child of Asteraceae. Showing where it is keyed below.

Key G4: shrubs and subshrubs with alternate, simple, unlobed, entire leaves

Key G5: shrubs and subshrubs with alternate, simple, unlobed, toothed leaves

Key J4: shrubs and subshrubs with opposite simple leaves with entire margins

Key N1: herbaceous dicots with mainly basal, compound leaves

Key N2: herbaceous dicots with mainly basal, simple leaves

Key O: herbaceous dicots with alternate, compound leaves on the stem

Key P1: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and unlobed leaves on the stem

Key P2: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and palmately lobed leaves on the stem

Key P3: herbaceous dicots with alternate, simple, and pinnately lobed leaves on the stem

Key Q: herbaceous dicots with whorled leaves on the stem {add [Platycodon] CAMPANULACEAE}

Key R: herbaceous dicots with opposite, compound leaves on the stem

Key S1: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and unlobed leaves on the stem

Key S2: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and palmately lobed leaves on the stem {add [Humulus] CANNABINACEAE}

Key S3: herbaceous dicots with opposite, simple, and pinnately lobed leaves on the stem

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