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Key to Fabaceae, Key G: herbaceous legumes with once-pinnately, even-pinnately compound (or 'palmately' 2-foliolate) leaves with 2 or more leaflets
[subfamilies Faboideae and Caesalpinioideae]

Fabaceae

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1 Flowers nearly regular; stamens 5-10, separate; [subfamily Caesalpinioideae, tribe Cassieae].
  2 Leaflets 5-25 pairs, each leaflet 0.5-1.5 cm long; stipules persistent, striate
  2 Leaflets (2-) 3-12 pairs, each leaflet 1.5-12 cm long; stipules caduceus, small, not striate
1 Flowers papilionoid; stamens diadelphous or monadelphous; [subfamily Faboideae].
    3 Tendrils lacking on all leaves; stamens monadelphous or diadelphous.
      4 Leaflets 2 per leaf; [tribe Aeschynomeneae]
      4 Leaflets 4-60 per leaf.
        5 Floating aquatic with stems swollen, inflated
        5 Terrestrial plants with stem not swollen
          6 Leaflets 20-60 per leaf; strong herbs (or woody) 1-4 m tall, simultaneously erect, > 1 m tall, and with stems usually > 5 mm in diameter
             7 Fruit a loment, with single-seeded segments separated by sutures; stamens monadelphous or diadelphous in 2 phalanges of 5; [tribe Aeschynomeneae]
             7 Fruit a legume; stamens diadelphous; [tribe Sesbanieae]
          6 Leaflets 4-18 per leaf; weak or sprawling herbs to 1.5 m long, with weak stems usually < 5 mm in diameter (or if thicker, then < 1 m long; stamens monadelphous or diadelphous.
               8 Leaflets 4 per leaf; stamens monadelphous; [tribe Dalbergieae]
               8 Leaflets 4-16 per leaf; stamens monadelphous, diadelphous (9 and 1, or 5 and 5)
                 9 Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous in 2 phalanges of 5 and 5; [tribe Aeschynomeneae]
                 9 Stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [tribe Fabeae]
    3 Tendrils present in the terminal position on some or all leaves; stamens diadelphous; [tribe Fabeae].
                   10 Stipules smaller, typically much smaller than the leaflets.
                     11 Calyx lobes 2-4× as long as the calyx tube; [rare waif]
                     11 Calyx lobes 1-2× as long as the calyx tube; [collectively widespread and common].
                       12 Style stout, flattened or folded, with a dense longitudinal band of hairs longitudinally arrayed along the inner side; stems ridged, angled, or longitudinally winged; leaflets 2-6 (-8) cm long; calyx 5-12 mm long
                       12 Style slender and hair-like, terete (round in ×-section), glabrous except for a ring of short hairs just below the stigma; stems ridged or angled, but not longitudinally winged; leaflets 0.5-4.5 cm long (except larger in a few waifs); calyx 2-8 mm long (except larger in a few waifs)

Key to Fabaceae, Key I: herbaceous legumes with all leaves unifoliolate or leaflets absent [subfamily Faboideae]

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1 Tendrils present on plant; leaves modified into tendrils (leaflike structures present clearly interpretable as stipules); [tribe Fabeae].
  2 Legume 4-7 mm wide; corolla 10-13 mm long
  2 Legume 12-20 mm wide; corolla 18-25 mm long
1 Tendrils absent; leaves or stipules present on plant and interpretable as leaves with 1 leaflet.
    3 Leaflet blades roundish, 0.6-1.5× as long as wide.
      4 Leaves with a well-developed petiole, > 0.5 cm long.
        5 Leaflet margins dentate; corollas white to pink; [tribe Psoraleeae]
        5 Leaflet margins entire; corollas yellow; [tribe Phaseoleae]
      4 Leaves sessile, subsessile, or perfoliate.
          6 Corolla bright or creamy yellow; stamens separate; leaves all 1-foliolate; leaflet blades perfoliate or sessile; [tribe Thermopsideae]
          6 Corolla violet to blue (drying pale); stamens diadelphous; leaves 1-foliolate and with some leaves 3-foliolate or 2-foliolate; leaflet blades cuneate, subsessile; [tribe Psoraleeae]
    3 Leaflet blades elongate, 1.5-15× as long as wide.
             7 Leaves basally disposed.
               8 Leaflet blades elliptic, widest near the midpoint of the blade; flowers pink, rose, or purplish; legume straight; [native of the Coastal Plain, se. NC south to s. FL, west to e. LA]; [tribe Genisteae]
               8 Leaflet blades oblanceolate, widest well past the midpoint of the blade; flowers yellow; legume coiled; [rare waif]; [tribe Loteae]
             7 Leaves all or primarily cauline.
                 9 Leaves long-petioled, the petiole > 2 cm long.
                   10 Petiole winged its entire length; leaflet blade 2-4× as long as wide, sagittate at the base; foliage not glandular; [tribe Phaseoleae]
                   10 Petiole not winged; leaflet blade 8-15× as long as wide, cuneate at the base; foliage glandular-punctate; [tribe Psoraleeae]
                 9 Leaves sessile, subsessile, or short-petiolate, the petiole < 1.5 cm long.
                     11 Stamens monadelphous; corolla yellow, 8-30 mm long; [tribe Crotalarieae]
                     11 Stamens diadelphous; corolla purple, lavender, or cream, 5-15 mm long.
                       12 Corolla 11-15 mm long, purple; [se. and s. TX]; [tribe Diocleae]
                       12 Corolla 5-7 mm long, lavender or cream; [widespread in our area]
                          13 Flowers solitary in leaf axils; [tribe Loteae]
                          13 Flowers in racemose inflorescences; [tribe Desmodieae]