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Key to Caryophyllaceae, Key B: Subkey in Caryophyllaceae

Caryophyllaceae

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1 Petals absent; fruit a 1-seeded, indehiscent utricle; styles 2; [tribe Sclerantheae]
1 Petals present (rarely obsolete or essentially absent); fruit a few-many seeded capsule; styles 3-5.
  2 Leaves fleshy; seeds > 3 mm long; [of seabeaches and dunes] ; [tribe Sclerantheae]
  2 Leaves membranaceous or stiff; seeds < 2 mm long; [of various habitats].
    3 Styles 4-5.
      4 Leaves linear-subulate, < 2 mm wide; styles 4-5.
        5 Leaf bases not forming a scarious cup; valves or teeth of the capsule twice as many as the styles; [tribe Alsineae]
        5 Leaf bases usually forming a conspicuous scarious cup; valves or teeth of the capsule as many as the styles; [tribe Sagineae]
      4 Leaves ovate, obovate, > 4 mm wide; styles 5; [tribe Alsineae].
          6 Capsule cylindric, dehiscent by 10 apical teeth
          6 Capsule ovoid, dehiscent by 5 valves, each apically 2-cleft
    3 Styles 3.
             7 Inflorescence umbelliform; petals irregularly denticulate at apex; [tribe Alsineae]
             7 Inflorescence cymose or racemiform; petals entire, notched, or deeply cleft.
               8 Petals shallowly to deeply 2-cleft, notched at least 1/4 of the length, often divided nearly to the base and then appearing almost as 10 petals; [tribe Alsineae].
                 9 Capsule cylindric, twice as long as the sepals; petals 2-cleft 1/5 - 1/2 length; styles (3-) 5 (-6), 0.5-2 mm long
                 9 Capsule spherical, ellipsoid, or globose, as long as or slightly longer than the sepals; petals 2-cleft 2/3-3/4 length (1/2 length in Rabelera); styles (2-) 3 (-5), 0.2-7 mm long
                   10 Stems square; petals 2-cleft ca 1/2 of length
                   10 Stems round or roundish; petals 2-cleft 2/3 to 3/4 of length
               8 Petals entire, or emarginate.
                     11 Valves or teeth of the capsule as many as the styles.
                       12 Leaves strongly basally disposed, most in the lowermost 1/3 of the stem, and overlapping (the internodes < the leaf length; leaves firm, with axillary fascicles of leaves; [tribe Sagineae]
                       12 Leaves evenly distributed along the stem and widely spaced (the internodes > the leaf length); leaves herbaceous to slightly fleshy, generally without axillary fascicles of leaves.
                          13 Sepals 4; petals 0; [tribe Sagineae]
                          13 Sepals 5; petals 5; [tribe Sclerantheae]
                     11 Valves or teeth of the capsule twice as many as the styles.
                            14 Seeds with an aril; [tribe Arenarieae]
                            14 Seeds lacking an aril.
                              15 Capsule straight; petals entire or barely emarginated; [tribe Arenarieae]
                              15 Capsule cylindrical, and often somewhat curved; petals emarginate to bifid; [tribe Alsineae]