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2Petioles with several glands near its junction with the leaf blade; marginal flowers of the inflorescencesterile and much larger than the fertile central flowers (or in cultivated forms all the flowers sterile and enlarged); twigsglabrous; fruit red; [section Opulus].
3 Upper leaf surface strigose; petiolarglands usually 2, mostly taller than wide, stalked, rounded on the top; stipules thickened at the tip; [native, of n. WV, PA, and NJ northwards]
4Lateral veins curving and branching repeatedly through most of their length, not noticeably parallel, the lateral veins becoming obscure in the general pattern of anastamosing veins and not obviously leading to marginal teeth; [section Lentago].
7Peduncle usually 16-44 mm long; leaves entire (rarely somewhat undulate-crenate); [Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and low elevation boggy sites in the Mountains]
8Peduncle usually 16-29 mm long; fruits pink to dark blue or black in late Jul-Aug; leaves smaller (usually 10-18 square cm); leaf blade avg. 6.1 × 2.0 cm; leaf apicesacuminate to acute
8Peduncle usually 33-44 mm long; fruits pale green to white in late Jul-Aug (later turning dark blue or black); leaves larger (usually 20-30 square cm); leaf blade avg. 8.3 × 3.8 cm; leaf apicesacute to obtuse
11 Leaves herbaceous in texture, dull above (sun leaves slightly glossy); petioles and veins (lower surface) glabrous or slightly brown-scurfy; leaves elliptical (widest near the midpoint of the leaf); leaf apex usually acuminate; [widespread in our area, usually in bottomland or other mesic forests]
11 Leaves somewhat coriaceous in texture, glossy above (as if lacquered); petioles and veins (lower surface) red-scurfy; leaves mostly obovate (wider towards the apex); leaf apex often rounded (but variable); [of c. VA southward, usually in dry to dry-mesic woodlands and forests]
4Lateral veins of the leaves nearly straight and prominently parallel for most of their length, many of them forking near the margin, the ultimate veins leading to a tooth.
12 Winter buds consisting of tightly folded leaves uncovered by bud scales; plants strongly and noticeably stellatepubescent, especially on young parts and on the lower leaf surface; fruits red then turning black.
14 Leaves 5-12 cm long, 2-6 cm wide, rounded to cordate at the base; [exotic, cultivated and escaping to suburban forests]; [section Euviburnum or Lantana].
12 Winter buds covered by bud scales; plants noticeably stellate-pubescent or not; fruits orange, red, or blue-black.
17 Leaves oblong-obovate, wider toward the tip; inflorescencepaniculate, with an elongate central axis, the lowest branches opposite and with other branches above; fresh leaves malodorous; [section Solenotinus]
17 Leaves ovate or suborbicular, widest near or below the middle; inflorescenceumbelliform, the main branches all attached at the same point; fresh leaves not malodorous.
18 Leaves with 8-12 lateral veins on each side; marginal flowers of the inflorescencesterile and much larger than the fertile central flowers; winter buds with 2 scales; [section Tomentosa]
19 Fruit blue-black; [native]; [section Mollotinus or Odontotinus].
21Petioles short, those immediately below a cyme ≤ 8 mm long.
22Cymesstipitate-glandular and pilose; leaf shape broadly ovate to rotund; [endemic to two small areas: Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of s. MO, AR, & e. OK and Appalachian Mountains of n. AL, sc. TN, & nw. GA]
28Petioles sparsely to densely stellatepubescent; stellatehairs present on leaf underside and petiole, dense and soft to touch (V. carolinianum, V. scabrellum, most V. venosum) or sparse to moderate (V. dentatum, some V. venosum); leaf shape various; hypanthiumeglandular or occasionally glandular (V. dentatum; V. scabrellum).
29Cymes not stellatepubescent (occasionally sparsely so); leaves thinner textured and with less prominent veins, sparsely to moderately stellatepubescent below; [plants relatively widespread]
30 Leaf shape rotund; leaf teeth 10-18 per side; upper leaf surface glabrate, not scabridulous; [of the Southern Appalachian mountains or the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain].
31 Leaf underside densely pubescent and soft to touch (felt-like); stipular leaf bracts often present; fruits pubescent; leaf teeth 13-18 per side; [of the southern Appalachian mountains of w. NC, n. GA, and se. TN]
31 Leaf underside moderately to densely pubescent and somewhat soft to touch (but not felt-like); stipular leaf bracts absent; fruits glabrous; leaf teeth 10-15 per side; [of the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain of se. MA, s. RI, and Long Island, NY]