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Keyed in multiple places:

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Key to Eryngium

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Show caption*© Scott Ward
1 Inflorescence unbranched, the heads solitary on peduncles from the leaf axils of the prostrate to erect stem.
  2 Leaves pinnately lobed or dissected
  2 Leaves entire, irregularly toothed (rarely with some minor, irregular lobing).
    3 Heads subglobose or hemispherical when fully developed, about as wide as long; bracts subtending the head barely extending beyond the base of the head; main stems leaves linear, narrowly elliptic, narrowly oblanceolate, sometime tricuspid apically
    3 Heads cylindrical, longer than wide; bracts subtending the head longer than the radius of the head, thus extending conspicuously beyond the base of the head; main stem leaves elliptic, broader than above
1 Inflorescence branched, the heads in a cyme borne terminally on the erect or prostrate stem.
      4 Basal and cauline leaves unlobed (except sometimes the uppermost; note that bracts in the inflorescence are often lobed), 3-100 cm long; leaf margins without coarse spine-tips (finely spinulose in E. foetidum).
        5 Basal leaves evenly and rather finely toothed with spine-tipped teeth
        5 Basal leaves with entire or crenate margins, lacking spiny tips (though in some species with flexible bristles along the margins).
          6 Blades of basal and lower cauline leaves 3-7 (-10) cm long, acute to obtuse apically, cordate to truncate basally, with a length/width ratio of 1.5-3 (-6)
             7 Head hemispheric, about as wide as high; [native, seeps, bogs, and wet pine savannas, VA, KY, AR, and OK southwards]
             7 Head ovoid, taller then wide; [non-native from horticultural use]
          6 Blades of basal and lower cauline leaves 10-100 cm long, acuminate to acute apically, clasping basally, with a length/width ratio of 5-50.
               8 Leaves with primary veins pinnate-reticulate, with or without marginal bristles; flowers blue.
                 9 Styles 3.0-4.0 mm long at maturity, scarcely exceeding the bractlets (which subtend each flower); heads subglobose to hemispherical, 6-12 mm in diameter; middle cusp of the bractlets elongate, distinctly longer than the lateral cusps
                 9 Styles 4.0-6.0 mm long at maturity, exceeding the bractlets; heads globose, 9-15 mm in diameter; middle cusp of the bractlets about equal in length to the lateral cusps
               8 Leaves with primary veins parallel, with marginal bristles; flowers greenish-white.
                   10 Larger leaves < 1.5 cm wide; marginal bristles in fascicles of 1-3 (-4), those on the lower portion of the leaf usually in fascicles of 2-3
                   10 Larger leaves > 1.5 cm wide; marginal bristles of leaves solitary
                     11 Plant green; marginal bristles triangular (broadened at the base); flowering late
                     11 Plant glaucous; marginal bristles acicular; flowering early
image of plant
Show caption*© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell
      4 Basal and cauline leaves (all, or at least many of the cauline) definitely deeply lobed into 3 or more divisions, < 10 cm long; leaf lobes tipped with moderately stiff to very stiff spine tips.
                       12 Leaves thickly coriaceous, glaucous blue, palmately lobed, about as wide as long
                       12 Leaves herbaceous to stiff, green to slightly glaucous, pinnately toothed or lobed.
image of plant
Show caption*© Aidan Campos
                          13 Heads blue; basal leaves serrate but not divided.
image of plant
Show caption*© Aidan Campos
                            14 Heads 20-35 mm tall, purple to reddish; heads capped with conspicuous (1-2 cm long) spinescent bracts
                            14 Heads 4-15 mm tall, bluish to purplish; heads capped with a few, mostly entire, spinescent bracts, or lacking them.
image of plant
Show caption*© Eric Keith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric Keith
                              15 Plants erect, stem solitary, branching upwards; fruits 1-2 mm long
                              15 Plants diffuse, decumbent, branched from the base and upwards; fruits 1.5-3 mm long
                                16 Cauline tips absent; mericarps 1.5-2 mm long
                                16 Cauline leaves present, spine tipped; mericarps 2.5-3 mm long
                          13 Heads greenish, whitish, or pale lavender; basal leaves pinnately or pinnately-ternately divided.
image of plant
Show caption*© Dimitǎr Boevski, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dimitǎr Boevski
                                  17 Plants stout, fleshy, usually glaucescent; basal leaves 10-25 cm long and wide, pinnately or pinnate-ternately divided into > 7 segments, the cauline leaves similar but reduced in size and number of divisions; heads 10-15 mm in diameter; [rare ballast waif of disturbed ground]; [subgenus Eryngium]
                                  17 Plants slender, not fleshy, green; basal and cauline leaves 2-6 cm long, 3-5 (-7) pinnately parted; heads 5-8 mm in diameter; [native species of dry pinelands or scrub of the Coastal Plain of e. GA, s. AL, and FL].
image of plant
Show caption*© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell
                                    18 Basal leaves pinnately lobed; stems decumbent at base, ascending (the mature plant often wider than it is tall); stems leafy throughout their length, usually with 10 or more leaves; [dry pinelands and scrub of the Coastal Plain of e. GA, s. AL, and FL]
image of plant
Show caption*© Keith Bradley
                                    18 Basal leaves trilobed; stems ascending at base (the mature plant taller than wide); stems erect, unbranched; stems sparsely leafy, especially upwards, usually with 7 or fewer leaves; [endemic in Florida scrub in Highlands County, c. peninsular FL]

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
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]
    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
        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
          6 Stamens 4, 5, or 6; sepals 4 or 5; petals 4 or 5.
             7 Petals 4, distinct; stamens 6
             7 Petals 5, fused; stamens 2, 4, or 5.
               8 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5
               8 Corolla 2-lipped, bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical; stamens 2 or 4.
                 9 Corolla lobes not twisted, the flower bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 2
                 9 Corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical; stamens 4
      4 Leaf lobing palmate.
                   10 Petiole attachment peltate.
                     11 Leaves < 10 cm in diameter
                     11 Leaves > 15 cm in diameter
                   10 Petiole attachment marginal.
                       12 Ovary inferior.
                          13 Petals 4; stamens 8; fruit a capsule
                          13 Petals 5; stamens 5; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps.
                            14 Fruit smooth; leaves with 5 or more lobes
                       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
                                  17 Carpels separate, spiral, many
                                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
                                    18 Leaves normally > 2, flowers not as above; fruit an aggregate of achenes, utricles, or follicles
                              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
                                       19 Hypanthium absent; ovary superior.
                                         20 Petals connate at base; leaves sharply toothed
                                         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
                                           21 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical; petals 5; capsule ovoid, < 2× as long as wide
  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
                                                    25 Flowers bisexual; flowers with 6 tepals
                                                 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
                                                      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
                                                        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
                                                          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
                                                            29 Petals fused; sepals fused; carpels 2; plant pubescent.
                                                              30 {XXXX}; [common, widespread in our area]
                                                              30 {YYYY}; [rare exotic]
                                               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.
                                                                   32 Carpels 10-20, partly fused, arrayed in a ring; petals white, pink, red, or purplish
                                                                   32 Carpels many, separate, spiral; petals yellow or white.
                                                                     33 Flowers lacking a hypanthium; fruit an aggregate of achenes or aggregate of follicles
                                                                     33 Flowers with a hypanthium; fruit an aggregate of drupelets or aggregate of achenes
                                                                 31 Gynoecium of a single pistil (with 1-5 carpels); fruit simple.
                                                                       34 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence of a solitary flower; fruit a 3-locular capsule
                                                                       34 Flowers radially symmetrical; inflorescence an umbel (or composite of umbelliform units, or a terminal panicle.
                                                                         35 Ovary superior; inflorescence a terminal panicle or terminal raceme.
                                                                           36 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
                                                                           36 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
                                                                         35 Ovary inferior; inflorescence an umbel (or a composite of umbellate units); fruit a schizocarp of mericarps.
                                                                              37 Petiole attachment peltate
                                                                              37 Petiole attachment marginal (the blade cleft to the petiole.
                                                                                38 Leaf blades longer than wide, sharply V-cleft at the base and otherwise shallowly denticulate
                                                                                38 Leaf blades as broad or broader than long, cleft at the base and also irregularly serrate or crenate around the margin
                                             22 Basal leaves petiolate or not, with a truncate, rounded, or cuneate leaf base.
                                                                                  39 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)
                                                                                  39 Leaves flat, not sutured into a tubular shape.
                                                                                    40 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.
                                                                                      41 Ovary inferior; stamens 3
                                                                                      41 Ovary superior; stamens 2 or 4.
                                                                                        42 Corolla narrowly tubular, the five lobes flaring at nearly 90 degrees and nearly radially symmetrical
                                                                                        42 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.
                                                                                           43 Corolla yellow, the upper lip often slightly to strongly maroon, hooded but the corolla lobes twisted so as to make the flower asymmetrical
                                                                                           43 Corolla white, lavender, or blue, 2-lipped and bilaterally symmetrical.
                                                                                             44 Sepals separate to the base or nearly so, not forming a tube
                                                                                             44 Sepals connate for at least 0.3× their length to form a tube
                                                                                    40 Stem leaves alternate; perianth radially symmetrical (less commonly bilaterally symmetrical); stamens 5, 6-8, 9, 10 (rarely 4).
                                                                                               45 Ovary inferior (or half-inferior in Samolus).
                                                                                                 46 Perianth 4-merous; stamens 8
                                                                                                 46 Perianth 5-merous; stamens 5.
                                                                                                   47 Inflorescence an umbel; fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps
                                                                                                   47 Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme; fruit a capsule
                                                                                               45 Ovary superior.
                                                                                                     48 Pistils many, each with a single carpel; fruit an aggregate of achenes
                                                                                                     48 Pistil 1, with 1-5 carpels; fruit simple (a legume, silique/silicle, capsule, utricle, or schizocarp of 4 nutlets).
                                                                                                        49 Corolla bilaterally symmetrical (barely so in Limosella in SCROPHULARIACEAE); stamens 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10.
                                                                                                          50 Stamens 6-8 or 10.
                                                                                                            51 Petals separate; stamens 10
                                                                                                            51 Petals fused; stamens 10 or 6-8.
                                                                                                              52 Stamens 10, monadelphous
                                                                                                              52 Stamens 6-8, epipetalous
                                                                                                          50 Stamens 2 or 4.
                                                                                                                53 Stamens 2
                                                                                                                53 Stamens 4.
                                                                                                                  54 [plants of coastal wetlands]
                                                                                                                  54 [plants of uplands or inland seeps or fens]
                                                                                                                     55 Flowers (and subtending bracts) red or yellow
                                                                                                                     55 Flowers purple, blue, or lavender
                                                                                                        49 Corolla radially symmetrical; stamens 5, 10, 4-6, or 9.
                                                                                                                       56 Perianth of 6 tepals; stamens 4-6 or 9; carpels 3
                                                                                                                       56 Perianth of green sepals and more brightly colored petals; stamens 5 or 10; carpels 2, 3, 4, or 5.
                                                                                                                         57 Leaves covered with sticky, gland-tipped hairs (often red), as flypaper traps for insects
                                                                                                                         57 Leaves lacking sticky gland-tipped hairs.
                                                                                                                           58 Fruit a schizocarp of 4 nutlets (ovary obviously 4-lobed in flower)
                                                                                                                           58 Fruit a capsule or silique/silicle (or utricle in Limonium in PLUMBAGINACEAE).
                                                                                                                             59 Inflorescence of a solitary, terminal flower; carpels 2-3 (-4).
                                                                                                                               60 Corolla with a long tube and flaring corolla lobes (united > ½ its length)
                                                                                                                               60 Corolla of separate petals or united only for a short length (< ¼ its length).
                                                                                                                                  61 Leaves serrate
                                                                                                                                  61 Leaves entire
                                                                                                                             59 Inflorescence of several to many flowers; carpels 5 (3 in Galax in DIAPENSIACEAE).
                                                                                                                                    62 Inflorescence an umbel; petals recurved, pink to almost white
                                                                                                                                    62 Inflorescence a raceme or panicle.
                                                                                                                                      63 Fruit a silique/silicle; petals 4; stamens 6
                                                                                                                                      63 Fruit either a capsule or a utricle; petals 5; stamens 5 or 10.
                                                                                                                                        64 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.
image of plant
Show caption*© Scott Ward
                                                                                                                                          65 Leaves entire; stamens 5; [plants of tidal marshes]
                                                                                                                                          65 Leaves serrate or crenate; stamens 10; [plants of various habitats, especially rock outcrops and bottomland forests and streambanks, never in tidal marshes]
                                                                                                                                        64 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).
                                                                                                                                            66 Inflorescence of 1-several terminal and axillary racemes, the plant typically well-branched, especially from the base; stamens 5
                                                                                                                                            66 Inflorescence of a single, terminal raceme, the plant unbranched; stamens 10 (or 5, with 5 staminodes)
                                                                                                                                               67 Inflorescence spike-like, the flowers many (> 40), barely pedicelled; capsule 3-locular
                                                                                                                                               67 Inflorescence a raceme, the flowers fewer (< 20) and distinctly pedicelled; capsule 5-locular