Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Click images to enlarge and show more photo credit.

Key to Polygonatum

Ruscaceae

Polygonatum

Copy permalink to share

1 Leaves pubescent on the veins beneath; flowers 7-13 mm long
1 Leaves glabrous; flowers 12-21 mm long.
  2 Stem robust, 5-13 mm thick below the leaves; plants to 20 dm tall; lower axillary peduncles strongly flattened, with (2-) 3-6 (-15) flowers; lowest peduncle in the axil of the (3rd-) 4th-5th (-8th) leaf; larger leaves 9-25 cm long, 3.5-13 cm wide; lower leaves clasping to 300°
  2 Stem slender, 1.5-5 mm in diameter; plants to 9 dm tall; lower axillary peduncles terete or nearly so, with (1-) 2-3 (-5) flowers; lowest peduncle in the axil of the (1st-) 3rd (-5th) leaf; larger leaves 5.5-15 cm long, 1.2-6 cm wide; lower leaves clasping to 90 (-180)°.
    3 Corolla (11-) 13-15 (-19) mm long; larger leaves 5.5-15 cm long, 1.2-6 cm wide, 3-6× as long as broad; [widespread]
    3 Corolla 20-23 mm long; larger leaves 6.5-13 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide, 5-9× as long as broad; [endemic to Panhandle FL]