2 Inflorescence a
panicle , of > 25 flowers (6-40 in
Pyracantha ); leaves
leathery , evergreen.
3 Plants
armed with
thorns
4 Pomes purplish-black, 7-10 mm in diameter, each with 3-5 seeds; leaves mostly 10-30 cm long
4 Pomes orangey yellow, (10-) 20-30 mm in diameter, each with 1-2 seeds; leaves (2-) 4-10 cm long
5 Upper surface of leaves bearing dark
glandular trichomes along the
midrib (most easily seen with a 10× hand lens); shrubs
5 Upper surface of leaves lacking dark
glandular trichomes along the
midrib ; shrubs and trees.
6 Ovary and fruit 10-
locular ;
inflorescence a
raceme (rarely a
fascicle );
pome < 1 cm in diameter
6 Ovary and fruit 5-
locular ;
inflorescence a
cyme ,
umbel , or
fascicle (lacking an elongated central
axis );
pome 0.7-10 cm in diameter.
7 Styles distinct;
exocarps (
carpels within
pericarp ) bony and seedlike; trees and shrubs, with
thorns
7 Styles usually
connate at
base ;
exocarps leather or papery and easily opened to expose seeds; small trees,
unarmed , or
armed with sharp
spur branches.
8 Pome globose to
ovoid , lacking
stone cells ;
anthers yellow to white;
styles connate at the
base ; leaves blunt to
acuminate ; [apples and crabapples]
8 Pome globose or
pyriform , with
stone cells ;
anthers reddish;
styles distinct; leaves
acute to
acuminate ; [pears]
1 Ovary superior ; fruit
dehiscent (aggregate of
follicles , or
capsule ) or
indehiscent (
drupe , aggregate of
drupelets , aggregate of
achenes ).
9 Leaves opposite; fruit an aggregate of usually 3-5 purple to black
drupelets ; [tribe Kerrieae]
9 Leaves
alternate ; fruit various (see below; if an aggregate of
drupelets , then with >5
drupelets ).
10 Leaves large, > 10 cm wide,
palmately veined ,
palmately lobed ; fruit an aggregate of
drupelets ; [tribe
Rubeae ]
10 Leaves smaller, < 8 cm wide,
pinnately veined, either not
lobed or basally
pinnately lobed ; fruit a
drupe , a
capsule , an aggregate of
follicles , or an aggregate of
achenes .
11 Leaves singly
serrate or
entire (rarely, as in
Prunus americana , irregularly and slightly
doubly serrate ), not
lobed basally.
12 Gynoecium of separate
carpels ; fruit an aggregate of
follicles ; [tribe
Spiraeeae ]
12 Gynoecium of fused
carpels ; fruit either a fleshy
drupe or a
capsule .
13 Ovary 5-angled in ×-section; fruit a 5-angled
capsule ; leaves
obovate , obviously broadest towards the tip; [tribe
Osmaronieae ]
11 Leaves
doubly serrate , also often
lobed towards the
base .
14 Corolla yellow; stems arching, green; fruit an aggregate of
drupe -like
achenes (dry and
indehiscent ); [tribe
Kerrieae ]
14 Corolla white to pink or rose; stems not both arching and green; fruit various (see below).
15 Inflorescence a dense,
umbel -like
corymb ; leaf
apices rounded to
acute ; fruit an aggregate of 5
follicles ; [tribe
Neillieae ]
16 Fruit a single
follicle ; [
exotic , planted, and rarely naturalized, as in e. VA]; [tribe
Neillieae ]
16 Fruit an aggregate of 2-4
drupe -like
achenes ; [rare native of
calcareous habitats in sc. TN, nw. GA, n. AL, and
disjunct westward in AR and MO]; [tribe
Kerrieae ]
1 Subshrubs or
dwarf shrubs, aboveground stems creeping or erect, < 15 cm tall; leaves evergreen.
2 Leaves 1.5-3 cm wide, coarsely
toothed ; flowers lacking
sepals and
petals ; [
exotic species, sparingly naturalized or spreading in suburban situations]
2 Leaves < 1.5 cm wide, finely
toothed or
entire ; flowers with
sepals and
petals ; [native species, collectively widespread and common].
3 Leaves fleshy,
terete in ×-section;
petals 5, bright pink
3 Leaves flat, not fleshy;
petals white or pale pink.
4 Leaves < 2.5 mm wide;
corolla with
petals distinct; plant creeping
4 Leaves > 5 mm wide;
corolla with
petals fused (distinct in
Chimaphila ); plant creeping or erect
1 Shrubs, aboveground stems erect, > 30 cm tall; leaves evergreen or
deciduous .
5 Inflorescence an
involucrate (
composite ) 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
5 Inflorescence , flower, and fruit structure various, but not with the combination of features as above.
7 Leaves
glandular -
punctate on one or both surfaces with golden-yellow
glands ; flowers
unisexual , lacking a
perianth (arranged in
axillary catkins ); fruit a pale gray, waxy
drupe with a single seed
7 Leaves not
glandular punctate ; flowers
bisexual or
unisexual , with a white, pink, or yellow
perianth ; fruit various: a red, blue, or black
drupe , a
berry with several seeds, or a
capsule .
8 Petals connate , flowers
urceolate (ERICACEAE) or
rotate , white to pale pink; flowers
bisexual ; fruit a
drupe (
Ehretia in EHRETIACEAE), OR a
capsule or
berry (ERICACEAE)
9 Flowers
rotate , fragrant, the
petals white, arranged primarily in terminal
cymes ; fruit an orange or yellow
drupe , each bearing 2
hemispheric nutlets (these each also composed of 2 seeds, thus the fruit bearing 4 seeds)
9 Flowers
urceolate , fragrant or not, the
petals white to pale pink, variously arranged in terminal or
axillary inflorescences (occasionally solitary in
axils ); fruit either a
capsule or a red, blue, or black
berry
8 Petals distinct, yellow or white; flowers
unisexual or
bisexual ; fruit either a black or red
drupe with several
pyrenes , a red
berry with several seeds, or red or black
pomes .
10 Plants with
nodal , simple or
tripartite thorns ; flowers
bisexual , with a yellow
perianth ; fruit a red
berry with several seeds
10 Plants lacking
thorns ; flowers
unisexual or
bisexual , with a white
perianth (yellow or red in
Ochna ); fruit either a black or red
drupe with several
pyrenes or a red or black
pome .
11 Petals yellow, clawed;
sepals red and forming a
persistent red
receptacle (
torus ) bearing numerous blackened
drupes .
11 Petals white, not clawed;
sepals not bright red nor
persistent , the fruit a
drupe or
pome .
12 Flowers
unisexual ; fruit a black or red
drupe with several
pyrenes
12 Flowers
bisexual ; fruit a red or black
pome
13 Plants with
nodal , simple or
tripartite thorns ; leaf teeth
spinulose
13 Plants lacking
thorns ; leaf teeth
acute , blunt, rounded, or
callus -tipped, but not
spinulose .
14 Leaf
blade bases conspicuously
oblique -
cordate or angled-
truncate .
15 Leaves
crenate -wavy, with 1-2 teeth per cm of
leaf margin ;
pubescence of leaves and stems
stellate
15 Leaves
crenate or
serrate , but usually not wavy,
pubescence of leaves and stems simple
14 Leaves
crenulate ,
serrate or
serrulate , with >2 teeth per cm of
leaf margin ; leaves
cuneate , rounded, or subcordate at
base , not
oblique ;
pubescence of leaves and stems absent or simple.
16 Leaves prominently 3-veined from the
base .
17 Ovary 5-
locular ;
stamens many or 5, fused or separate; fruit a 5-valved
capsule or of 5
mericarps ; flowers yellow or pink, or white with a pink blaze
17 Ovary 3-
locular ;
stamens 5, separate; fruit a 3-valved
capsule or
drupe ; flowers white or pale green
16 Leaves
pinnately veined.
18 Flowers in
catkins ;
perianth absent or very small; fruit a 1-seeded
nut ,
samara , or waxy
drupe (
capsule in
Salix in SALICACEAE).
19 Leaves > 4 cm wide, lacking
punctate glands ; fruit a 1-seeded
nut or
samara
19 Leaves < 3 cm wide, either
punctate -
glandular on one or both surfaces or lacking
punctate glands ; fruit a 1-seeded waxy
drupe or a
capsule .
20 Leaves
punctate -
glandular on one or both surfaces; fruit a 1-seeded waxy
drupe .
20 Leaves lacking
punctate glands ; fruit a
capsule .
18 Flowers arrayed variously, but not in
catkins ;
perianth present, conspicuous; fruit a 1-many-seeded
capsule ,
pome ,
berry , or
follicle .
22 Fruit a
berry ; leaves lacking
stipules
22 Fruit a
pome ; leaves usually prominently
stipular
21 Ovary superior ; fruit either dry and
dehiscent , a
capsule or an aggregate of
follicles or
achenes , or fleshy and
indehiscent , a
drupe with 4-8
pyrenes .
23 Flower
apocarpous ; fruit an aggregate of
follicles or
achenes
23 Flower
syncarpous ; fruit either a
capsule or a fleshy
drupe .
24 Ovary 2-8-
carpellate ; fruit either a
capsule or a
drupe with 4-8
pyrenes
25 Ovary 2-8-
locular ; fruit fleshy and
indehiscent , a
drupe with 2-8
pyrenes ; flowers mostly functionally
unisexual (or sometimes
bisexual in RHAMNACEAE).
26 Petals connate at the
base ;
stamens alternate to the
petals and opposite to the
sepals ; fruit 4-8-
locular , with 4-8
pyrenes
26 Petals separate (or absent in
Rhamnus alnifolia );
stamens opposite to the
petals (when present) and
alternate to the
sepals ; fruit 2-4-
locular , with 2-4
pyrenes
25 Ovary 2-3- or 5-
locular ; fruit dry and
dehiscent , a
capsule ; flowers
bisexual (except
Stillingia in EUPHORBIACEAE).
27 Ovary and
capsule 2-3-
locular ;
stamens 2, 5, or 10.
29 Leaves > 5× as long as wide;
stamens 2;
ovary and
capsule 3-
locular ; [plants of the Coastal Plain of SC, GA, AL, and FL]
29 Leaves < 3× as long as wide;
stamens 5 or 10;
ovary and
capsule 2-3-
locular ; [plants collectively widespread].
30 Stamens 5;
ovary and
capsule 2-
locular ; leaves
elliptic (widest near the middle), the teeth fine (usually > 5 points per cm of
margin ), and along much of the
margin ;
inflorescence a terminal
raceme ;
hairs of the lower leaf surface simple, erect
30 Stamens 10;
ovary and
capsule 3-
locular ; leaves
obovate (widest towards the
apex ), the teeth obscure to coarse (usually < 4 points per cm of
margin ), and primarily in the upper half of the leaf;
inflorescence a terminal or
axillary raceme or
cyme ;
hairs of the lower leaf surface either simple and
appressed , or
stellate .
31 Leaf margins regularly and evenly
serrate in the upper half of the leaf (usually nearly
entire towards the
base );
inflorescence an elongate, many flowered (>30)
raceme borne at the end of
branchlets of the season;
corolla of separate
petals , the
stamens separate;
hairs of the lower leaf surface simple and
appressed
31 Leaf margins wavy or irregularly
dentate , mainly in the upper half of the leaf;
inflorescence a few flowered (<20)
axillary raceme ,
cyme , or cluster;
corolla fused basally into a tube, the
stamens adnate to the tube;
hairs of the lower leaf surface
stellate