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1 Fruit a follicle, each carpel with 2 or more ovules. |
2 Leaves cordate- reniform, toothed, not lobed or divided; [tribe Caltheae] |
2 Leaves variously palmately or pedately lobed or divided. |
3 Carpels 1-3; plants 3-30 dm tall; [native, except Consolida]; [tribe Delphinieae]. |
4 Stems weak, clambering, reclining, or vining |
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3 Carpels 3-6; plants 1-5 dm tall; [introduced, rarely persistent or escaping]. |
5 Cauline leaves absent, except for the involucre which immediately subtends the fruit; [tribe Cimicifugeae] |
5 Cauline leaves present; [tribe Helleboreae]. |
1 Fruit an achene (or dehiscent utricle in Trautvetteria), each carpel with 1 ovule. |
6 Leaves opposite, distributed along the stem; style plumose; [tribe Anemoneae] |
6 Leaves all basal, or with a few alternate or whorled involucrate leaves on the stem; style not plumose. |
7 Basal leaves linear to linear- spatulate, mostly 4-8 cm long, 1-3 mm wide; receptacle elongate, 1-6 cm long (superficially resembling a Plantago inflorescence); [tribe Ranunculeae] |
7 Basal leaves various, but not as above, generally long- petiolate, with an expanded, crenate- toothed, 3- lobed, or palmately- lobed blade; receptacle globose to sub- cylindric, mostly < 1 cm long. |
8 Fruit a dehiscent utricle; cauline leaves alternate; [tribe Ranunculeae] |
8 Fruit an achene; cauline leaves opposite or whorled (or alternate in Ranunculus, or reduced to alternate scale-like bracts in Halerpestes). |
9 Cauline leaves opposite or whorled, or reduced to 3 sepal-like involucral bracts immediately subtending the flower; sepals absent (but in “Hepatica” mimicked by the bracts); [tribe Anemoneae] |
10 Leaves lobed, and also toothed and variously cleft; leaves not variegated |
10 Leaves lobed, the margins of the lobes entire; leaves often prominently variegated |
9 Cauline leaves alternate; sepals present; [tribe Ranunculeae] |
11 Achenes smooth or variously ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, sometimes also pubescent, usually noticeably beaked, the beak > 0.3 mm long; leaves various, usually not at once simple, cordate, and unlobed ; [native or introduced] |
11 Achenes not ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, pubescent or glabrous, beakless; leaves simple, unlobed. |
12 Sepals 3; [introduced garden plants] |
12 Sepals 5; [native, of s. NJ northwards] |