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 Rosaceae, Key B: Herbs and subshrubs with compound leaves

Rosaceae

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

(c) Bridges, Edwin
1 Leaves 2- to 3-ternately compound; [tribe Spiraeeae]
(c) Hayden, John
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
1 Leaves 1-compound, either simply pinnately compound or simply palmately compound,
  2 Principal (basalmost) leaves pinnately compound, with (3-) 5-many leaflets (upper stem leaves sometimes 3-foliolate).
    3 Principal leaves with leaflets of markedly disparate shape and size (large leaflets alternating with much smaller leaflets, or a large terminal leaflet and much smaller lateral leaflets).
      4 Lateral leaflets alternating between small and large, the terminal leaflet similar in size and shape to the larger lateral leaflets; terminal leaflet < 3 cm wide; hypanthium either conical or turbinate, armed with hooked bristles, the pistils 2, or hemispheric, the pistils >5.
(c) Danielson, Erik
© Nathan Aaron
        5 Leaves glabrous or sparsely pubescent beneath; flowers many in racemes; hypanthium conical or turbinate, armed with hooked bristles, the pistils 2; [tribe Sanguisorbeae]
(c) Danielson, Erik
        5 Leaves silvery sericeous beneath; flowers solitary and axillary; hypanthium hemispheric, the pistils >5; [tribe Potentilleae]
      4 Leaflets variable in size and shape, usually the terminal leaflet much larger than any of the lateral leaflets; terminal leaflet 3-20 cm wide; hypanthium either sauce-r-shaped or hemispheric to conical; pistils 5 or more.
(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
          6 Pistils 5-15, in a circle on a saucer-shaped hypanthium, ripening into upright fruits that resemble follicles but are indehiscent; corolla white or pink; plant 10-20 dm tall; [tribe Ulmarieae]
(c) Marcum, Paul
(c) Stuart, Will
          6 Pistils many, densely covering the hemispheric to conical hypanthium, ripening into achenes terminated by the persistent style; corolla white, cream, pale yellow, bright yellow, lavender, maroon, or purple; plant 2-10 dm tall; [tribe Colurieae]
    3 Principal leaves with leaflets of generally similar shape and size (the lowest leaflets may be smaller but of similar shape and toothing to the other leaflets).
(c) harum.koh - CC-BY-SA
             7 Stems and leaf rachises and petioles armed with retrorse prickles.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
(c) Marcum, Paul
               8 Foliage and stems viscid-pubescent with brownish hairs; inflorescence a cyme; petals 5, cream-colored; [tribe Potentilleae]
               8 Foliage not viscid-pubescent (if hairy, the hairs not brown or viscid); inflorescence of very many (>100) small flowers in a spike, the rachis hidden by the tightly packed flowers; petals 0; [tribe Sanguisorbeae].
                 9 Leaflets toothed (the incisions not nearly to the midvein); stamens either 4 or 15-20 per flower (in well-developed, staminate flowers).
                   10 Leaflets 0.8-2 cm long; spike 1-2 cm long, 1-2× as long as broad, globose; stamens 15-20 per flower (in well-developed staminate flowers), the filaments 3-4 mm long; sepals green to pinkish-purple; [cultivated, occasionally escaped]
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                   10 Leaflets 3-10 cm long; spike 6-30 cm long, elongate; stamens 4 per flower, the filaments 8-10 mm long; sepals white (sometimes fading greenish); [native]
  2 Principal (basal-most) leaves palmately compound, with 3-7 (-9) leaflets.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                     11 Principal leaves subsessile, 3-foliolate; fruit of follicles; leaves cauline; [tribe Gillenieae]
                     11 Principal leaves distinctly petiolate, the petiole often longer than the leaflets, 3-7 (-9)-foliolate; fruit of achenes; leaves basal and cauline.
                       12 Principal leaves 5-7 (-9)-foliolate; [tribe Potentilleae]
(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Ward, Scott G
                          13 Petals maroon-colored, shorter than sepals; plants sprawling with horizontal stems bearing rooting nodes; [wetlands from n. PA, n. NJ, sc. IN and sc. OH northward]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
(c) Danielson, Erik
(c) Goldman, Douglas - CC-BY-SA
                          13 Petals yellow or white, not shorter than sepals; plants trailing or upright, if bearing horiztonal stems with rooting nodes then petals not maroon-colored and plants not in wetlands; [dry habitats, collectively widespread]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                       12 Principal leaves 3-foliolate.
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                                16 Pistils 2-6; [tribe Colurieae]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                                16 Pistils (10-) numerous; [tribe Potentilleae]
(c) Léveillé-Bourret, Étienne - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                                  17 Calyx lobes not subtended by bractlets; [tribe Rubeae]
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                                  17 Calyx lobes subtended by 5 sepaloid bractlets; [tribe Potentilleae].
(c) Ware, Richard & Teresa - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                                    18 Leaves evenly serrate with many serrations; [widespread]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                                       19 Leaflets entire, except for 3 (-5) teeth at the apex; [tribe Potentilleae]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
                                       19 Leaflets evenly serrate or crenate, each well-developed leaflet with > 7 teeth.
(c) Cressler, Alan M.
                                               23 Fresh fruit reddish inside; leaflets serrate, 2.5-12 cm long; sepaloid bracts narrowing to apex, untoothed