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1 Leaves 3-7-foliolate; petioles not winged. | |
3 Calyx tube (of chasmogamous flowers) 4-5 mm long, shorter than or about as long as the lobes; bracteoles 5-12 mm long, partly enclosing the calyx tube; legume 6-12.5 cm long, 3-6 mm broad; standard 2.5-3.5 cm long, spurred near the base. | |
4 Lower calyx lobe 5-8 mm long, subulate to lanceolate; upper (bifurcate) calyx lobe 3-4 mm long; bracteoles 5-7 mm long; stems to 3 m long; [of n. FL southward] | |
4 Lower calyx lobe 8-11 mm long, subulate; upper (bifurcate) calyx lobe 7-8 mm long; bracteoles 8-12 mm long; stems to 1.5 m long; [widespread in our area]. | |
5 Terminal leaflets > 8× as long as wide; main lateral veins of terminal leaflets 10-20+; [s. GA, s. AL, south to s. FL] | |
5 Terminal leaflets < 6× as long as wide; main lateral veins of terminal leaflets 5-7; [widespread in our area, south to s. FL] | |
3 Calyx tube (of chasmogamous flowers) 7-13 mm long, much longer than the lobes; bracteoles 3-7 mm long, not enclosing the calyx tube; legume 3-5 cm long, 5-7 mm broad; standard 4-6 cm long, not spurred. | |
6 Leaflets 3.0-4.5× as long as wide, obtuse at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 7-10 mm long, usually purplish; legume on a stipe 15-20 mm long, well exserted from the calyx; erect or ascending herb, 2-6 dm tall; [peninsular FL] | |
6 Leaflets 1.7-3.5× as long as wide, slightly acute at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 10-13 mm long, green; legume on a stipe 10-15 mm long, included or slightly exserted from the calyx; ascending herb, becoming a sprawling, trailing, or twining herbaceous vine; [collectively widespread in our area]. | |
7 Leaves glabrescent beneath, at maturity the hairs confined or very nearly so to the major veins; [widespread in our area] | |
1 Leaves 3-foliolate; standard 4.5-5.5 cm long. | |
2 Leaflets 3.0-4.5× as long as wide, obtuse at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 7-10 mm long, usually purplish; legume on a stipe 15-20 mm long, well exserted from the calyx; erect or ascending herb, 2-6 dm tall; [peninsular FL] | |
2 Leaflets 1.7-3.5× as long as wide, slightly acute at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 10-13 mm long, green; legume on a stipe 10-15 mm long, included or slightly exserted from the calyx; ascending herb, becoming a sprawling, trailing, or twining herbaceous vine; [collectively widespread in our area]. | |
3 Leaves glabrescent beneath, at maturity the hairs confined or very nearly so to the major veins | |
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3 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles (looking like a miniature cocklebur, Xanthium); leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae] | |
3 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread]. | |
4 Leaflets entire. | |
5 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other). | |
5 Hairs basifixed. | |
8 Loments cylindrical, jointed but not noticeably constricted between the seeds; Inflorescence an umbel of (7-) 10-15 flowers; [tribe Loteae] | |
8 Loments flattened, prominently constricted between the seeds; inflorescence a raceme or umbel of 2-8 flowers. | |
10 Inflorescences pedunculate, axillary racemes; leaflets eglandular; fruits dehiscent; [tribe Galegeae] | |
10 Inflorescences terminal racemes, spikes, or heads; leaflets glandular-punctate or not; fruits indehiscent. | |
12 Fruit a loment (constricted between each seed and splitting into single-seeded segments); petals primarily yellow (sometimes also marked with pink or orange); [of the se. Coastal Plain, from e. GA southwards and westwards]; [tribe Dalbergieae]. | |
12 Fruit a legume (lacking constrictions between the seeds); petals variously colored; [collectively widespread]. | |
14 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles; leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae] | |
14 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread]. | |
15 Plants with basal rosettes, the basal and cauline leaves a mixture of simple and pinnately compound; [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Loteae] | |
16 Plants erect or ascending herbs. | |
17 Leaves with 5-9 (or fewer or more and then keyed elsewhere), the lower leaflets positioned above a definite petiole. | |
18 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; flowers papilionaceous; stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); leaflets often > 5 mm wide; legume 3+-seeded; flowers 5-12 mm long, in racemes; [tribe Indigofereae] | |
18 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; flowers not papilionaceous, barely bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 5, monadelphous; leaflets 0.5-5 mm wide; legume 1-seeded; flowers very small, < 5.5 mm long, aggregated into tight spike; [tribe Amorpheae] | |
19 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; [tribe Indigofereae] | |
19 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; [tribe Phaseoleae]. | |
20 Flower usually solitary, resupinate (twisted at 180° so that the standard is below); standard 3.5-5 cm long | |