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1 Vine, climbing by adventitious roots, appressed to walls or trailing; leaves dimorphic (small and distichous on climbing branches, larger on non-climbing branches); [subgenus Synoecia] |
| 1 Shrub to tree, erect; leaves monomorphic. |
| ..2 Leaves lobed, (7-) 15-30 cm long; shrub to small tree, rarely > 5 m tall; [widespread in our area]; [subgenus Ficus, section Ficus] |
| ..2 Leaves unlobed, 3-15 cm long; tree, to 30 m tall; [of peninsular FL]. |
| ....3 Leaves with many (>20) lateral veins, these spaced 1-3 mm apart. |
| ......4 Leaves 4-6 (-11) cm long, pliable when fresh |
| ......4 Leaves 9-30 cm long, very thick and leathery; [subgenus Urostigma, section Conosycea] |
| ....3 Leaves with < 15 lateral veins, these all or mostly spaced > 4 mm apart. |
| ........5 Peduncles 5-15 mm long; figs 8-18 mm in diameter, yellow or black when ripe; leaves subcordate to rounded at the base; [subgenus Urostigma, section Americanae] |
| ........5 Peduncles < 5 mm long; figs 5-15 mm in diameter, yellow, orange, red, purple or black when ripe; leaves rounded to cuneate at the base. |
| ..........6 Leaves 4-6 (-11) cm long; figs 5-6 mm in diameter, purple or black when ripe; [subgenus Urostigma, section Conosycea] |
| ..........6 Leaves 6-12 (-15) cm long; figs 6-15 mm in diameter, yellow or orange when ripe; [subgenus Urostigma, section Americanae] . |
| ............ 7 Basal pair of secondary veins borne at a narrower (more acute) angle to the midvein than the other secondary veins, extending 1/3rd or more the length of the blade |
| ............ 7 Basal pair of veins borne at a similar angle to the midvein as the other secondary veins, extending 1/8th or less the length of the blade |
| 1 Leaves serrate. |
| ..2 Leaf venation palmate, the leaf often lobed or at least pentagonal in shape (as well as serrate); plants climbing by leaf-opposed tendrils |
| ..2 Leaf venation pinnate, the leaf neither lobed nor pentagonal; plants climbing by other mechanisms (see below). |
| ....3 Plants climbing by axillary tendrils; [FL] |
| ....3 Plants climbing by adventitious roots, by twining, or by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides; [collectively widespread in our region]. |
......4 Plants climbing by adventitious roots; leaf base cordate or subcordate, and also slightly to strongly oblique |
| ......4 Plants climbing by twining, or by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides; leaf base cuneate, rounded, or cordate. |
| ........5 Leaves strongly cordate at the base, 7-15 cm wide |
| ........5 Leaves cuneate, rounded, or subcordate at the base, 0.3-8 cm wide. |
| ..........6 Leaf blades mostly 2-6 cm long, 0.3-2 cm wide; plants climbing by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides |
| ..........6 Leaf blades mostly 6-13 cm long, 3-8 cm wide; plants climbing by twining |
| 1 Leaves entire. |
| ............ 7 Stems with well-developed prickles; tendrils paired, stipular (diverging from the leaf petiole above its base); [Monocots] |
| ............ 7 Stems lacking prickles; tendrils either absent or (if present) not stipular and paired; [Eudicots or Basal Angiosperms]. |
| ............ ..8 Plant climbing by dense, reddish adventitious roots |
| ............ ..8 Plant climbing by twining or by tendrils. |
| ............ ....9 Plant climbing by tendrils |
| ............ ....9 Plant climbing by twining. |
| ............ ......10 Leaves elliptic or ovate, obviously longer than broad, most leaves > 1.4× as long as wide; leaf blade base narrowly cuneate, broadly cuneate, rounded, or subcordate. |
| ............ ........11 Leaves 3-8 cm long, rounded to broadly cuneate at the base and rounded or obtuse at the apex; lateral leaf veins straight, parallel, not forking; inflorescence a terminal thyrse or panicle |
| ............ ........11 Leaves 6-15 cm long, cuneate at the base and acuminate at the apex; lateral leaf veins forking at or beyond the middle; inflorescence a solitary, axillary flower |
| ............ ......10 Leaves orbicular to very widely ovate, most leaves < 1.4× as long as wide; leaf blade base deeply cordate, subcordate, rounded, or broadly cuneate |
| ............ ..........12 Leaf venation pinnate, but “pseudopalmate”, with 3 primary veins from the marginal point of attachment of the petiole, the 2 lateral veins then promptly rebranching (< 1 cm from the leaf base) into 2-3 prominent veins (the remainder of the venation pinnate along the midvein); basalmost pair of primary veins exposed (lacking leaf tissue) on their basal side for > 2 mm; leaf blade base deeply cordate; leaf with no tendency to lobing, the leaf outline convex from the base to the apex (except in the immediate vicinity of the petiole and sometimes immediately near a slightly acuminate apex |
| ............ ..........12 Leaf venation palmate, with (3-) 5-9 primary veins from the marginal or peltate point of attachment of the petiole, these primary veins then rebranching well above the leaf base; basalmost pair of primary veins completely included within leaf tissue; leaf blade base cordate, subcordate, rounded, or broadly cuneate; leaf with a tendency to lobing, the leaf outline with 1 or more concave areas between the base and the apex (except Cissampelos of s. FL) |