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1 Undersurface of leaves moderately to densely hairy, the leaf surface largely or completely hidden with the usually whitish or tawny, tomentose vestiture. |
2 Larger leaf blades of the mid to upper stem ca. 1× as long as wide, more-or-less orbicular in outline, usually 3-7- lobed (some leaves may be unlobed), if 3- lobed, not hastate (not with 2 basal lobes at nearly right angles to the midvein). |
3 Larger leaf blades unlobed or shallowly 3- lobed, < 11 cm long, < 12 cm wide; nectary present on lower surface of midvein near junction of blade and petiole. |
4 Flowers funnel-form, the petals forming a tube basally; petals pink, darker pink to red at base, 5.5-9.5 cm long; [peninsular FL] |
4 Flowers rotate, the petals arrayed nearly flat or shallowly bowl-like; petals bright red, 1.5-3 cm long; [s. TX] |
3 Larger leaf blades 3-7- lobed, > 12 cm long, > 12 cm wide; nectary absent. |
5 Petals dull-red to dull-orange, revolute, tomentose on their outer surface; seeds 3.5-4.0 mm long, glabrous; [s. TX] |
5 Petals white to pink, planar, finely hairy on their outer surface only when exposed in bud; seeds 2.0-3.1 mm long, either papillose or with long hairs; [collectively more widespread]. |
6 Petals 8.5-14 cm long, pale pink to white, with a maroon blaze at the base; seeds verrucose, papillose; perennial herb to 3 m tall; [native, wetlands] |
6 Petals 4-7.5 cm long, white (fading pink), with a deep pink blaze at the base; seeds with long straight hairs; shrub or tree to 8 m tall; [non-native, planted and sometimes persistent or naturalizing in uplands] |
2 Larger leaf blades of the mid to upper stem longer than wide, 1.2-2.5× as long as wide, unlobed or 3- lobed, if 3- lobed often hastate (with 2 basal lobes at nearly right angles to the midvein). |
7 Larger leaf blades 1.2-4.5 cm long; petals 1.5-2.6 (-3.5) cm long, bright red (rarely pink); flowers nodding or pendulous; nectary present at junction of blade and petiole; [s. FL] |
7 Larger leaf blades 5-20 cm long; petals 4-12 cm long, white or pink, with a red or maroon blaze at the base; nectary absent; [collectively widespread in our region]. |
8 Shrubs to 4 m tall; stems sparingly armed with stout prickles; free portion of stamen filaments 1-1.5 mm long; stigmas wedge-shaped; seeds tomentulose with yellowish to reddish hairs; [se. TX] |
8 Perennial herbs to 2.5 m tall; stems unarmed; free portion of stamen filaments 2-8 mm long; stigmas capitate or disc-shaped; seeds verrucose- papillose; [collectively widespread in our region]. |
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9 Capsule pubescent (the dark surface largely or completely obscured); bracts of the involucel usually ciliate; upper leaf surface usually moderately densely stellate- pubescent. |
10 Plants mostly > 1 m tall, little branched upwards; upper leaves mostly > 8 cm long; upper leaves densely stellate pubescent below, glabrescent above; [widespread in the western part of our region] |
10 Plants mostly < 1 m tall, with abundant axillary branches in the upper half of the plant; upper leaves mostly < 7 cm long; upper leaves densely stellate pubescent and whitened below, less so above but distinctly gray with stellate pubescence; [coastal prairies of w. LA and se. TX] |
1 Undersurface of leaves glabrous, with a few hairs, or scabrous, the hairs or "scabes" (if present) not at all obscuring the green leaf surface. |
11 Larger leaf blades of the mid to upper stem longer than wide, 1.2-7× as long as wide, unlobed or 3- lobed, if 3- lobed then hastate (with 2 basal lobes at nearly right angles to the midvein and broadest at their bases ). |
12 Larger leaves on a plant hastate (smaller leaves on a plant often unlobed); perennial herbs to 2.5 m tall; [natives of wetland habitats]. |
13 Calyx hairy, with simple hairs 1+ mm long; capsules hairy; [e. TX] |
13 Calyx glabrous; capsules glabrous; [widespread in our region] |
12 Larger leaves on a plant unlobed, or slightly 3- lobed with the lobes ascending at an acute angle to the midvein; shrubs or small trees to 5 m tall; [non-natives, cultivated, of upland habitats]. |
14 Leaves coarsely and irregularly crenate (with mostly rounded tips), often slightly 3- lobed; nectary absent; staminal column 2.5-3.5 cm long; [widespread in our region] |
14 Leaves evenly serrate (with mostly sharp tips), never 3- lobed; nectary on lower surface of midvein near the junction of the midvein and petiole; staminal column 5-11.5 cm long; [FL peninsula]. |
15 Flowers horizontal or declining; petals entire to crenate, spreading |
15 Flowers pendulous; petals pinnatifid, strongly reflexed |
11 Larger leaf blades of the mid to upper stem ca. 1× as long as wide, more-or-less orbicular in outline, usually 3-7- lobed (some leaves may be unlobed), if 3- lobed, not hastate (not with 2 basal lobes at nearly right angles to the midvein), some or all of the lobes broadest above their bases. |
16 Stems, petioles, and large leaf-veins armed with curved, reflexed ('cat- claw') prickles; petals pink; erect shrub or scrambling liana climbing on other vegetation, to 5 m tall (long) |
16 Stems, petioles, and large leaf-veins not armed (though harshly scabrous in H. aculeatus), except sparsely so in H. cannabinus and H. radiatus); petals white, cream, bright yellow, dark red, or bright red; erect perennial herbs and subshrubs to 3.5 m tall |
17 Annual from a taproot, to 0.5 (-1) m tall; calyx inflated at maturity; capsule 1.0-1.5 cm long; petals 1.5-3 (-4) cm long; staminal column 0.4-0.7 (-1.0) cm long; leaf blades 2.5-6.5 cm long, with (1-) 3 (-5) lobes, each lobe itself lobed; [section Trionum] |
17 Perennial from a crown, usually 0.7-3.5 m tall; calyx not inflated at maturity; capsule 1.2-3.5 cm long; petals 3-10 cm long; staminal column 1.5-7 cm long; leaves 4-25 cm long, 3-7- lobed, the lobes serrate or crenate but not themselves lobed. |
18 Petals bright red, lacking a differently colored blaze at the base, 7.5-10 cm long, rotate, at right angles to flower axis, not overlapping one another; staminal column 6.5-7 cm long; epicalyx bracts 9-15, 2.5-4 cm long, not forked or appendaged near the tip; leaf nectary absent; calyx lobes not conspicuously 3- ribbed |
18 Petals white, cream, bright yellow, dark red, with a darker maroon blaze at the base, 3-8 cm long, funnel-form, at an acute angle to the flower axis, overlapping one another; epicalyx bracts 7-12, 0.5-1.6 cm long, usually forked or appendaged near the tip; leaf nectary usually present, slit-like, on underside of midvein near junction with petiole; calyx lobes conspicuously 3- ribbed, 1 medial and 2 marginal. |
19 Leaves and stems harshly scabrous; calyx lobes each with an elongate purplish nectary on the back; [native, se. NC south to n. peninsular FL, west to TX]; [section Furcaria] |
19 Leaves and stems glabrous or glabrate, sometimes with sparse prickles; calyx lobes lacking nectaries; [non-native, cultivated and sometimes naturalized or persistent as waifs, mainly FL peninsula]. |
20 Foliage deep red; medial rib of each calyx lobe with conspicuous nectary |
20 Foliage green; medial rib of each calyx lobe lacking a nectary. |
21 Calyx and epicalyx thick and fleshy, red; calyx glabrous |
21 Calyx and epicalyx thin, herbaceous, green; calyx with stinging hairs. |
22 Corolla yellow, with maroon blaze at base; stem with sparse prickles, otherwise glabrous |
22 Corolla rose-purple (rarely yellow), with darker blaze at base; stem with sparse prickles, otherwise glabrous or glabrescent except for a line of fine, curved hairs |