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.
1 Styles mostly 5; capsule with 5 or 10 teeth; calyx tubular at anthesis, becoming strongly inflated later in S. dioica and S. latifolia. |
2 Petal limbs deeply divided into 4 linear segments; [ Lychnis section Uebelinia] |
2 Petal limbs unlobed, emarginate, or shallowly 2- lobed. |
3 Leaf blades with dense silky white hairiness; flowers bisexual; [ Lychnis section Agrostemma] |
3 Leaf blades variously pubescent, but not with silky- appressed pubescence; [ Silene section Melandrium]. |
4 Petals pink; capsule teeth revolute |
4 Petals white; capsule teeth spreading to slightly reflexed |
1 Styles mostly 3; capsule with 3 or 6 teeth; calyx tubular or campanulate at anthesis, not greatly inflated (except in S. vulgaris). |
5 Middle cauline leaves in whorls of 4; petals fimbriate |
5 Middle cauline leaves opposite; petals entire, slightly erose, bilobed, 2- cleft, or 8+- cleft. |
|
7 Petals entire or slightly erose at the tip; cauline leaves 5-20 pairs. |
8 Stems pubescent, glandular upwards; cauline leaves 10-20 pairs |
8 Stems glabrous; cauline leaves 5-12 pairs |
7 Petals 2- cleft at the tip; cauline leaves 2-8 pairs. |
9 Cauline leaves 2.0-7.0 cm wide, elliptic, obovate, or orbicular, usually 1-2× as long as wide; entire plant sticky glandular- pubescent; [of sandstone cliffs and crevices, s. OH and WV south through sw. VA, KY, and e. TN, to nw. GA and n. AL] |
9 Cauline leaves 0.8-4.0 cm wide, mostly oblanceolate, usually at least 2.5× as long as wide; plant not covered with sticky glandular hairs; [of various, mostly rocky, habitats, widespread in our region]. |
10 Cauline leaves (excluding bracteal leaves) in 2-4 pairs; basal leaves not conspicuously clustered; [mountains of e. WV, se. KY, and e. TN] |
10 Cauline leaves (excluding bracteal leaves) in 1 (-2) pairs; basal leaves often numerous and clustered; [widespread in our region] |
|
11 Petals 8- cleft or more divided; plants perennial; [native]. |
12 Plants 2-6 dm tall; petals pink, the >8 ultimate segments of each dichotomously forked at nearly right angles; calyx ca. 2.5 cm long; stem with long, villous pubescence |
12 Plants (5-) 7-15 dm tall; petals white, the 8 segments of each essentially parallel to one another; calyx ca. 1 cm long; stem with short rigid pubescence |
11 Petals entire, bilobed, or 2- cleft; plants 0.5-8 dm tall, perennial or annual; [either exotic weeds occurring mostly in disturbed sites, or native in forests, woodlands, or rock outcrops]. |
13 Plant < 2.5 dm tall; plant perennial, with a stout, carrot-like taproot; [native, of woodlands, rock outcrops, barrens, glades, and dry roadbanks]. |
14 Calyx pubescence of long, straight, nonglandular hairs; [of OH, WV, VA, and MO south to AL] |
14 Calyx pubescence of glandular hairs; [of NC and ne. TN northward in and east of the Appalachians]. |
15 Leaves pubescent over the surface with appressed, white hairs, also ciliate on the margin; basal leaves mostly obtuse to rounded at the apex, to 12 cm long and 3 cm wide; [of NC south] |
15 Leaves glabrous on the surface, ciliate on the margin; basal leaves mostly acute to obtuse at the apex, to 15 cm long and 2 cm wide; [of NC north] |
13 Plant usually 2-8 dm tall ( depauperate individuals rarely smaller); plant annual or biennial (perennial from a creeping rhizome in S. nivea and S. vulgaris), lacking a carrot-like taproot; [ exotic, mostly of disturbed habitats (except S. nivea and S. antirrhina). |
16 Calyx with 20-30 parallel veins. |
|
|
18 Mature calyx 8-15 mm long; seeds 0.6-0.9 mm broad |
18 Mature calyx 20-30 mm long; seeds 1.3-1.8 mm broad |
16 Calyx with 10 or fewer veins (or the venation obscure). |
19 Plants rhizomatous perennials ( biennial in S. csereii); petals white. |
20 Fruiting calyx ovoid, contracted at the mouth to ca. ½ the diameter of the calyx at its widest point; stamens ca. 2× as long as the calyx; filaments purple |
20 Fruiting calyx clavate or campanulate, not contracted at the mouth; stamens 1.0-1.5× as long as the calyx; filaments usually white. |
21 Petal appendages 1.0-1.6 mm long; inflorescences leafy; [native] |
21 Petal appendages absent or to 0.2 mm long; inflorescences with reduced leaves resembling bracts; [ exotic, mostly of disturbed habitats] |
19 Plants annuals; petals white, pink, or lavender. |
|
23 Calyx 4-10 mm long; carpophore ca. 1 mm long |
23 Calyx 13-17 mm long; carpophore 7-8 mm long |
|
24 Petals entire or emarginate; fruiting calyx 6-10 mm long |
24 Petals deeply 2- lobed; calyx; fruiting calyx 10-30 mm long. |
25 Fruiting calyx 10-15 mm long; petal appendages ca. 0.2 mm long |
25 Fruiting calyx (15-) 25-30 mm long; petal appendages 0.5-1.5 mm long |