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Key to Forestiera

Oleaceae

Forestiera

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1 Leaf blades linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 3-6 mm wide; leaf margins entire; [e. TX westwards and southwestwards]
1 Leaf blades obovate or elliptic, (3-) 5-40 (-50) mm; leaf margins serrulate (or entire in F. segregata); [collectively widespread in our region].
  2 Leaves (6-) 7-8 (-9) cm long, long-acuminate or acuminate (rarely acute) at the apex, the tip sharply pointed; [of swamp forests, sloughs, and ponds]
  2 Leaves 1.5-7 (-8) cm long, obtuse at the apex, or if short-acuminate the ultimate tip blunt; [of uplands, over calcareous rocks or shell].
    3 Leaves evergreen, glabrous above, glabrous and punctate below; leaf margins entire.
    3 Leaves deciduous, at least sparsely pubescent on the midrib above, pubescent and either punctate or not below; leaf margins serrulate.
      4 Leaf blades with veins opaque; lower leaf blade surface not evidently punctate; [OK and inland TX westwards]
      4 Leaf blades with veins pellucid; lower leaf surface evidently punctate; [e. TX eastwards to sc. KY, c. TN, SC, and sc. peninsular FL].
        5 First-year twigs pubescent, the pubescence evenly distributed (not in 2 lines); petioles moderately pubescent; flowering in early spring from buds on twigs of the previous season; leaves 5-7 (-8) cm long
        5 First-year twigs pubescent, the pubescence in 2 lines on either side of the twig; petioles glabrous (or with a very few hairs; flowering in mid-late summer, the flowers in leaf axils; leaves mostly 2-5 cm long