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| 1 Primary inflorescences of spikelets, these consisting of 1-2-many reduced florets, each subtended by 1-2 scales (and also enclosed in a sac or perigynium in Carex in CYPERACEAE), arrayed spirally or distichously, the spikelets then themselves arrayed in various dense or diffuse secondary or tertiary inflorescences; perianth absent, or reduced to chaff, scales, paddles, or bristles. |
| ..2 Leaf sheaths continuous, lacking a split or only irregularly split in age; leaves usually 3-ranked (sometimes reduced to a sheath with a small scale at the summit; stems triangular in ×-section (or roundish), usually with a pith; flowers spirally arrayed in the spikelet (or distichously arrayed, in e.g. Cyperus, Dulichium, Kyllinga); anthers basifixed |
| ..2 Leaf sheaths generally split lengthwise on the side opposite the leaf blade; leaves usually 2-ranked; stems round or flattened in ×-section, usually hollow; flowers distichously arrayed in the spikelet; anthers versatile |
| 1 Primary inflorescences of dense spikes, spadices, heads, glomerules, or a compound corymb of helicoid cymes; perianth present, often very small and variously colored. |
| ....3 Leaves equitant (the leaves distichous, in a fan-like array, e.g. Iris, each leaf clasping the next above in a basal fold, this uniting above so that the main leaf blade, above the basal fold, has only the lower [abaxial] leaf surface visible because of fusion of the ‘upper’ surfaces). |
| ......4 Inflorescence a very densely flowered spike (spadix), appearing lateral, 1 per plant; fresh plant strongly aromatic |
| ......4 Inflorescence either more diffuse, 1 or several per plant, or terminal and cone-like; fresh plant not aromatic. |
| ........5 Inflorescence brownish or tan, spherical, ovoid, or cylindrical, with numerous scale-like bracts arrayed in a cone; flowers individually conspicuous, a single yellow (to white) flower at a time emerging from each of the scales |
| ........5 Inflorescence more diffuse. |
| ..........6 Inflorescence axis and bracts densely lanuginose |
| ..........6 Inflorescence axis and bracts glabrous or inconspicuously pubescent. |
| ............ 7 Inflorescence or flower groups subtended by well-developed, green or scarious spathaceous bracts; inflorescence either a fan-shaped pair of cymes, or seemingly racemose, or solitary |
| ............ 7 Inflorescence or flower groups not subtended by spathes (though individual flowers may be subtended by small green bracts); inflorescence a raceme, panicle, or corymb. |
| ............ ..8 Inflorescence a corymb of helicoid cymes; corolla yellow, densely tomentose; roots bright red (Lachnanthes) or white to brown (Lophiola). |
| ............ ....9 Stamens 3, longer than the (ascending) tepals inner 3 tepals > 2 mm longer than the outer 3 tepals; rhizomes and roots of fresh plants bright red |
| ............ ....9 Stamens 6, shorter than the (recurved) tepals; inner 3 and outer 3 tepals equal in length; rhizomes at roots of fresh plants white to brown |
| ............ ..8 Inflorescence a terminal raceme (the flowers attached to the rachis in groups of 3 or more in Triantha in TOFIELDIACEAE); corolla white, cream, or yellow, glabrous; roots white or brown. |
| ............ ......10 Flowers yellow; capsule loculicidal |
| ............ ......10 Flowers white (yellow in Harperocallis, endemic to FL Panhandle); capsule septicidal |
| ....3 Leaves not equitant, sometimes distichous, upper and lower surfaces both present. |
| ............ ........11 Inflorescence either a linear spike, terminal, the thicker female portion below, the thinner male portion above, or an ovoid, hemispheric, spherical head or glomerule, 1 or several per plant |
| ............ ..........12 Inflorescence a linear spike, terminal, the thicker female portion below, the thinner male portion above |
| ............ ..........12 Inflorescence an ovoid, hemispheric, or spherical head or glomerule, 1 or several per plant. |
| ............ ............ 13 Flowers in a single head terminating an elongate scape; leaves basal (often with 1-2 much smaller leaves or bladeless sheaths on the lower part of the scape); inflorescence white, tan, pale yellow, gray, or blackish, the head usually as broad as or broader than long, involucrate |
| ............ ............ 13 Flowers in multiple heads, not scapose; leaves basal and usually also prominently cauline; inflorescence green, tan, brown, or reddish, the head spherical, not involucrate. |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers bisexual, the flowers in various arrays |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers unisexual, the male flowers in a terminal head, the female flowers in heads below the male along a usually zigzag stem |
| ............ ........11 Individual flowers solitary or in more diffuse inflorescences; perianth present, at least one whorl petal-like in size, color, and texture. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; stamen 1 or 2; tepals 6; perianth often differentiated into a lip and 5 petaloid tepals |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers radially symmetrical (sometimes weakly bilaterally symmetrical); stamens 6 (rarely 3); tepals usually 6 (rarely 3), when 6, either undifferentiated (6 tepals) or differentiated into 3 petals and 3 sepals. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves < 15 mm long, scale-like or linear; leaves cauline. |
| ............ ............ ........17 Leaves (actually cladophylls) clustered, in whorls of (1-) 2-20 (-25); fruit a berry; perianth undifferentiated, of 6 yellow, white, or green tepals |
| ............ ............ ........17 Leaves alternate; fruit a capsule; perianth either differentiated, the 3 petals yellowish-green or maroon, or undifferentiated, the 6 tepals white, blue, or purplish. |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Plants terrestrial, erect; stems and leaves lacking a scaly indumentum; flower solitary, or several to many in heads or racemose cymes; perianth undifferentiated, the 6 tepals white, blue, or purplish |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Plants either epiphytic and pendulous in festoons, or terrestrial, wetland, or aquatic and sprawling; stems and leaves with or without a scaly indumentum; flowers solitary and axillary; perianth differentiated, the 3 petals either yellowish-green or maroon. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Plants epiphytic, pendulous in festoons; stems and leaves densely covered by silvery scales; peatls yellowish-green |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Plants of moist to wet habitats, sprawling or aquatic; stems and leaves not covered by silvery scales; petals maroon |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves (at least the larger) > 25 mm long, linear or narrowly lanceolate; leaves basal, basally disposed (or rarely mostly or entirely cauline). |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Ovary inferior (or partly inferior; ambiguous taxa keyed both ways). |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Inflorescence axillary, a raceme or umbel (or reduced to a single flower); petaloid tepals yellow |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Inflorescence terminal; petaloid tepals various (including yellow). |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Inflorescence or flower groups subtended by well-developed, green or scarious spathaceous bracts; inflorescence either an umbel, or fan-shaped pair of cymes, or seemingly racemose, or solitary. |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Stamens 6; inflorescence an umbel (or sometimes solitary) |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Stamens 3; inflorescence either a fan-shaped pair of cymes or seemingly racemose (or rarely solitary (e.g. Crocus) |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Inflorescence or flower groups not subtended by spathes (though individual flowers may be subtended by small green bracts; inflorescence a raceme or panicle. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves fleshy; anthers 12-15 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves herbaceous; anthers < 5 mm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Tepals connate into a tube; perianth tube exterior farinose; flowers bisexual, white to bright yellow; inflorescence a raceme |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Tepals distinct; perianth not farinose; flowers unisexual or bisexual, white, greenish, or creamy; inflorescence a raceme or panicle (raceme of racemes) |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Ovary superior (or partly inferior; ambiguous taxa keyed both ways). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Gynoecium of 2 or more pistils, each pistil consisting of 1 carpel and with 1 stigma; [wetland plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Inflorescence a terminal raceme, the flowers (fruits) in whorls of 3; perianth differentiated into showy petals and green sepals, the petals white; leaf not differentiated into a sheath and blade separated by a ligule; fruit an aggregate of achenes |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or spike, the flowers (fruits) alternate; perianth not differentiated, consisting of 3 or 6 green or yellow-green tepals; leaf differentiated into an open sheath and blade, with a ligule separating them; fruit an aggregate of achenes or follicles. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Inflorescence ebracteate, with > 10 flowers; leaf without a terminal pore; carpels ascending, appressed to one another |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Inflorescence bracteate, with < 10 flowers; leaf with a terminal pore; carpels widely divergent, at nearly right angles to the axis |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Gynoecium of 1 pistil, with 2-6 stigmas; [wetland and upland plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Leaves strictly or primarily cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Leaves linear, > 15 cm long, hollow or flat; inflorescence an umbel; fresh plants with an oniony odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Leaves linear to lanceolate, < 15 (-30) cm long, flat; inflorescence various, not an umbel; fresh plants without oniony odor. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Petals < 2 cm long, white, blue, or pink; leaves alternate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Petals > 5 cm long, yellow, orange, or red; leaves alternate or whorled |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Leaves strictly or primarily basal (the basal leaves persistent, and larger than any stem leaves). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Perianth differentiated into 3 bright pink petals and 3 green sepals |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Perianth not differentiated, the 6 segments similar in color, shape, and size, of various colors (sometimes pink). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Tepals brown or green, not at all yellow, white, or otherwise more brightly colored; inflorescence branched and complex |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Tepals white, cream, pink, greenish-yellow, yellow, orange, pink, blue, or blue-brown; inflorescence either a terminal umbel, subtended by spathes or bracts, or a terminal raceme or panicle (or a terminal corymb in Ornithogalum in HYACINTHACEAE), not subtended by spathes or bracts. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Inflorescence a terminal umbel, subtended by spathes or bracts; fresh plants with or without an oniony odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle (or a terminal corymb in Ornithogalum in HYACINTHACEAE), not subtended by spathes or bracts. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Tepals evidently connate, fused at least basally and sometimes nearly their entire length; filaments adnate to the tepals. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Tepals 5-8.5 cm long, yellow to orange; anthers dorsifixed (attached near the middle) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Tepals 0.2-1.0 0.2-1.2 (-2.0) cm long, white, cream, yellow, blue, or blue-brown; anthers basifixed (attached at the base) or dorsifixed (attached at the back). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves 4-12 dm long, leathery and somewhat fleshy in texture, erect or ascending |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves < 4 dm long, herbaceous in texture, erect, ascending, or spreading |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Perianth blue or blue-brown, not farinose; leaves 2-7, erect, ascending, or the tips spreading; anthers dorsifixed (attached at the back) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Perianth white, cream, or yellow, farinose-roughened on the outer surface; leaves typically > 8, spreading to slightly ascending (often forming a flattish rosette); anthers basifixed (attached at the bottom) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Tepals completely distinct; filaments free (rarely epitepalous). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Styles 1, lobed only in the upper portion if at all; fruit either loculicidal capsules or berry-like; tepals blue, pink, or white with a broad green central stripe. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Tepals white, with a broad green stripe; inflorescence an umbel or raceme |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Tepals blue or pink; inflorescence a raceme |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Tepals blue, 7-17 mm long; inflorescence a true raceme |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Tepals pink, 3-10 mm long; inflorescence a raceme-like dibotrya |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Styles 3, separate to the base; fruit a septicidal capsules (sometimes then also secondarily loculicidal); tepals white, greenish, yellowish, or pink. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Inflorescence ebracteate, lacking bracts subtending pedicels; tepals pink (Helonias) or white to cream (Chamaelirium). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Flowers white to cream; plants dioecious (individual flowers either male or female) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Flowers pink; plants hermaphroditic (individual flowers bisexual) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Inflorescences bracteate, with bracts subtending individual pedicels and (if they are present) branches of the inflorescence; tepals white, greenish-white, or cream. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Leaves narrowly linear, 1-2.5 mm wide, rigid, keeled, and serrulate; stems and leaves strictly glabrous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Leaves linear or oblanceolate (rarely narrowly linear), > 2 mm wide, flexible, unkeeled, and with entire margins; stems and leaves pubescent with hairs or scales (except Amianthium) |
| 1 Leaves compound. |
| ..2 Plants herbaceous; leaves palmately 3-foliolate or pedately compound |
| ..2 Plants woody; leaves either palmately divided or pinnately compound into > 20 segments |
| 1 Leaves simple. |
| ....3 Leaves opposite or whorled, cauline. |
| ......4 Leaves opposite; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
| ......4 Leaves whorled; flowers radially or bilaterally symmetrical. |
| ........5 Plant with 2 or more leaf-bearing nodes (all nodes whorled or some alternate). |
| ..........6 Leaves broad, < 2× as long as wide, cordate at the base; flowers unisexual and plants dioecious |
| ..........6 Leaves lanceolate, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, > 4× as long as wide, cuneate at the base; flowers bisexual and plants hermaphroditic |
| ........5 Plant with a single leaf-bearing node. |
| ............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 3 leaves |
| ............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 5 or more leaves. |
| ............ ..8 Stem floccose, wiry (and at maturity with a second smaller whorl with usually 3 leaves subtending the flowers); flowers radially symmetrical |
| ............ ..8 Stem glabrous, fleshy, never with a second whorl; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
| ....3 Leaves alternate, either cauline or basal. |
| ............ ....9 Inflorescence a spadix (a dense spike of hundreds of flowers, the rachis thickened and somewhat fleshy) subtended by a spathe (a green, white, orange, yellowish-green, or maroon bract) (spathe missing in Orontium) |
| ............ ....9 Inflorescence otherwise, a raceme, panicle, cyme, umbel, spike, etc., the flowers arrayed in a more diffuse manner, the central rachis not thickened, the inflorescence subtended or not by green or scarious spathes. |
| ............ ......10 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical; fertile stamens 1 or 2 (or 5 in MUSACEAE), often with several staminodes present as well; tepals 6. |
| ............ ........11 Leaf venation parallel; leaves various in size and shape, if > 3 dm long, then < 1 dm wide; perianth often differentiated into a lip and 5 petaloid tepals |
| ............ ........11 Leaf venation prominently penni-parallel; leaves large, at least some on a plant with blade > 2 dm long. |
| ............ ..........12 Fertile stamens 5-6; leaf blades 6-30 dm long |
| ............ ..........12 Fertile stamen 1; leaf blades 0.5-7 dm long. |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves spirally arranged. |
| ............ ............ ..14 Leaves lacking ligules; ovary and fruit with warty excrescences |
| ............ ............ ..14 Leaves with 2 stipule-like ligules; ovary and fruit smooth |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 2-ranked. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Leaves jointed and swollen at the summit of the petiole |
| ............ ............ ....15 Leaves neither jointed not swollen at the summit of the petiole |
| ............ ......10 Flowers radially symmetrical (weakly to strongly bilaterally symmetrical in PONTEDERIACEAE); stamens 6 (rarely 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15, or 18); tepals usually 6 (rarely 3 or 4), when 6, either undifferentiated (6 or 4 tepals) or differentiated into 3 petals and 3 sepals. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence subtended by spathes (well-developed green or scarious bracts). |
| ............ ............ ........17 Perianth not differentiated, consisting of 6 similarly colored and shaped tepals; flowers strongly to slightly bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence lacking well-developed spathaceous bracts |
| ............ ............ ........17 Perianth differentiated into green sepals and more brightly colored petals; flowers radially symmetrical (or weakly bilaterally symmetrical, as in some Commelina). |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Ovary superior; fruit a capsule; stamens 6; [plants mainly of uplands (Murdannia and sometimes Commelina of wetlands)] |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Ovary inferior; fruit a berry; stamens 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18; [plants of wetlands] |
| ............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence not subtended by spathes, though individual small green bracts sometimes subtending individual flowers. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 2 or more pistils (6 in Butomus); fruit achenes or follicles; inflorescence a raceme or panicle with branching in whorls of 3 OR a bracteate umbel; [wetland plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of white petals and green sepals, with 1-many stamens and 3-many carpels (but not consistently with 9 stamens and 6 carpels); inflorescence a raceme or panicle in whorls of 3, branched; leaf blades flat or terete |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of pink petals and green-pink sepals, usually with 9 stamens and 6 carpels; inflorescence an umbel; leaf blades triquetrous in cross-section |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 1 pistil; fruit simple, a capsule or berry; inflorescence various, terminal or axillary, but if a raceme or panicle, not with branching in whorls of 3; [upland (or very rarely wetland) plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves basal or basally disposed. |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 2 (rarely 3 in Convallaria in RUSCACEAE). |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence a raceme; fruit a berry; tepals united, the perianth urceolate |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence an umbel or a solitary flower; fruit a capsule; tepals separate or basally fused. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers in an umbel, white; fresh plants with oniony odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers solitary, white or yellow; fresh plants without strong odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 4 or more. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; fruit a blue or black berry; tepals white or yellow; flowers bisexual |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; fruit a capsule; tepals white, green, yellowish, or pink; flowers either bisexual (Helonias in HELONIADACEAE), or unisexual and primarily on different plants (dioecious) (Chamaelirium in CHIONOGRAPHIDACEAE), or a mix of bisexual and unisexual staminate flowers (Veratrum in MELANTHIACEAE) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescences bracteate, with bracts subtending individual pedicels and (if they are present) branches of the inflorescence; tepals white, greenish-white, or cream |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescence ebracteate, lacking bracts subtending pedicels; flowers bisexual (Helonias) or predominantly unisexual and on different plants (dioecious) (Chamaelirium); tepals pink (Helonias) or white to cream (Chamaelirium). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers white to cream; plants dioecious (individual plants either male or female, with all male flowers or all female flowers) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers pink; plants hermaphroditic (individual flowers bisexual) |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves both cordate/subcordate (rarely merely rounded at the base) and obviously petiolate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary many-flowered umbel; fruit a berry; axillary tendrils often present (absent in some species) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary solitary flower, a few-flowered cyme, or a panicle; fruit a capsule (winged in Dioscorea, unwinged in Croomia); axillary tendrils never present (plant not climbing, or climbing by twining). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 6; stamens 6; flowers unisexual (and generally on separate plants, therefore dioecious); inflorescence of a solitary flowers or a panicle; ovary inferior; [widespread in our area] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 4 (-5); stamens 4 (-5); flowers bisexual; ovary superior; [AL and adjacent GA, FL, and perhaps LA] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves not both cordate/subcordate and petiolate (some with cordate clasping or perfoliate leaf bases). {add [Smilax] SMILACACEAE below} |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves alternate and in whorls at some nodes; flowers orange; tepals > 5 cm long; inflorescence a terminal umbel or single flower |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves strictly alternate; flowers yellow, white, pink, greenish, or maroon; tepals < 5 cm long; inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, panicle or umbel, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; flowers slightly zygomorphic, reddish, the tepals 3.5-4.5 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, or panicle, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower; flowers actinomorphic, variously colored (most white or yellow), the tepals < 3.5 cm long (except Uvularia grandiflora). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed spirally around an erect, unbranched stem; fruit a septicidal capsule; flowers a mixture of bisexual and unisexual (staminate) on a plant; perianth white, greenish white, or maroon. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves basally disposed; leaves not at all to slightly plicate, 1-14 cm wide; tepals glabrous, 4-9 mm long, 1-3 mm wide (3-5 mm wide in M. hybridum), with either conspicuous (M. hybridum) or diffuse (M. parviflorum and M. woodii) glands; filaments fused to the basal claw of the tepal |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves cauline; leaves strongly plicate, 6-15 cm wide; tepals pubescent, 8-13 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, with a conspicuous pair of glands near the base of the tepal blade (these sometimes more or less fused); filaments free from the tepals |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed distichously (2 ranked) along an arching, unbranched or dichotomously (Y-forking) branched stem; fruit a berry or loculicidal capsule; flowers all bisexual; perianth white, pink, or yellow. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile and sterile individuals simple (never branched); inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle (Maianthemum) or axillary racemes or clusters of 1-9 flowers (Polygonatum); fruit a berry. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence terminal, a raceme or panicle; tepals separate; leaves with 3 main parallel veins, acute to acuminate at the apex; foliage green, not glaucous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence of 1-several axillary flowers; tepals fused; leaves with > 7 main parallel veins, obtuse to acute at the apex; foliage blue-green, glaucous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile individuals branched (always at least bifurcate), but sterile individuals in some genera characteristically unbranched; inflorescence either of 1 (-2) flower(s) borne in a leaf axil (Uvularia, Streptopus), or of (1) 2 (-3) flowers borne terminally opposite the last leaf (Prosartes); fruit a berry or capsule. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves perfoliate; fruit a capsule |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves sessile (though sometimes slightly to strongly clasping); fruit a berry or capsule. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem brown, wiry, puberulent; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch approximate to one another (sometimes subopposite) and with noticeably oblique bases; flowers and fruits terminal on the branches |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem green, not wiry, glabrous; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch no closer together than other leaves, with symmetrical bases; flowers (and fruits) either terminal on the branches or solitary and axillary to most leaves. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits in single terminal clusters (sometimes appearing axillary, but still only one cluster per branch of the stem); tepals pale to rich yellow |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits 1 (-2) in the axils of many leaves; tepals white to pink |