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1 Receptacle paleate (bearing receptacular bracts which individually subtend at least some of the flowers of the head). |
..2 Involucres absent or vestigial, usually with 0 phyllaries; heads very small, < 6 mm high, < 4 mm wide; annuals, < 4 dm tall; disc corollas hidden or dingy in color; [tribe Gnaphalieae]. |
....3 Receptacles cylindric to clavate (5-15× as tall as the diameter); most paleae of pistillate flowers open to ± folded (at most each enfolding, not enclosing a floret; apices acuminate to aristate); innermost paleae erect to ascending in fruit; cypselae monomorphic (the outer ± equaling the inner) |
....3 Receptacles obovoid (0.4-1.6× as tall as the diameter); most paleae of pistillate flowers ± saccate, each ± enclosing a floret, apices blunt; innermost paleae spreading in fruit; cypselae dimorphic (the outer longer than the inner) |
..2 Involucres present, conspicuous, of many phyllaries; heads larger, 2-20+ mm wide; perennials or coarse annuals, 2-25 dm tall; disc corollas apparent, white, or pink to purplish or reddish. |
......4 Phyllaries tipped by a hooked spine |
......4 Phyllaries not armed, herbaceous to the tip. |
........5 Cypselae with 5 angles or 5 grooves; involucre 2-3 mm tall and in diameter; pappus of 1 (-5+) usually glandular setae (interpretable as bristles, hence keyed here); [Coastal Plain; FL and GA] |
........5 Cypselae with 10 ribs; involucre 3.5-12 (-15) mm tall and in diameter; pappus of 35-40 barbellulate bristles; [mainly Coastal Plain; VA south to s. FL, west to e. LA] |
..........6 Heads larger, the involucre 6-15 mm high, with 15-40 phyllaries; leaves with conspicuous (at least at 10× magnification) resin dots. |
..........6 Heads smaller, the involucre 3.5-6 mm high, with 5-12 phyllaries; leaves without shining punctate glands (except punctate-glandular in Litrisa carnosa, of the FL peninsula). |
............ 7 Stem with punctate glands; peduncles punctate-glandular and also hirsutulous; pappus bristles in 2 series; [of FL peninsula] |
............ 7 Stem eglandular, glabrous or spreading-hirsute; peduncles glabrous or stipitate-glandular; pappus bristles in 1 series; [widespread in the Coastal Plain]. |
1 Receptacle epaleate (lacking receptacular bracts individually subtending flowers, but the receptacle sometimes bearing bristles, setae, hairs, or pits with laciniate margins; some taxa lacking paleae on many or most flowers of the head are keyed here as well, as a failsafe). |
............ ..8 Phyllaries in 1-2 series and equal or subequal in length to one another, the phyllaries often coherent/fused (the involucre thus appearing as a cylinder with ribs extending from base to top, except in species in which the phyllaries are radially winged); calyculus (of bracts subtending the phyllaries and differing from them in texture, color, or orientation) present or not; [tribe Senecioneae] |
............ ....9 Annuals, 2-10 dm tall (or perennial, vining or sprawling and to 30 dm long in Gynura); leaves cauline and alternate; disc flowers orangey-brown, brick-red, purplish, yellow. |
............ ......10 Plants perennial, vining or sprawling, velutinous or villous with purple hairs |
............ ......10 Plants annual, upright or ascending, not purple-hairy. |
............ ........11 Involucre subtended by several leafy bracts; cypselae 8- or 10-ribbed |
............ ........11 Involucre not subtended by bracts; cypselae 5-ribbed |
............ ....9 Perennials (robust annuals in Erechtites), 2-30 dm tall; leaves basally disposed and alternate on the stem (except only alternate in Erechtites); disc flowers cream or yellow (rarely pale lavender in Arnoglossum). |
............ ..........12 Plants annual, with leaves primarily on the stem; leaves sharply and raggedly toothed or even pinnately lobed; heads disciform (the outer flowers female, the middle bisexual, and the inner functionally male) |
............ ..........12 Plants perennial, with leaves basally disposed (larger basal leaves, decreasing in size upwards, the basal leaves sometimes withering late in the year); leaves with generally regular toothing, stem leaves sometimes pinnately lobed; heads discoid (all flowers bisexual) |
............ ............ 13 Disc flowers yellow. |
............ ............ ..14 Perennials; leaves basally disposed, the basal or lower stem leaves unlobed (though toothed) |
............ ............ ..14 Annuals; leaves not basally disposed, evenly distributed on the stem, the lower stem leaves more-or-less pinnatifid |
............ ............ 13 Disc flowers cream, white, or greenish white (to pale lavender in some Arnoglossum). |
............ ............ ....15 Phyllaries 5, radially wing-keeled or not; disc flowers 5; calyculus absent |
............ ............ ....15 Phyllaries 7-21, not radially winged; disc flowers 10-55 (-80+); calyculus absent or of 1-9+ bracts. |
............ ............ ......16 Plants (5-) 6-24 dm tall; calyculus of 4-9+ bracts; [collectively relatively widespread in our region] |
............ ............ ......16 Plants 1-7 dm tall; calyculus absent or of 1-5+ bracts; [Mountains of w. NC and e. TN] |
............ ..8 Phyllaries in 3-17 series and unequal in length (imbricated); calyculus absent. |
............ ............ ........17 Stem prominently winged, the wings > 1 mm wide |
............ ............ ........17 Stem not winged (sometimes the leaves decurrent < 2 cm down the stem from the node). |
............ ............ ..........18 Phyllaries usually 12-30+ in 3-10+ series, scarious (at least the margins). |
............ ............ ............ 19 Plants perennial, mat-forming by stolons, with basal rosettes of spatulate leaves, these usually with obvious appressed hairiness on (at least) the lower and (sometimes also) the upper blade surfaces; erect stems (with scattered alternate leaves) 4-45 cm tall; plants usually dioecious (pistillate and staminate heads on separate plants) |
............ ............ ............ 19 Plants annual, biennial, or perennial, not mat-forming or stoloniferous, erect, the leaves usually lanceolate or linear (spatulate in some species), leaf surface hairiness variable; erect stems (with alternate leaves) 5-80 cm tall; plants hermaphroditic (with heads containing both pistillate and functionally staminate flowers) or dioecious or subdioecious (in Anaphalis). |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Plants perennials; heads discoid (unisexual or nearly so); plants usually unisexual and dioecious |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Plants annuals (perennials in Omalotheca sylvatica); heads disciform (each bisexual); plants hermaphroditic. |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves oblanceolate, 1.5-4 mm wide, notched at the tip or with a minute apiculus in the notch; pappus bristles persistent, plumose |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves various in shape, the lager > 4 mm wide, acuminate, acute, obtuse or rounded at the tip; pappus readily falling, the bristles barbellate to barbellulate. |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Heads in capitate clusters arrayed in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays; phyllaries white or silvery; pappus bristles distinct, falling individually |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Pappus bristles connate basally into a ring, falling together |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Pappus bristles distinct, falling individually |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Heads in spicate arrays, or in glomerules axillary to leaves or well-developed bracts; phyllaries white to red-tinged or brown; pappus connate at the base into a ring, falling as a unit. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Perennial; phyllaries in 2-3 series; cypselas strigillose; involucre light to dark brown; [waif, in PA] |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Annual; phyllaries in 3-7 series; cypselas papillate or glabrous; involucre white to red-tinged or brown; [widespread in our region] |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Pappus of 12-28 bristles; cypsela faces papillate |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 pappus of 8-12 bristles; cypsela faces glabrous |
............ ............ ..........18 Phyllaries in 3-5 series, herbaceous to thickened, generally green in color. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Disc corollas yellow, pale yellow, orange, reddish, or brown. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Phyllaries 5, in one series; phyllaries streaked with elongate glands filled with strong-scented oil |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Phyllaries 10-60+ in 2-9 series; phyllaries eglandular or with small punctate glands. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Phyllaries strongly armed with long spines |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Phyllaries unarmed |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Decumbent annual, to 2 dm tall; heads solitary and axillary |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Erect or ascending annual or perennial, 1-15 dm tall; heads in corymbiform, paniculiform, or racemiform arrays. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Plants dioecious, either male or female; heads either staminate, with 10-50 flowers, or pistillate, with 20-150 flowers; heads pale yellow to white |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Plants hermaphroditic; heads bisexual, with 2-35 flowers, either all perfect (bisexual), or a mixture of perfect (bisexual) and functionally staminate flowers.; heads yellow to pale yellow. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves entire; flowers 2-6 per head; heads arrayed in a neatly flat-topped corymb |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves (at least the larger) toothed or lobed; flowers 5-35 per head; heads in racemiform, paniculiform, or corymbiform arrays, but if corymbiform, irregular. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Larger leaves 2.5-10 cm long, 1-4 cm wide; involucres 6-12 mm in diameter; [widespread in our region] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Larger leaves 1-5 cm long, < 1 cm wide; involucres 2-7 mm in diameter; [s. and se. TX]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Inflorescences in rounded, corymbiform arrays; leaves glabrous |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Inflorescences in elongate, racemiform to paniculiform arrays; leaves moderately to densely hairy with both glandular and non-glandular hairs |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Disc corollas pink, purple, lavender, blue, or white. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Phyllaries either spine-tipped, or appendaged with a marginal zone that is strikingly different in color and texture than the phyllary body (except Leuzea); receptacle epaleate, but densely beset with bristles or subulate scales (flattened bristles). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Phyllaries scarious-margined, neither spine-tipped nor appendaged with dentate or fringed appendages |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Plyllaries either spine-tipped or appendaged. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Phyllaries tipped by a hooked spine |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Phyllaries appendaged, the appendage black, brown, tan, or scarious, and toothed or fimbriate. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Phyllary bodies linear, their margins entire (phyllary appendages fimbriate; however); leaf margins entire, denticulate or serrulate |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Phyllary bodies oblong, ovate, or obovate, both their margins and appendages fimbriate; leaf margins entire, toothed, or pinnately lobed. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Flower heads pink, lavender, or purplish; phyllary appendages scarious and spineless, decurrent along the phyllary margin nearly to the phyllary base; perennial; flowers pink to purple, flowering Jun-Oct |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Flowers heads blue; phyllary appendages not or only slightly decurrent along the phyllary margins; annual; flowers pale to medium blue, flowering Apr-Jun |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Phyllaries not armed, also not appendaged with a marginal zone that is strikingly different in color and texture than the phyllary body. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Plants dioecious, either male or female; heads either staminate, with 10-50 flowers, or pistillate, with 20-150 flowers; heads pale yellow to white |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Plants hermaphroditic; heads bisexual, with 3-100+ flowers, either all perfect (bisexual), or a mixture of perfect (bisexual) and functionally staminate flowers.; heads purple, pink, lavender, or whitish. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaf blades orbicular; leaf margin scalloped or crenate; [rare waif in our region] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaf blades linear, lanceolate, or ovate; leaf margin entire, serrulate, or serrate; [collectively common and widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Style branch appendages absent, the style branch stigmatic along the upper surface nearly to the tip; [tribe Vernonieae]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Pappus bristles in 1 series; heads disciform (the outer flowers of the head pistillate, the inner flowers of the head functionally staminate); leaf margins toothed; corollas white to cream or pink (rarely purple) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Pappus bristles in 2 series, the outer much shorter; heads discoid (all flowers bisexual and fertile); leaf margins toothed or entire; corollas purple or deep pink (rarely pale pink or white) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Style branch appendages deltate, lanceolate, or terete to clavate, the style branch YYYY. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Style branch appendages deltate or lanceolate; style branches stigmatic along 2 lines from near the base to the attachment of the appendage; [tribe Astereae]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Disc flowers 8-20; pappus bristles in 2 series; [GA and Panhandle FL west to AL, GA, and LA] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Disc flowers 75-95+; pappus bristles in 1 series; [waif] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Style branch appendages terete to clavate; style branches "eupatorious", linear to slightly clavate-thickened at the tip, the stigmatic surface XXXX; [tribe Eupatorieae] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Lower stem leaves with at least a few divergent teeth; phyllaries elongate-striate nerved |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 All leaves entire (or at most with a few obscure crenations); phyllaries lacking elongate striations, the nerving not apparent. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Heads borne in spiciform or racemiform arrays (all heads directly attached to a central access of the capitulescence) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Heads borne in corymbiform, paniculiform, or thyrsiform arrays (at least some heads borne on secondary branches of the capitulescence. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Involucres 2-3 mm tall; cypselas 5-ribbed |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Heads 3-20 mm tall; cypselas 10-ribbed. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Heads 3.5-6 mm tall; phyllaries 5-12 in 1-2 (-3) series; [Coastal Plain, NC to FL to e. LA]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Stem with punctate glands; peduncles punctate-glandular and also hirsutulous; pappus bristles in 2 series; [of FL peninsula] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Stem eglandular, glabrous or spreading-hirsute; peduncles glabrous or stipitate-glandular; pappus bristles in 1 series; [widespread in the Coastal Plain]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Heads 3-20 mm tall; phyllaries 15-50+ in 3-7 series; [collectively widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Heads borne in corymbiform arrays; involucres 6-12 (15) mm tall; receptacles paleate, at least towards the periphery of the receptacle; pappus of 35-40 barbellulate to barbellate bristles; [nearly restricted to the Coastal Plain] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Heads borne in paniculiform or thyrsiform arrays; involucres 3-20 mm tall; receptacles epaleate; pappus of 12-40 coarsely barbellate, subplumose, or plumose bristles; [widespread in our region] |