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1 Tendrils present on plant; leaves modified into tendrils (leaflike structures present clearly interpretable as stipules); [tribe Fabeae]. |
..2 Legume 4-7 mm wide; corolla 10-13 mm long |
..2 Legume 12-20 mm wide; corolla 18-25 mm long |
1 Tendrils absent; leaves or stipules present on plant and interpretable as leaves with 1 leaflet. |
....3 Leaflet blades roundish, 0.6-1.5× as long as wide. |
......4 Leaves with a well-developed petiole, > 0.5 cm long. |
........5 Leaflet margins dentate; corollas white to pink; [tribe Psoraleeae] |
........5 Leaflet margins entire; corollas yellow; [tribe Phaseoleae] |
......4 Leaves sessile, subsessile, or perfoliate. |
..........6 Corolla bright or creamy yellow; stamens separate; leaves all 1-foliolate; leaflet blades perfoliate or sessile; [tribe Thermopsideae] |
..........6 Corolla violet to blue (drying pale); stamens diadelphous; leaves 1-foliolate and with some leaves 3-foliolate or 2-foliolate; leaflet blades cuneate, subsessile; [tribe Psoraleeae] |
....3 Leaflet blades elongate, 1.5-15× as long as wide. |
............ 7 Leaves basally disposed. |
............ ..8 Leaflet blades elliptic, widest near the midpoint of the blade; flowers pink, rose, or purplish; legume straight; [native of the Coastal Plain, se. NC south to s. FL, west to e. LA]; [tribe Genisteae] |
............ ..8 Leaflet blades oblanceolate, widest well past the midpoint of the blade; flowers yellow; legume coiled; [rare waif]; [tribe Loteae] |
............ 7 Leaves all or primarily cauline. |
............ ....9 Leaves long-petioled, the petiole > 2 cm long. |
............ ......10 Petiole winged its entire length; leaflet blade 2-4× as long as wide, sagittate at the base; foliage not glandular; [tribe Phaseoleae] |
............ ......10 Petiole not winged; leaflet blade 8-15× as long as wide, cuneate at the base; foliage glandular-punctate; [tribe Psoraleeae] |
............ ....9 Leaves sessile, subsessile, or short-petiolate, the petiole < 1.5 cm long. |
............ ........11 Stamens monadelphous; corolla yellow, 8-30 mm long; [tribe Crotalarieae] |
............ ........11 Stamens diadelphous; corolla purple, lavender, or cream, 5-15 mm long. |
............ ..........12 Corolla 11-15 mm long, purple; [se. and s. TX]; [tribe Diocleae] |
............ ..........12 Corolla 5-7 mm long, lavender or cream; [widespread in our area] |
............ ............ 13 Flowers solitary in leaf axils; [tribe Loteae] |
............ ............ 13 Flowers in racemose inflorescences; [tribe Desmodieae] |
1 Stamens separate, unfused; stipules (at least the lower on the stem) often persistent, foliaceous, not striate; corollas yellow, white, or purple-blue. |
..2 Legumes turgid, inflated; corolla white, cream, yellow, blue, or purple; [widespread in our area, especially Coastal Plain] |
..2 Legumes laterally compressed; corolla yellow; [primarily montane, elsewhere as an escape from cultivation] |
1 Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous; stipules either caducous or well-developed and persistent, and then separate or adnate to the petiole; corollas pink, blue, violet, yellow, or white. |
....3 Stamens monadelphous; corollas 7-20 mm long. |
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........5 Plants glandular-punctate. |
........5 Plants eglandular |
..........6 Calyx deeply 5-lobed; upright (rarely sprawling) annual herbs, mostly 8-20 dm tall |
..........6 Calyx with the upper 4 lobes connate; decumbent perennial herbs, the stems to 5 dm long |
....3 Stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); corollas 3-16 mm long. |
............ 7 Foliage punctate-glandular; corollas blue, violet, or white. |
............ ..8 Fruit not beaked; corollas 4.5-8 mm long |
............ ..8 Fruit beaked, the beak 3-7 mm long; corollas 7-12 mm long |
............ 7 Foliage eglandular; corollas purple, pink, red, or white. |
............ ....9 Lateral veins of each leaflet lateral veins neatly straight and parallel to one another; leaflets entire; [tribe Desmodieae] |
............ ....9 Lateral veins of each leaflet complicatedly and irregularly arrayed; leaflets denticulate; [tribe Trifolieae] |