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 Fruit a fleshy drupe; plant a small tree, shrub, or sprawling vine; mature stems terete or obscurely 4-sided (by secondary growth). |
..2 Flowers zygomorphic; leaves simple or palmately (3-) 5-7 (-9) foliolate; [subfamily Viticoideae] |
..2 Flowers essentially actinomorphic; leaves simple. |
....3 Stems pubescent with dendritic hairs; inflorescence axillary; calyx 0.5-2 mm, lobes diminutive to nearly obsolete; [genus incertae sedis] |
....3 Stems glabrous or pubescent with simple hairs; inflorescence terminal (rarely only axillary); calyx 5-18 mm, lobes conspicuous; [subfamily Ajugoideae] |
1 Fruit a schizocarp of 4 dry mericarps; plant either an herb or a shrub to 5 (-20) dm tall; mature stems usually distinctly 4-sided (sometimes terete or obscurely 4-sided). |
......4 Calyx with either a distinctly enlarged protuberance on the upper surface, or the upper lobe expanded and “cap-like”. |
........5 Calyx with 5 lobes, clearly separate apically, with the upper lobe expanded and “cap-like” |
........5 Calyx with 2 entire lobes joined at the margins, rounded apically, with a distinct protuberance on the upper surface |
......4 Calyx without an enlarged protuberance or “cap-like” upper lobe. |
..........6 Upper lip of corolla greatly reduced or lobes laterally disposed, thus the corolla appearing to consist of one large lower lip; [subfamily Ajugoideae]. |
............ 7 Lower lip with 2-4 lobes; flowers yellow or deep blue-purple; plants stoloniferous |
............ 7 Lower lip appearing 5-lobed (proximal 2 lateral, erect lobes represent the cryptic upper lip); flowers white to pink; plants cespitose |
..........6 Upper lip of corolla conspicuous, flaring or galeate. |
............ ..8 Plants distinctly repent and rooting at the nodes, or producing elongate stolons. |
............ ....9 Plants repent. |
............ ......10 Herbs; leaves cordate-reniform, coarsely crenate, the blade > 1 cm long; inflorescence of axillary cymules; corollas 10-20 mm |
............ ......10 Subshrubs; leaves ovate to elliptic, entire, the blade < 1 cm long; inflorescence a terminal thyrse; corollas 4-5 mm |
............ ....9 Plants stoloniferous. |
............ ........11 Inflorescence in dense axillary verticils; calyx and corolla actinomorphic, calyx 4-5-lobed, flowers 3-4 mm long |
............ ........11 Inflorescence terminal; calyx and corolla zygomorphic, calyx 5-lobed, flowers 20-30 mm long |
............ ..8 Plants not distinctly repent or stoloniferous. |
............ ..........12 Calyx with 6-10 lobes or teeth. |
............ ............ 13 Calyx zygomorphic, canescent with simple trichomes, spinose lobe tips straight |
............ ............ 13 Calyx actinomorphic or essentially so, densely pubescent with stellate hairs, spinose lobe tips uncinate |
............ ..........12 Calyx with 5 or fewer lobes or teeth. |
............ ............ ..14 Calyx with 3-4 prominent lobes (rarely 5, if one includes small teeth). |
............ ............ ....15 Calyx and corolla essentially actinomorphic |
............ ............ ....15 Calyx and corolla zygomorphic. |
............ ............ ......16 Calyx with 4 unequal primary lobes; flowers large, 2.5-3.5 cm long, in bracteate terminal racemes |
............ ............ ......16 Calyx with 3 primary lobes (upper lobe occasionally with 3 apiculate teeth, e.g. Salvia lyrata); flowers 3 cm or less, in terminal thyrses. |
............ ............ ........17 Stamens 4; calyx enveloped and partially concealed by subtending bracts |
............ ............ ........17 Stamens 2; calyx not enveloped by subtending bracts. |
............ ............ ..........18 Shrubs; calyx with simple and dendritic hairs; leaves revolute, coriaceous |
............ ............ ..........18 Herbs; calyx with simple trichomes; leaves non-revolute, margins various, membranaceous |
............ ............ ..14 Calyx usually with 5 prominent lobes (except for Clinopodium with rarely fused upper lobes). |
............ ............ ............ 19 Fertile stamens 0-2. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Calyx actinomorphic or essentially so; corollas actinomorphic or zygomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla actinomorphic, lobes spreading and nearly equal (one lobe slightly emarginate and/or enlarged). |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Inflorescences axillary; foliage not or faintly aromatic |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Inflorescences terminal; foliage strongly aromatic |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla zygomorphic (bilabiate). |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence in loose terminal and axillary cymules; corollas not galeate or arching |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence densely capitate (often also axillary); corollas strongly galeate, arching |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Calyx and corollas clearly zygomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Corolla 7-20 mm; inflorescence a densely clustered terminal or axillary cyme, or a well developed panicle. |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a dense cluster of one or more terminal cymules (occasionally just axillary); lower lip of corolla not fringed |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a panicle; lower lip of corolla conspicuously fringed |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Corolla ca. 3-10 mm long; inflorescence a loose axillary cyme or slender terminal spike or spike-like panicle. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Corolla 3.5-4 mm, borne 2 per node in a slender terminal spike; middle lobe of upper calyx reduced |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Corolla 4-10 mm, borne in axillary cymes or spike-like panicle; upper calyx lobes similar. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers in loose axillary cymes; calyx gibbous, throat closed by hairs; corollas ca. 4-5 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers in a spike-like panicle; calyx not gibbous or closed by hairs; corollas ca. 10 mm long |
............ ............ ............ 19 Fertile stamens 4. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Stamens ascending under the upper corolla lip, either included within the tube (or at least not clearly exserted beyond it). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Calyx actinomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Flowers borne in terminal verticils or thyrses, with reduced bracteal leaves. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Calyx 15-nerved; verticils tightly aggregated |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Calyx 5-10-nerved; verticils well spaced |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Flowers borne in axils of well-developed leaves, or a terminal raceme with 1 flower per node. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Calyx lobes with thickened spinescent apices. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Stems often with swollen nodes (areas just below appear dark and sunken upon drying, except G. ladanum); hairs of the stem either exclusively hispid or short recurved and mixed with longer glandular trichomes; corolla 15-28 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Stems without swollen nodes; hairs of the stem finely and softly retrorse, generally lacking glandular hairs (though sessile glands may be present); corolla 5-14 mm long. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Corolla 5-7 mm long, not much longer than the calyx, weakly bilabiate and lacking an annulus |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Corolla 8-14 mm long and well-exceeding the calyx, strongly galeate and annulate |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Calyx lobes without spinescent apices (although lobes may be pointed or acute). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Flowers in terminal racemes, corolla tube broadly inflated |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Flowers borne in axils of well developed leaves, corolla tube not broadly inflated. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Verticils 2-6-flowered, loose; corollas 5-7 mm |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Verticils 6-12-flowered, compact; corollas 10-30 mm. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Corolla 10-15 mm long; calyx with 10+ nerves |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Corolla 10-30 mm long; calyx 5-nerved |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Calyx zygomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Shrubs, diffusely branched; [restricted to se. Coastal Plain and Cumberland Plateau] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Herbs, branched or unbranched; [collectively widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Calyx teeth distinctly white or pink, noticeably different from the tube |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Calyx teeth coloration not noticeably different from the tube. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Flowers 1 per bracteal axil. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Corolla nearly regular, 4-6 mm long. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Corolla bilabiate, >10 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Flowers 2-many per bract or leaf axil. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Plants lemon-scented, flowers in the axils of well-developed leaves |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Plants mint-scented or non-aromatic, flowers terminal and/or axillary. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Upper median calyx lobe longer and wider than the other 4; flowers terminal |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Upper lobes differing in sinus depth and/or size from the lower lobes; flowers borne variously. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Bracts broadly rounded, apiculate or absent. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Bracts broadly rounded, apiculate; inflorescence terminal |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Bracts wanting; inflorescence axillary |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Bracts setaceous or elliptic, but not broadly rounded or apiculate, present. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Calyx clearly bilabiate; corollas 7-15 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Calyx scarcely bilabiate; corollas 5-7 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Stamens (at least some) well exserted beyond the upper corolla lobe. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Lower lip of corolla distinctly fringed |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Lower lip of corolla not fringed. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Calyx zygomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Flowers in dense terminal capitate clusters, subtended by large bracteal leaves (these often whitened on the upper surface and especially towards the base) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Flowers borne otherwise. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Flowers borne in few-flowered cymose axillary clusters, overall appearing paniculate; [subfamily Ajugoideae] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Flowers borne in a spike-like terminal thyrse. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Corolla pink to lavender or white, 11-17 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Corolla blue (rarely white), 7-12 mm long |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Calyx actinomorphic. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers borne in a dense terminal spike, 2-3-verticilled globose head, or spiciform thryse. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Inflorescence secund |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Inflorescence terete. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Small plants to ca. 30 cm; leaves short, sessile, linear- lanceolate with revolute, entire margins; [endemic to FL and se. GA] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Large plants, well over 30 cm tall; leaves often petiolate, broadly ovate or lanceolate, margins not revolute or entire; [collectively widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Bracts broadly rounded; corolla distinctly bilabiate; plants 1-3 m tall |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Bracts linear-lanceolate; corolla nearly regular; plants < 1 m tall |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers borne in axillary verticils or terminal (capitate to loosely flowered) clusters. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Flowers in axillary clusters, corolla nearly regular. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Axillary clusters loose, 1-3-flowered; [subfamily Ajugoideae] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Axillary clusters dense, many-flowered; corolla white-pink |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Stems scabrous; corolla mostly blue-violet |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Stems glabrous to pubescent; corolla mostly white-pink |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Flowers in densely capitate or loosely flowered terminal clusters, corolla distinctly bilabiate. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers in loosely branched terminal and axillary cymes |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers densely capitate cluster or terminal spike of well spaced verticils. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Inflorescence either capitate or a spike, not subtended by large bracteal leaves |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Inflorescence capitate, subtended by large bracteal leaves (these often whitened on the upper surface and especially towards the base) |