Colors

Data mode

Account

Login
Sign up

X
Keyed in multiple places:

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.

Key to Fabaceae, Key H: herbaceous legumes with once-pinnately, odd-pinnately compound leaves with 5 or more leaflets
[subfamilies Faboideae and Caesalpinioideae]

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

1 Lateral veins of each leaflet neatly straight and parallel to one another; [tribe Millettieae]
1 Lateral veins of each leaflet complicatedly and less regularly arrayed.
..2 Leaves (at least the largest and those with the most leaflets) with ≥ 13 leaflets.
....3 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles (looking like a miniature cocklebur, Xanthium); leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae]
....3 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread].
......4 Leaflets conspicuously dentate; [tribe Cicereae]
......4 Leaflets entire.
........5 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other).
..........6 Petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; [tribe Indigofereae]
..........6 Petals pink-purple to violet; [tribe Galegeae]
........5 Hairs basifixed.
............ 7 Fruit a loment (jointed between each seed and splitting into single-seeded segments).
............ ..8 Loments cylindrical, jointed but not noticeably constricted between the seeds; Inflorescence an umbel of (7-) 10-15 flowers; [tribe Loteae]
............ ..8 Loments flattened, prominently constricted between the seeds; inflorescence a raceme or umbel of 2-8 flowers.
............ ....9 Corolla primarily white to pink; loments 1-2.5 cm long, not borne on a stipe; [tribe Coronilleae]
............ ....9 Corolla primarily yellow (sometimes also marked with pink or orange); loments 2-5 cm long, borne on a 1-20 mm long stipe (above the calyx); [tribe Dalbergieae]
............ 7 Fruit a legume (lacking joints between each seed, though sometimes the pod constricted).
............ ......10 Inflorescences pedunculate, axillary racemes; leaflets eglandular; fruits dehiscent; [tribe Galegeae]
............ ......10 Inflorescences terminal racemes, spikes, or heads; leaflets glandular-punctate or not; fruits indehiscent.
............ ........11 Fruit 1-seeded; leaflets glandular-punctate; [tribe Amorpheae]
............ ........11 Fruit with several seeds; leaflets eglandular; [tribe Sophoreae]
..2 Leaves (the largest and those with the most leaflets) with < 11 leaflets.
............ ..........12 Fruit a loment (constricted between each seed and splitting into single-seeded segments); petals primarily yellow (sometimes also marked with pink or orange); [of the se. Coastal Plain, from e. GA southwards and westwards]; [tribe Dalbergieae].
............ ............ 13 Stems ascending or erect; loment subterete
............ ............ 13 Stems prostrate, trailing; loment flattened
............ ..........12 Fruit a legume (lacking constrictions between the seeds); petals variously colored; [collectively widespread].
............ ............ ..14 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles; leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae]
............ ............ ..14 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread].
............ ............ ....15 Plants with basal rosettes, the basal and cauline leaves a mixture of simple and pinnately compound; [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Loteae]
............ ............ ....15 Plants with primarily cauline leaves, all pinnately compound; [collectively widespread].
............ ............ ......16 Plants erect or ascending herbs.
............ ............ ........17 Leaves with 5 leaflets, the 2 basal leaflets positioned like stipules at the base of the leaf (the leaf thus sessile); [tribe Loteae]
............ ............ ........17 Leaves with 5-9 (or fewer or more and then keyed elsewhere), the lower leaflets positioned above a definite petiole.
............ ............ ..........18 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; flowers papilionaceous; stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); leaflets often > 5 mm wide; legume 3+-seeded; flowers 5-12 mm long, in racemes; [tribe Indigofereae]
............ ............ ..........18 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; flowers not papilionaceous, barely bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 5, monadelphous; leaflets 0.5-5 mm wide; legume 1-seeded; flowers very small, < 5.5 mm long, aggregated into tight spike; [tribe Amorpheae]
............ ............ ......16 Plants prostrate or twining herbaceous vines.
............ ............ ............ 19 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; [tribe Indigofereae]
............ ............ ............ 19 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; [tribe Phaseoleae].
............ ............ ............ ..20 Flower usually solitary, resupinate (twisted at 180° so that the standard is below); standard 3.5-5 cm long
............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers few to many in racemes, normally oriented (with the standard above); standard < 2.5 cm long.
............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla purplish, maroon, brownish, or yellowish green; leaflets 4-9 cm long, on petioles 3-5 mm long; keel coiled
............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla either white with red striations or lavender; leaflets 2-5 cm long, on petioles 1-2 mm long; keel carinate, not coiled
Cite as...