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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] |
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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 Leaflets denticulate (sometimes inconspicuously so); [tribe Trifolieae]. |
2 Inflorescences elongate racemes with an axis 5-15 cm long, the flowers well-spaced along the axis, the overall inflorescence much longer than its diameter |
2 Inflorescences umbellate or headlike clusters or short racemes with an axis < 2 cm long, the flowers closely clustered, the overall inflorescence little (if at all) longer than its diameter. |
3 Legumes spirally coiled or curved, often tuberculate or prickly; stems 4-angled towards the tip |
3 Legumes straight or nearly so, never tuberculate or prickly; stems terete or flattened (2-angled) towards the tip |
1 Leaflets entire (and sometimes also with 1 or 2 broad lobes), or with scattered, irregular large teeth ( Pachyrhizus erosus). |
4 Main stems erect or ascending, not trailing, twining, or otherwise vine-like. |
5 Flowers not papilionaceous (the wings and keel epistemonous, arising terminally or laterally from the stamen tube), barely bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 5, monadelphous; [tribe Amorpheae] |
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6 Plants with separate leafy and flowering stems (the flowering stems naked or nearly so of leaves). |
7 Standard bright red, remaining folded, 30-50 mm long; leaves hastately lobed; fruit a torulose legume, 6-20 cm long, the seeds red; [tribe Phaseoleae] |
7 Standard white or pink, expanded, 4-8 mm long; leaves not hastate; fruit a flattened loment, < 5 cm long, the seeds drab; [tribe Desmodieae] |
6 Plants bearing leaves and flowers on the same stems. |
8 Leaves, stems, and/or calyces glandular- punctate. |
9 Corollas pink or lavender/purplish; leaflets estipellate; fruit 1-seeded, indehiscent; [tribe Psoraleae] |
9 Corollas yellow; leaflets stipellate; fruit 2-many-seeded, dehiscent; [tribe Phaseoleae, subtribe Cajaninae] |
8 Leaves, stems, and calyces lacking punctate glands. |
10 Leaflet blades large, at least the largest terminal leaflets on a plant > 5 cm long. |
11 Stipels absent on the petiolules of mature leaflets; stamens monadelphous. |
12 Fruit a legume (not segmented into 1-seed dispersal units), hairy but the hairs not hooked; [plants cultivated as garden plants, rare as waifs] |
12 Fruit a loment (separating into single-seeded segments), uncinulate (with hooked hairs, the fruits attaching to hairs or clothes as 'stick-tights'); [plants widespread, common] |
11 Stipels present, persistent; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1). |
13 Fruit a loment (separating into single-seeded segments), uncinulate (with hooked hairs, the fruits attaching to hairs or clothes as 'stick-tights'); [plants widespread, common] |
13 Fruit a legume (not segmented into 1-seed dispersal units), hairy but the hairs not hooked; [plants cultivated as crops or garden plants, rare as waifs] |
14 sKeel of corolla not coiled; stipules inconspicuous; [soy beans] |
14 Keel of corolla coiled 1-3 turns; stipules conspicuous, persistent, striate; [bush green beans or lima beans] |
10 Leaflet blades smaller, all on a plant < 5 cm long. |
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16 Fruit a loment (separating into single-seeded segments), uncinulate (with hooked hairs, the fruits attaching to hairs or clothes as 'stick-tights') |
16 Fruit a several- to many-seeded legume, glabrous to hairy (but not uncinulate) |
15 Stipels absent on the petiolules of mature leaflets. |
17 Fruits dehiscent, a legume with 2 or more seeds. |
18 Terminal leaflet very similar in size as the 2 lateral leaflets; banner petal prominently striate-veined |
18 Terminal leaflet 2× or more as long as the 2 lateral leaflets; banner petal evenly colored |
17 Fruits indehiscent: either 1-seeded, or a loment with 2 or more one-seeded ( indehiscent) segments. |
19 Petioles fused most of length with amplexicaul stipules, the leaves thus appearing sessile or nearly so; corollas lemon to orangy yellow; flowers subsessile; fruit a loment of 2 segments, the terminal segment fertile, the lower segment either sterile or fertile |
19 Petioles free from stipules, leaves evidently petiolate; corollas white to pink; flowers pedicellate; fruit either 1-seeded, or a loment normally with 3+ segments |
20 Fruit a loment, with 1-3 segments; terminal leaflets 3-10 cm long, 1-1.5× as long as wide; stamens monadelphous |
20 Fruit 1-seeded; terminal leaflets 1-5 cm long, 1.2-8× as long as wide; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1) |
4 Main stems trailing, twining, creeping, or climbing or sprawling over other vegetation. |
21 Leaves, stems, and/or calyces glandular- punctate; corollas yellow. |
21 Leaves, stems, and calyces lacking punctate glands; corollas yellow, pink, purplish, white, red, blue. |
22 Leaflet blades smaller, all on a plant < 5 cm long. |
23 Stipels absent on the petiolules of mature leaflets. |
24 Fruit a loment of 2 segments, the terminal segment fertile, the lower segment either sterile or fertile; corollas lemon to orangy yellow |
24 Fruit 1-seeded; corollas pink-purplish to white, or bronze to brick-red. |
25 Corollas pink-purplish to white |
25 Corollas bronze to brick-red |
23 Stipels present, persistent (minute in Amphicarpaea). |
26 Fruit a loment (separating into single-seeded segments), uncinulate (with hooked hairs, the fruits attaching to hairs or clothes as 'stick-tights'). |
27 Flowers in axillary or terminal racemes; leaflets rotund, broadly ovate, broadly elliptic, or narrowly elliptic, the larger > 1 cm long. |
27 Flowers in axillary clusters; leaflets broadly obovate, 0.5-1 cm long |
26 Fruit a legume, dehiscent (at least tardily), unsegmented, and with 2+ seeds. |
28 Flowers resupinate (the pedicel twisted 180 degrees), the banner 2.5-5.5 cm long and positioned lowermost. |
29 Calyx lobes equal to or longer than the calyx tube; fruits 3-5 mm wide |
29 Calyx lobes shorter than the calyx tube; fruits 5-8 mm wide |
28 Flowers not resupinate, the banner 0.7-2.5 cm long and positioned uppermost. |
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30 Stipules persistent, sometimes conspicuous, sometimes striate. |
31 Keel petal and the included style straight to gently upcurved; stems very slender, < 0.75 mm in diameter |
31 Keel petal and the included style either strongly curved upwards 90-180 degrees, or even more extensively coiled (asymmetrically and spirally) in towards the flower center; stems slender to thicker, > 0.75 mm in diameter. |
32 Keel petal and the included style strongly curved upwards 90-180 degrees; corollas yellow or pink to lavender (or whitish). |
33 Corollas pink to lavender (or whitish); corolla keel usually somewhat twisted, asymmetrical; [widespread in our region] |
33 Corollas yellow; corolla keel symmetrical; [mainly outer Coastal Plain] |
32 Keel petal and the included style extensively coiled > 180 degrees (asymmetrically and spirally) in towards the flower center; corollas pink, purple, maroon, purple-black (or whitish). |
34 Peduncles long, the flowers borne in clusters on a raceme axis shorter than the peduncle; plants glabrate to villous, the hairs not hooked |
34 Peduncles short, the flowers scattered along a (sometimes branched) raceme axis, the raceme axis about as long as or longer than the peduncle; plants uncinulate pubescent (use 20× magnification, or touch the plant for the 'tacky' feel) |
22 Leaflet blades large, at least the largest terminal leaflets on a plant > 5 cm long. |
35 Stipels absent on the petiolules of mature leaflets; stamens monadelphous |
35 Stipels present, persistent (minute in Amphicarpaea); stamens diadelphous (9 and 1) or monadelphous ( Pueraria). |
36 Stamens monadelphous; robust herbaceous vine with stems to 30 m long; flowers purple, when fresh smelling like artificial grape flavoring. |
36 Stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); herbaceous vines with stems usually < 5 m long; flowers various in color, not 'grapy' in odor. |
37 Flowers resupinate (the pedicel twisted 180 degrees), the banner ( standard) petal lowermost; banner ( standard) 25-50 mm long, much larger than the other petals. |
38 Calyx lobes equal to or longer than the calyx tube; fruits 3-5 mm wide |
38 Calyx lobes shorter than the calyx tube; fruits 5-8 mm wide |
37 Flowers not resupinate, the banner ( standard) uppermost; banner ( standard) < 25 mm long, or if up to 30 mm then not much longer than the other petals. |
39 Fruit a loment (separating into single-seeded segments), uncinulate (with hooked hairs, the fruits attaching to hairs or clothes as 'stick-tights') |
39 Fruit a several- to many-seeded legume, glabrous to hairy (but not uncinulate). |
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41 Stipules inconspicuous or obsolescent. |
42 Leaflets coarsely toothed; roots tuberous |
42 Leaflets with entire margins (sometimes with 1-2 rounded lobes); roots slender |
43 Corolla 3-4 cm long; fruits constricted between the seeds; fruits with stinging hairs |
43 Corolla < 2 cm long; fruits constricted or not; fruits glabrous or hairy, the hairs not stinging. |
44 Bracteoles below the calyx persistent; ventral suture of the fruit bumpy- nodose; style bearded |
44 Bracteoles caducous; ventral suture of the fruit not bumpy- nodose; style glabrous. |
45 Leaflets (2-) 4-8 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm wide, 5-6× as long as wide; leaflet apices acute to obtuse; fruits not flanged or winged |
45 Leaflets 6-14 cm long, 4-10 cm wide, 1-1.3× as long as wide; leaflet apices strongly acuminate; fruits with a flange or wing along the ventral suture |
41 Stipules persistent and conspicuous. |
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47 Flowers clustered 3 or more at the inflorescence nodes; upper calyx lobes fused. |
47 Flowers arrayed differently; upper calyx lobes separate. |
48 Keel petal and the included style straight to gently upcurved; stems very slender, < 0.75 mm in diameter |
48 Keel petal and the included style strongly curved upwards 90-180 degrees; stems slender to thicker, > 0.75 mm in diameter |
40 Keel petal and the included style either strongly curved upwards 90-180 degrees, or even more extensively coiled (asymmetrically and spirally) in towards the flower center; style or stigma pubescent. |
49 Plants uncinulate pubescent (use 20× magnification, or touch the plant for the 'tacky' feel) |
49 Plants glabrate to villous, the hairs not hooked. |
50 Keel petal and the included style strongly curved upwards 90-180 degrees |
51 Corolla keel symmetrical; [mainly outer Coastal Plain] |
51 Corolla keel usually somewhat twisted, asymmetrical; [widespread in our region] |
50 Keel petal and the included style even more extensively coiled (asymmetrically and spirally) in towards the flower center. |
52 Corolla 2.5-4 cm long, the wings about as long as the other petals; leaflets not lobed |
52 Corolla 1.5-2 cm long, the wing petals longer than the other petals; leaflets lobed |