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Key to Viburnum

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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
1 Leaves (at least the larger and better developed) palmately lobed and veined.
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Show caption*© Mark Kluge, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mark Kluge
  2 Petioles lacking glands near its junction with the leaf blade; flowers all alike and fertile; twigs pubescent; fruit blue-black; [section Lobata]
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Show caption*© cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cassi saari
  2 Petioles with several glands near its junction with the leaf blade; marginal flowers of the inflorescence sterile and much larger than the fertile central flowers (or in cultivated forms all the flowers sterile and enlarged); twigs glabrous; fruit red; [section Opulus].
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Show caption*© cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cassi saari
    3 Upper leaf surface glabrous; petiolar glands often > 2, mostly wider than tall, sessile, concave on the top; stipules slender-tipped; [exotic, sometimes planted and escaped]
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Show caption*© Mary Krieger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Mary Krieger
    3 Upper leaf surface strigose; petiolar glands usually 2, mostly taller than wide, stalked, rounded on the top; stipules thickened at the tip; [native, of n. WV, PA, and NJ northwards]
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Show caption*© Richard & Teresa Ware
1 Leaves unlobed and pinnately veined.
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Show caption*© Richard & Teresa Ware
      4 Lateral veins curving and branching repeatedly through most of their length, not noticeably parallel, the lateral veins becoming obscure in the general pattern of anastamosing veins and not obviously leading to marginal teeth; [section Lentago].
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Show caption*© Richard & Teresa Ware
        5 Leaves entire or with a crenate margin, the teeth < 5 per cm of margin.
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Show caption*© Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
          6 Leaves 2-5 cm long, obovate or spatulate, widest toward the tip; [of e. SC southward in the Coastal Plain]
          6 Leaves 5-12 cm long, generally elliptic or ovate, widest at or below the middle; [collectively widespread and of various habitats].
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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
             7 Peduncle (5-) avg. 13 (-25) mm long; leaves undulate-crenulate (or rarely entire); [Mountains and upper Piedmont]
             7 Peduncle usually 16-44 mm long; leaves entire (rarely somewhat undulate-crenate); [Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and low elevation boggy sites in the Mountains]
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Show caption*© Milo Pyne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Milo Pyne
               8 Peduncle usually 16-29 mm long; fruits pink to dark blue or black in late Jul-Aug; leaves smaller (usually 10-18 square cm); leaf blade avg. 6.1 × 2.0 cm; leaf apices acuminate to acute
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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
               8 Peduncle usually 33-44 mm long; fruits pale green to white in late Jul-Aug (later turning dark blue or black); leaves larger (usually 20-30 square cm); leaf blade avg. 8.3 × 3.8 cm; leaf apices acute to obtuse
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Show caption*© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell
        5 Leaves serrulate (sometimes irregularly so), the teeth > 5 per cm of margin.
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Show caption*© Eric M Powell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric M Powell
                 9 Leaves mostly strongly acuminate at the tip; [of sw. NC northward]
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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
                 9 Leaves acute, obtuse, rounded, or somewhat acuminate at the tip; [collectively widespread in our area].
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Show caption*no rights reserved, uploaded by Lucas Christofides
                   10 Inflorescence paniculate; leaf blades 7-20 cm long; fruit red to black, not glaucous, ca. 8 mm long; [exotic]
                   10 Inflorescence umbellate or cymose; leaf blades to 5-8(-9) cm long; fruit blue-black, glaucous, 9-15 mm long; [widespread natives].
                     11 Leaves herbaceous in texture, dull above (sun leaves slightly glossy); petioles and veins (lower surface) glabrous or slightly brown-scurfy; leaves elliptical (widest near the midpoint of the leaf); leaf apex usually acuminate; [widespread in our area, usually in bottomland or other mesic forests]
                     11 Leaves somewhat coriaceous in texture, glossy above (as if lacquered); petioles and veins (lower surface) red-scurfy; leaves mostly obovate (wider towards the apex); leaf apex often rounded (but variable); [of c. VA southward, usually in dry to dry-mesic woodlands and forests]
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Show caption*© Scott Ward
      4 Lateral veins of the leaves nearly straight and prominently parallel for most of their length, many of them forking near the margin, the ultimate veins leading to a tooth.
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Show caption*© Erik Danielson
                       12 Winter buds consisting of tightly folded leaves uncovered by bud scales; plants strongly and noticeably stellate pubescent, especially on young parts and on the lower leaf surface; fruits red then turning black.
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Show caption*© Alan Weakley
                          13 Leaves lanceolate, 3-5× as long as wide, entire; leaf base truncate to rounded; leaf surface strongly rugose; [section Viburnum]
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Show caption*© Bruce A. Sorrie
                          13 Leaves ovate, 1-2.5× as long as wide, serrate; leaf base cordate; leaf surface planar to somewhat rugose.
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Show caption*© Bruce A. Sorrie
                            14 Leaves 10-25 cm long, 8-20 cm wide, deeply cordate at the base; [native, of cool, high elevation forests and bogs]; [section Pseudotinus]
                            14 Leaves 5-12 cm long, 2-6 cm wide, rounded to cordate at the base; [exotic, cultivated and escaping to suburban forests]; [section Euviburnum or Lantana].
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Show caption*© 利刃, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by 利刃
                              15 Marginal flowers of the inflorescence sterile and much larger than the fertile central flowers (or all the flowers sterile and enlarged)
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Show caption*© Corey Fuhrer, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Corey Fuhrer
                              15 Flowers all alike and fertile.
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Show caption*© Corey Fuhrer, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Corey Fuhrer
                                16 >=Leaves coarsely and somewhat irregularly serrate, the teeth usually 10-30 per leaf side
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Show caption*© Erik Danielson
                                16 Leaves finely and evenly serrate, the teeth usually 40-50 per leaf side
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Show caption*© Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bill Keim
                       12 Winter buds covered by bud scales; plants noticeably stellate-pubescent or not; fruits orange, red, or blue-black.
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Show caption*© Emily Summerbell, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Emily Summerbell
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Show caption*© Andrew Conboy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Conboy
                                  17 Leaves oblong-obovate, wider toward the tip; inflorescence paniculate, with an elongate central axis, the lowest branches opposite and with other branches above; fresh leaves malodorous; [section Solenotinus]
                                  17 Leaves ovate or suborbicular, widest near or below the middle; inflorescence umbelliform, the main branches all attached at the same point; fresh leaves not malodorous.
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
                                    18 Leaves with 8-12 lateral veins on each side; marginal flowers of the inflorescence sterile and much larger than the fertile central flowers; winter buds with 2 scales; [section Tomentosa]
                                    18 Leaves with 5-9 lateral veins on each side; flowers all alike and fertile; winter buds with > 2, imbricate scales.
image of plant
Show caption*© Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bill Keim
                                       19 Fruit orange or red; [exotics, planted and escaping]; [section Succodontotinus].
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Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
                                       19 Fruit blue-black; [native]; [section Mollotinus or Odontotinus].
                                             22 Cymes stipitate-glandular and pilose; leaf shape broadly ovate to rotund; [endemic to two small areas: Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of s. MO, AR, & e. OK and Appalachian Mountains of n. AL, sc. TN, & nw. GA]
                                           21 Petioles longer, those immediately below a cyme ≥ 10 mm long.
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Show caption*© Zach Irick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Zach Irick
                                               23 Cymes stipitate-glandular (occasionally glabrous in V. deamii).
                                                 24 Leaf bases strongly cordate; [plants usually restricted to limestone substrates].
                                                 24 Leaf bases cuneate, truncate, or occasionally subcordate; [plants of various substrates].
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Show caption*© theo_witsell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by theo_witsell
                                                      26 Stipitate glands present on petioles and leaf veins; stipules often present.
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Show caption*© theo_witsell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by theo_witsell
                                                        27 Petioles with simple or 2-pronged hairs; leaf shape ovate to broadly ovate; plants of dry soil
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Show caption*© Shaun Pogacnik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik
                                                        27 Petioles with stellate hairs and often also with simple hairs; leaf shape rotund; plants of moist-wet soils
                                                          28 Petioles glabrous or glabrate; stellate hairs absent on leaves and petioles; hairs on leaf undersides confined to axils and a few veins; leaf shape usually ovate; hypanthium eglandular
                                                          28 Petioles sparsely to densely stellate pubescent; stellate hairs present on leaf underside and petiole, dense and soft to touch (V. carolinianum, V. scabrellum, most V. venosum) or sparse to moderate (V. dentatum, some V. venosum); leaf shape various; hypanthium eglandular or occasionally glandular (V. dentatum; V. scabrellum).
                                                            29 Cymes not stellate pubescent (occasionally sparsely so); leaves thinner textured and with less prominent veins, sparsely to moderately stellate pubescent below; [plants relatively widespread]
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Show caption*© Michelle W., some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michelle W.
                                                              30 Leaf shape ovate to broadly ovate; leaf teeth 5-12 per side; upper leaf surface scabridulous with abundant simple hairs; [of the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain]
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Show caption*© Bruce A. Sorrie
                                                              30 Leaf shape rotund; leaf teeth 10-18 per side; upper leaf surface glabrate, not scabridulous; [of the Southern Appalachian mountains or the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain].
                                                                 31 Leaf underside densely pubescent and soft to touch (felt-like); stipular leaf bracts often present; fruits pubescent; leaf teeth 13-18 per side; [of the southern Appalachian mountains of w. NC, n. GA, and se. TN]
                                                                 31 Leaf underside moderately to densely pubescent and somewhat soft to touch (but not felt-like); stipular leaf bracts absent; fruits glabrous; leaf teeth 10-15 per side; [of the northern Atlantic Coastal Plain of se. MA, s. RI, and Long Island, NY]