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| 1 Leaves absent at flowering, or with a solitary leaf with a purplish undersurface withering at about the time of flowering. |
| ..2 Flowers with a spur. |
| ....3 Spur shortly obtuse, lip partially tubular; [s. FL] |
| ....3 Spur long and slender, lip not partially tubular; widespread in our region, south in FL to ne. FL] |
| ..2 Flowers without a spur. |
| ......4 Flowers white, the lip, sepals, and petals all predominantly white. |
| ........5 Lip white with a single central green stripe; leaves often fugacious |
| ........5 Lip white, centrally yellow to greenish-white, occasionally with multiple green veins (as in S. praecox and S. sylvatica); leaves present, absent, or withering (fugacious) at flowering |
| ......4 Flowers pink, greenish, yellowish, or purplish, the lip sometimes white or marked with white, the sepals and petals colored. |
| ..........6 Lip strongly bearded. |
| ............ 7 Flower solitary; [Mountains of SC, NC, and VA northwards] |
| ............ 7 Flowers not solitary (inflorescence a raceme); [Coastal Plain of SC southwards] |
| ..........6 Lip not bearded. |
| ............ ..8 Lip with 2 fleshy keels near the base; pollinia 4; plants holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll) and never with leaves |
| ............ ..8 Lip with 3-7 keels near the base or extending most of the length of the lip; pollinia 4 or 8; plants either holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll) and never with leaves, or with a plicate winter leaf withering shortly before flowering. |
| ............ ....9 Plants with a plicate winter leaf withering shortly before flowering (the withered remnant usually detectable); veins of the petals and sepals not strikingly different in color than the intervein areas; lip with 3 ridges; pollinia 4 |
| ............ ....9 Plants never with leaves, holomycotrophic (without chlorophyll); veins of the petals and sepals strikingly different in color than the intervein areas; lip with 5-7 ridges; pollinia 8 |
| 1 Leaves present at flowering (Cleistesiopsis with a foliaceous bract at the summit of the stem). |
| ............ ......10 Plants with evident, above-ground pseudobulbs, sometimes enclosed by sheaths. |
| ............ ........11 Leaf bases tightly sheathing the stems, often petiolate. |
| ............ ..........12 Lip broadest near its base; inflorescence typically a spicate raceme (prematurely umbellate in M. spicata); leaves to 10 cm long |
| ............ ..........12 Lip broadest near its apex; inflorescence typically a more open or lax raceme; leaves to 30 cm long. |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 3-7, membranaceous, plicate; anthers green |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 2, thickish, conduplicate; anthers yellow |
| ............ ........11 Leaf bases not conspicuously clasping the stems (or if clasping, loosely so). |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers predominantly yellow, pseudobulbs > 8 (-100) cm long. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers without brown spots; pseudobulbs typically 10-30 (-100) cm long |
| ............ ............ ....15 Flowers with brown spots; pseudobulbs typically 8-15 cm long |
| ............ ............ ..14 Flowers not predominantly yellow, pseudobulbs < 8 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves not plicate, with conspicuous dark green mottling |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves plicate, without conspicuous dark green mottling. |
| ............ ............ ........17 Lip conspicuously bearded (or if not bearded, conspicuously keeled and with brownish-maroon veins extending to margins of lip) |
| ............ ............ ........17 Lip not conspicuously bearded. |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Perianth brown (white on lower surface); lip tubular |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Perianth pink or purple; lip not tubular. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Lip with 5-7 conspicuous yellow-white keels |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Lip without 5-7 conspicuous yellow-white keels |
| ............ ......10 Plants without above-ground pseudobulbs (either absent or subterranean). |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaf solitary. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaf basal. |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Flower with a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaf long petiolate, lanceolate-elliptic; lateral sepals conspicuously spreading with long acuminate apices; [s. FL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaf not long petiolate, orbicular; lateral sepals reflexed or slightly spreading without long acuminate apices, rather, typically blunt or rounded; [widespread; NC and TN northward] |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Flower without a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flower solitary |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers in a raceme or spike. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Flowers relatively large, primarily pink, purple, or white; flowers arranged in loosely arranged racemes |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Lip below (resupinate); flowers white, often cleistogamous; lip white with purple margins, with keels |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Lip above (not resupinate); flowers purple or pink (rarely white), chasmagomous; lip with yellow fringes (beard) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Flowers relatively small, whitish; flowers arranged in densely (and sometimes also spirally) arranged spikes. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Dorsal sepal connivent with petals forming hood over columnn; lip sagittate-auriculate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Dorsal sepals not forming connivent hood with petals, or if rarely so, then lip pandurate (as in S. romanzoffianum) |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaf cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Flowers in spikes or racemes, 5-many, reddish, yellowish, or greenish. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Flower solitary (-4), pink (rarely nearly white); [subfamily Vanilloideae; tribe Pogonieae]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Sepals brown to purple, linear or narrowly oblanceolate, 3-6.5 cm long, about 5 mm wide; leaf coriaceous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Sepals pink (rarely white), elliptic or oblanceolate, 1.3-2.7 cm long, 3-11 mm wide; leaf herbaceous |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaves 2-many. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Lip inflated, pouch-like or slipper-like, 2-6 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Lip not inflated, or if so, then 0.3-1.1 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Leaves plicate; lip saccate or arcuate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Lip arcuate, with purple-brown marginal speckles; leaf sheaths inflated-tubular |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Lip saccate, without purple-brown marginal spots; leaf sheaths tight and not inflated-tubular. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves typically many (3-14); 4-20 cm long; lip variously colored without conspicuous yellow disc; [widespread] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves typically fewer (2-5); 4-4.5 cm long; lip primarily white with conspicuous yellow disc; [s. FL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Leaves smooth, often creased at the midrib, but not plicate; lip not saccate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Leaves whorled, terminating the stem; [subfamily Vanilloideae; tribe Pogonieae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Leaves alternate or opposite, not terminating the stem. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Leaves 2, opposite, near the middle of the stem |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Leaves (2-) 3-many, alternate, variously distributed on the stem. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Plant with aerial roots throughout stem; lip orange-red, deeply 3 to 4 lobed and marginally fimbriate; [subfamily Epidendroideae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Plant without aerial roots throughout stem; lip variously colored, if orange then not deeply 3 to 4 lobed. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Lip without a spur; leaves 0.8-8.0 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Distal portion of lip not uniformly yellow; leaves ovate, 0.4-2.0 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Distal portion of lip uniformly yellow; leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate, 1-8 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Lip with a spur; leaves linear, lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 5-40 cm long (at least the larger > 5 cm long, except in Aspidogyne, with lanceolate to ovate leaves 1.5-6.5 cm long). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaves 1.5-6.5 cm long, with inflated tubular sheaths; plants from creeping rhizomes |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Leaves 5-40 cm long, sessile; plants from fleshy or fusiform roots. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Lip divided into 3 linear divisions, the divisions not further divided, fringed, or eroded |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Lip not divided into 3 divisions, or divided into 3 divisions but the divisions not linear. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Spur saccate, 2-3 mm long, the orifice minute |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Spur elongate and slender, 4-50 mm long, the orifice larger |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves basal (sometimes with bladeless sheaths upward on the stem). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Leaves plicate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Lip oriented upward (not resupinate); flowers pink to white |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..44 Lip oriented downward (resupinate); flowers greenish, purplish-brown, maroon or yellowish. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Sepals ascending or apically reflexed, not converging |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....45 Sepals converging, not ascending or reflexed |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Leaves smooth, often creased at the midrib, but not plicate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Lip with a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Leaves long petiolate, not basally sheating stems; sepals longer (to 30 mm), narrowly lanceolate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........47 Leaves not long petiolate, basally sheating stems; sepals shorter, variously shaped |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Flowers bicolored, the lip white, the sepals and petals pink; leaves 2 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........48 Flowers not bicolored, the lip, petals, and sepals similarly colored; leaves 2-5 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Lip deeply divided into 3 linear segments; leaves 3-5 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 49 Lip entire; leaves 2 |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......46 Lip without a spur. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Leaf blade or leaves ascending. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Inflorescence a raceme; lip with pink-purple coloration along margin; flowers larger, not tightly spiraling |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....51 Inflorescence a spike; lip without pink/purple coloration along margin; flowers smaller, often spiraling or tightly assembled |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..50 Leaf blades more-or-less horizontally oriented, flat against the ground or 1-2 cm above it. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers orange-red (except rarely light green as in S. lanceolata forma albidaviridis) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......52 Flowers never strongly orange-red, instead white, yellowish, greenish, or brown (including coppery). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Lip oriented upward (flowers not resupinate). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Lip with green spots |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........54 Lip without green spots (sometimes with green coloration but not green-spotted). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Large flowers distinctly pedicellate on racemes; lip short-caudate, 4.5-7 mm long; petals obliquely triangular |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 55 Minute flowers sessile on spikes; lip apiculate, 1-2 mm long; petals narrowly obovate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........53 Lip oriented downward (flowers resupinate). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Leaves with prominent white or pale green variegation on midrib and/or veins; [subtribe Goodyerinae] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..56 Leaves without prominent variegation; [subtribe Spiranthinae]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Flowers brown or copper colored |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....57 Flowers white or green colored. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Lip and perianth segments each with a single central green stripe; leaves more or less fugacious |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......58 Lip and perianth without a central green stripe; occasionally with multiple green veins on the lip; leaf often persistent. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers white, often also marked or veined with yellow or green; [widespread in our region] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........59 Flowers green, greenish-yellow, or bronze; [FL southwards] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Lip canaliculate (grooved longitudinally), without conspicuous yellow throat; flowers greenish-brown or coppery |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........60 Lip not grooved longitudinally, with conspicuous yellow throat; flowers greenish-white |
| 1 Leaves compound. |
| ..2 Plants herbaceous; leaves palmately 3-foliolate or pedately compound |
| ..2 Plants woody; leaves either palmately divided or pinnately compound into > 20 segments |
| 1 Leaves simple. |
| ....3 Leaves opposite or whorled, cauline. |
......4 Leaves opposite; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
| ......4 Leaves whorled; flowers radially or bilaterally symmetrical. |
| ........5 Plant with 2 or more leaf-bearing nodes (all nodes whorled or some alternate). |
| ..........6 Leaves broad, < 2× as long as wide, cordate at the base; flowers unisexual and plants dioecious |
| ..........6 Leaves lanceolate, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, > 4× as long as wide, cuneate at the base; flowers bisexual and plants hermaphroditic |
| ........5 Plant with a single leaf-bearing node. |
| ............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 3 leaves |
| ............ 7 Leaves in whorls of 5 or more leaves. |
| ............ ..8 Stem floccose, wiry (and at maturity with a second smaller whorl with usually 3 leaves subtending the flowers); flowers radially symmetrical |
| ............ ..8 Stem glabrous, fleshy, never with a second whorl; flowers bilaterally symmetrical |
| ....3 Leaves alternate, either cauline or basal. |
| ............ ....9 Inflorescence a spadix (a dense spike of hundreds of flowers, the rachis thickened and somewhat fleshy) subtended by a spathe (a green, white, orange, yellowish-green, or maroon bract) (spathe missing in Orontium) |
| ............ ....9 Inflorescence otherwise, a raceme, panicle, cyme, umbel, spike, etc., the flowers arrayed in a more diffuse manner, the central rachis not thickened, the inflorescence subtended or not by green or scarious spathes. |
| ............ ......10 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical or asymmetrical; fertile stamens 1 or 2 (or 5 in MUSACEAE), often with several staminodes present as well; tepals 6. |
| ............ ........11 Leaf venation parallel; leaves various in size and shape, if > 3 dm long, then < 1 dm wide; perianth often differentiated into a lip and 5 petaloid tepals |
| ............ ........11 Leaf venation prominently penni-parallel; leaves large, at least some on a plant with blade > 2 dm long. |
| ............ ..........12 Fertile stamens 5-6; leaf blades 6-30 dm long |
| ............ ..........12 Fertile stamen 1; leaf blades 0.5-7 dm long. |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves spirally arranged. |
| ............ ............ ..14 Leaves lacking ligules; ovary and fruit with warty excrescences |
| ............ ............ ..14 Leaves with 2 stipule-like ligules; ovary and fruit smooth |
| ............ ............ 13 Leaves 2-ranked. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Leaves jointed and swollen at the summit of the petiole |
| ............ ............ ....15 Leaves neither jointed not swollen at the summit of the petiole |
| ............ ......10 Flowers radially symmetrical (weakly to strongly bilaterally symmetrical in PONTEDERIACEAE); stamens 6 (rarely 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15, or 18); tepals usually 6 (rarely 3 or 4), when 6, either undifferentiated (6 or 4 tepals) or differentiated into 3 petals and 3 sepals. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence subtended by spathes (well-developed green or scarious bracts). |
| ............ ............ ........17 Perianth not differentiated, consisting of 6 similarly colored and shaped tepals; flowers strongly to slightly bilaterally symmetrical; inflorescence lacking well-developed spathaceous bracts |
| ............ ............ ........17 Perianth differentiated into green sepals and more brightly colored petals; flowers radially symmetrical (or weakly bilaterally symmetrical, as in some Commelina). |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Ovary superior; fruit a capsule; stamens 6; [plants mainly of uplands (Murdannia and sometimes Commelina of wetlands)] |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Ovary inferior; fruit a berry; stamens 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18; [plants of wetlands] |
| ............ ............ ......16 Inflorescence not subtended by spathes, though individual small green bracts sometimes subtending individual flowers. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 2 or more pistils (6 in Butomus); fruit achenes or follicles; inflorescence a raceme or panicle with branching in whorls of 3 OR a bracteate umbel; [wetland plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of white petals and green sepals, with 1-many stamens and 3-many carpels (but not consistently with 9 stamens and 6 carpels); inflorescence a raceme or panicle in whorls of 3, branched; leaf blades flat or terete |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers consisting of pink petals and green-pink sepals, usually with 9 stamens and 6 carpels; inflorescence an umbel; leaf blades triquetrous in cross-section |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Gynoecium of 1 pistil; fruit simple, a capsule or berry; inflorescence various, terminal or axillary, but if a raceme or panicle, not with branching in whorls of 3; [upland (or very rarely wetland) plants]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves basal or basally disposed. |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 2 (rarely 3 in Convallaria in RUSCACEAE). |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence a raceme; fruit a berry; tepals united, the perianth urceolate |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Inflorescence an umbel or a solitary flower; fruit a capsule; tepals separate or basally fused. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers in an umbel, white; fresh plants with oniony odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Flowers solitary, white or yellow; fresh plants without strong odor |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Leaves 4 or more. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; fruit a blue or black berry; tepals white or yellow; flowers bisexual |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; fruit a capsule; tepals white, green, yellowish, or pink; flowers either bisexual (Helonias in HELONIADACEAE), or unisexual and primarily on different plants (dioecious) (Chamaelirium in CHIONOGRAPHIDACEAE), or a mix of bisexual and unisexual staminate flowers (Veratrum in MELANTHIACEAE) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescences bracteate, with bracts subtending individual pedicels and (if they are present) branches of the inflorescence; tepals white, greenish-white, or cream |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Inflorescence ebracteate, lacking bracts subtending pedicels; flowers bisexual (Helonias) or predominantly unisexual and on different plants (dioecious) (Chamaelirium); tepals pink (Helonias) or white to cream (Chamaelirium). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers white to cream; plants dioecious (individual plants either male or female, with all male flowers or all female flowers) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Flowers pink; plants hermaphroditic (individual flowers bisexual) |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Leaves cauline. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves both cordate/subcordate (rarely merely rounded at the base) and obviously petiolate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary many-flowered umbel; fruit a berry; axillary tendrils often present (absent in some species) |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Inflorescence an axillary solitary flower, a few-flowered cyme, or a panicle; fruit a capsule (winged in Dioscorea, unwinged in Croomia); axillary tendrils never present (plant not climbing, or climbing by twining). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 6; stamens 6; flowers unisexual (and generally on separate plants, therefore dioecious); inflorescence of a solitary flowers or a panicle; ovary inferior; [widespread in our area] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Tepals 4 (-5); stamens 4 (-5); flowers bisexual; ovary superior; [AL and adjacent GA, FL, and perhaps LA] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaves not both cordate/subcordate and petiolate (some with cordate clasping or perfoliate leaf bases). {add [Smilax] SMILACACEAE below} |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves alternate and in whorls at some nodes; flowers orange; tepals > 5 cm long; inflorescence a terminal umbel or single flower |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves strictly alternate; flowers yellow, white, pink, greenish, or maroon; tepals < 5 cm long; inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, panicle or umbel, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence a terminal umbel; flowers slightly zygomorphic, reddish, the tepals 3.5-4.5 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Inflorescence either a terminal cluster, raceme, or panicle, or an axillary raceme, cluster or solitary flower; flowers actinomorphic, variously colored (most white or yellow), the tepals < 3.5 cm long (except Uvularia grandiflora). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed spirally around an erect, unbranched stem; fruit a septicidal capsule; flowers a mixture of bisexual and unisexual (staminate) on a plant; perianth white, greenish white, or maroon. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves basally disposed; leaves not at all to slightly plicate, 1-14 cm wide; tepals glabrous, 4-9 mm long, 1-3 mm wide (3-5 mm wide in M. hybridum), with either conspicuous (M. hybridum) or diffuse (M. parviflorum and M. woodii) glands; filaments fused to the basal claw of the tepal |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Leaves cauline; leaves strongly plicate, 6-15 cm wide; tepals pubescent, 8-13 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, with a conspicuous pair of glands near the base of the tepal blade (these sometimes more or less fused); filaments free from the tepals |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Leaves arrayed distichously (2 ranked) along an arching, unbranched or dichotomously (Y-forking) branched stem; fruit a berry or loculicidal capsule; flowers all bisexual; perianth white, pink, or yellow. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile and sterile individuals simple (never branched); inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle (Maianthemum) or axillary racemes or clusters of 1-9 flowers (Polygonatum); fruit a berry. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence terminal, a raceme or panicle; tepals separate; leaves with 3 main parallel veins, acute to acuminate at the apex; foliage green, not glaucous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Inflorescence of 1-several axillary flowers; tepals fused; leaves with > 7 main parallel veins, obtuse to acute at the apex; foliage blue-green, glaucous |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Stems of fertile individuals branched (always at least bifurcate), but sterile individuals in some genera characteristically unbranched; inflorescence either of 1 (-2) flower(s) borne in a leaf axil (Uvularia, Streptopus), or of (1) 2 (-3) flowers borne terminally opposite the last leaf (Prosartes); fruit a berry or capsule. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves perfoliate; fruit a capsule |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Leaves sessile (though sometimes slightly to strongly clasping); fruit a berry or capsule. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem brown, wiry, puberulent; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch approximate to one another (sometimes subopposite) and with noticeably oblique bases; flowers and fruits terminal on the branches |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Stem green, not wiry, glabrous; last 2 leaves (near stem tip) on each branch no closer together than other leaves, with symmetrical bases; flowers (and fruits) either terminal on the branches or solitary and axillary to most leaves. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits in single terminal clusters (sometimes appearing axillary, but still only one cluster per branch of the stem); tepals pale to rich yellow |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Flowers and fruits 1 (-2) in the axils of many leaves; tepals white to pink |