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1 Pistils in a single whorl, borne on a flat receptacle; stamens 6; inflorescence compound, many of the primary nodes bearing whorled branches which in turn bear whorled branches or whorled flowers | |
1 Pistils spiraled in several to many whorls, borne on a globose receptacle; stamens 6-many; inflorescence either racemose (or in some species of both Echinodorus and Sagittaria somewhat compound, with the lowermost node or two bearing branches which in turn bear whorled flowers) or umbellate (Hydrocleys). | |
3 Achenes flattened, with winged margins and often also with irregular corky ornamentations on the faces; flower whorls subtended by 3 bracts, with no additional bracteoles | |
3 Achenes turgid, with ribs or ridges; flower whorls subtended by 3 bracts and additional bracteoles. | |
4 Leaf blades 5-20 cm long, 3-15 cm wide; achenes (pistils) 45-250 per head; stamens ca. 21; petals 6-12 mm long, scapes 20-120 cm tall, erect or arching/reclining | |
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1 Leaves peltate. | |
2 Leaf blades orbicular in shape, ca. 1× as long as wide, at maturity floating on the water’s surface, emersed, or submersed; underwater portions of fresh plant not mucilaginous (though possibly with green algae, etc.). | |
5 Basal leaves variously shaped, > 10 mm long. | |
7 Inflorescence diffuse, a raceme or panicle with whorled branches or pedicels, the flowers widely spaced and white; leaves green, “wettable” | |
7 Inflorescence tightly packed with flowers, an elongate, golden yellow spadix; leaves blue-green, “unwettable” | |
10 Flowers 4-5-merous (sepals 4-5, petals 4-5, stamens 4-5); [Eudicots] | |
11 Leaves emersed or submersed, on stout, stiff petioles (the submersed and winter leaves cuneate-based and lanceolate); flowers 4-merous (sepals 4, petals 4, stamens 4); inflorescence a spike | |
11 Leaves floating, on slender, flexuous petioles (all leaves cordate-based); flowers 5-merous (sepals 5, petals 5, stamens 5); inflorescence an umbel | |
12 Perianth parts numerous (usually showing differentiation into sepals and petals, though often with some intergradation), borne in a spiral; stamens numerous; leaves usually > 10 cm long or > 10 cm wide, or both (a few northern species of Nymphaea with leaves as small as 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm); [Basal Angiosperms] | |
12 Perianth parts 3-6 (either differentiated or not into sepals and petals); stamens either 3, or 9-12 (-18), or >20; leaves 1-10 cm long, 1-10 cm wide; [Monocots]. | |
13 Perianth strongly differentiated, the 3 sepals green, leathery, and persistent, the 3 petals yellow or white, delicate, deciduous; stamens 20 or more | |
14 Flowers unisexual, white, the sepals and petals separate; stamens 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18; leaves either with a central area of spongiform cells (most easily seen on the lower leaf surface) (Limnobium), or without spongiform cells (Ottelia) | |
14 Flowers bisexual, white to blue, the perianth segments united below into a perianth tube 3-45 mm long; stamens 3; leaves lacking a central area of spongiform cells |