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.
1 Leaves 1-foliolate; petioles conspicuously winged |
1 Leaves 3-7-foliolate; petioles not winged. |
..2 Leaflets 5-7-foliolate; [rare exotic] |
..2 Leaflets 3-foliolate; [natives, collectively common and widespread]. |
....3 Calyx tube (of chasmogamous flowers) 4-5 mm long, shorter than or about as long as the lobes; bracteoles 5-12 mm long, partly enclosing the calyx tube; legume 6-12.5 cm long, 3-6 mm broad; standard 2.5-3.5 cm long, spurred near the base. |
......4 Lower calyx lobe 5-8 mm long, subulate to lanceolate; upper (bifurcate) calyx lobe 3-4 mm long; bracteoles 5-7 mm long; stems to 3 m long; [of n. FL southward] |
......4 Lower calyx lobe 8-11 mm long, subulate; upper (bifurcate) calyx lobe 7-8 mm long; bracteoles 8-12 mm long; stems to 1.5 m long; [widespread in our area]. |
........5 Terminal leaflets > 8× as long as wide; main lateral veins of terminal leaflets 10-20+; [s. GA, s. AL, south to s. FL] |
........5 Terminal leaflets < 6× as long as wide; main lateral veins of terminal leaflets 5-7; [widespread in our area, south to s. FL] |
....3 Calyx tube (of chasmogamous flowers) 7-13 mm long, much longer than the lobes; bracteoles 3-7 mm long, not enclosing the calyx tube; legume 3-5 cm long, 5-7 mm broad; standard 4-6 cm long, not spurred. |
..........6 Leaflets 3.0-4.5× as long as wide, obtuse at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 7-10 mm long, usually purplish; legume on a stipe 15-20 mm long, well exserted from the calyx; erect or ascending herb, 2-6 dm tall; [peninsular FL] |
..........6 Leaflets 1.7-3.5× as long as wide, slightly acute at the tip; calyx tube of chasmogamous flowers 10-13 mm long, green; legume on a stipe 10-15 mm long, included or slightly exserted from the calyx; ascending herb, becoming a sprawling, trailing, or twining herbaceous vine; [collectively widespread in our area]. |
............ 7 Leaves glabrescent beneath, at maturity the hairs confined or very nearly so to the major veins; [widespread in our area] |
............ 7 Leaves moderately to densely pubescent beneath, the hairs erect and pilose to suberect and sericeous, at maturity occurring across the leaf surface; [endemic to FL peninsula] |
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] |
........5 Leaflet margins entire; corollas yellow; [tribe Phaseoleae] |
......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] |