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 Perianth with tepals campanulate basally, flaring distally; annual; plants usually < 2 dm tall; tepals lavender, pink, white, magenta, or yellow, with a maroon blaze near the base ( S. micranthum) or the base wholly yellow ( S. minus). |
..2 Stems with 1-2 (-3) nodes; tepals with maroon blaze near base; mature capsules globose, tan with purple sutures; [widespread] |
..2 Stems with 3-6 nodes; tepals yellow basally; mature capsules broadly fusiform, elliptical, or barrel-shaped, uniformly light brown; [of MS to TX] |
1 Perianth with tepals abruptly spreading in a plane; perennial, plants usually > 2 dm tall; tepals blue, violet, or white. |
....3 Inflorescences paired (each inflorescence composed of 1-several flowers, their pedicels emanating from within 2 chartaceous scales; thus, there are 2 pairs of scales within the 2 outer, leaflike, green spathe bracts); outer spathe bract connate 0-1 mm. |
......4 Stems not winged or scarcely so, each wing narrower than the diameter of the stem core; outer spathe pair about equal in length to the inner pair |
......4 Stems obviously winged, each wing wider than the diameter of the stem core; outer spathe pair longer than the inner by 2.3 mm (average) or more. |
........5 Stems mostly 0.7-1.3 mm wide; corolla medium blue; [calcareous glades, n. AL and sc. TN] |
........5 Stems mostly 1.0-2.5 mm wide; corolla pale blue to whitish; [of various habitats and collectively widespread]. |
..........6 Stems (20) 30-48 cm tall, stems (2.5) 3.7-6.0 mm wide, leaves (2) 3.1-5.5 mm wide, outer spathe of outer rhipidium (15) 22-40 (48) mm long (x̅= 24.7 mm), ovaries drying tan to brown; [deep sandy soils, endemic to e. TX and nw. LA] |
..........6 Stems (16) 20-40 (42) cm tall, stems 2.0-3.5 (4.1) mm wide, leaves 1.8-3.5 mm wide, outer spathe of outer rhipidium (12) 15-22 (35) mm long, ovaries drying either brown to black or tan or light brown; [collectively various habitats and widespread] |
............ 7 Ovaries drying brown to black; [various habitats, widespread] |
............ 7 Ovaries drying tan to light brown; [calcareous glades of c. TN, sc. KY, and ne. MS] |
....3 Inflorescence solitary, not paired (within the 2 green spathe bracts there is only one pair of chartaceous scales); outer spathe bract connate 2-6 mm (except 0-1 mm in S. campestre). |
............ ..8 Stems simple, unbranched (rarely branched). |
............ ....9 Spathe bracts connate 0-1 mm |
............ ....9 Spathe bracts connate > 1 mm. |
............ ......10 Base of plant with fibrous remains of leaves |
............ ......10 Base of plant without fibrous remains of leaves. |
............ ........11 Spathe bracts equal or subequal, outer bract up to 4.2 mm longer than inner; [of coastal LA and s. TX] |
............ ........11 Spathe bracts distinctly unequal, outer usually > 6 mm longer than inner; [of southern Appalachians and northward]. |
............ ..........12 Stems (1.5-) 2-4 mm wide, obviously winged; spathe bracts green, rarely purplish; capsules 4-6.8 mm long; [northern, extending south to n. VA] |
............ ............ 13 Margins of outer spathe connate basally 1-3.5 mm; plants drying green or olive; [ne. WV northward] |
............ ............ 13 Margins of outer spathe connate basally 4-5.7 mm; plants drying dark brown or bronze; [VA(?) and NJ(?), NY northward] |
............ ..........12 Stems 1-2 mm wide, narrowly winged; spathe bracts purple on margins at least (often throughout); capsules 3.2-5.5 mm long; [northern, extending south to nw. GA and c. AL] |
............ ..8 Stems branched, with 1-5 nodes. |
............ ............ ..14 Stems with 2-5 nodes, the branching dichotomous; tepals white, recurved at maturity; [of escarpment region of sw. NC and nw. SC] |
............ ............ ..14 Stems with 1-3 nodes, the branching uneven; tepals blue to violet, oriented in a plane; collectively widespread. |
............ ............ ....15 Plant bases with fibrous remains of leaves (usually abundant). |
............ ............ ......16 Main stems 0.5-2.1 mm wide (usually < 2 mm wide). |
............ ............ ........17 Stems mostly 1.5-2.1 mm wide, scabrous; plants drying dark brown or blackish; spathe bracts 15-20 (-25) mm long |
............ ............ ........17 Stems 0.5-1.2 mm wide, not scabrous; plants drying pale brown or greenish brown; spathe bracts 12-14 (-15) mm long |
............ ............ ......16 Main stems 1.5-6 mm wide (usually >2 mm wide). |
............ ............ ..........18 Stems and leaves shiny, especially in life; stems mostly 3-6 mm wide; mature capsules mostly 5.5-8 mm long; [of FL and sw. GA] |
............ ............ ..........18 Stems and leaves dull; stems 1.5-4.5 mm wide; mature capsules 2.5-6 mm long; [collectively widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ 19 Stems and branches smooth on margins; stems mostly 2.3-4.5 mm wide; plants dry dull green or brownish green; [widespread] |
............ ............ ............ 19 Stems and branches scabrous on margins at least distally; stems 1.5-3.0 (-3.5) mm wide; plants dry dark brown or blackish; [of the Coastal Plain]. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Stems mostly 2.0-3.0(-3.5) mm wide; mature capsules 4-6 mm long; [of e. MD northward to sw. Nova Scotia] |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Stems mostly 1.5-2.1 mm wide; mature capsules 2.5-4 mm long; [of se. VA to se. LA] |
............ ............ ....15 Plant bases without fibrous remains of leaves |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Main stems usually < 2 mm wide. |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Rhizome present and obvious (although not longer than about 3 cm), about 2 mm thick, hard, blackish; hyaline margins of inner spathe bract acute (contra S. atlanticum) |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Rhizome absent or at least not evident; hyaline margins of inner spathe bract various. |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Ovaries and capsules black, strongly contrasting with foliage (which dries pale yellowish or tan); hyaline margins of inner spathe bract obtuse or truncate apically, sometimes projecting as lobes |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Ovaries and capsules pale to medium brown; foliage drying dull green or brownish; hyaline margins of inner spathe bract acute, never projecting as lobes. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Spathe bracts and stems without spicules or papillae; outer spathe bract usually > inner by 1-2.7 mm; spathe bracts purple tinged basally and sometimes also on margins; plants usually densely cespitose |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Spathe bracts and stems with abundant white spicules or papillae, sometimes these +/- flattened like lenticels; outer spathe bract usually > inner by 2.5-5.5 mm; spathe bracts green; plants usually with few-several stems, not densely cespitose |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Main stems usually > 3 mm wide. |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Plants light green when fresh and drying yellowish, light green, green or olive; relatively fewer stems from base, rarely to 32 stems, but averaging 5.5 stems or less; blooming from early April through October |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Stem body mostly broader than the margins, thus whole stem appears somewhat rounded with sides tapering to scarcely discernable wings; plants drying yellowish or light olive-green; stem and wings drying about the same color; ovaries and capsules dark brown or black and contrasting with the much lighter dried foliage; stems averaging 3.3 from base; blooming early April through May; occurring in moist to wet sandy or silty soils in open areas, bogs, and marshes |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Stem body as wide or narrower than the margins (body looks more like a midvein), stems appear flattened with easily discernible wings, plants drying olive or green; stem body often drying slightly lighter than wings, forming a pale “stripe” down the center; ovaries and capsules not strongly contrasting with dried foliage. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Live plants green, not glaucous, drying olive; wide stems (2.9-7.4 mm, x̅ = 5.0) and leaves (3.9-7.8, x̅ = 5.4); stems appearing flat with prominent wings; blooming from late March through May; flowers blue or often white on clayey substrates; in rich calcareous forests, bottomland hardwood forests, and shady roadsides |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Outer spathe (18.7-42.8 mm, x̅ = 25.4), to 13.5 mm longer than inner (x̅ = 2.5); capsules usually drying tan to brown; hyaline margin of inner spathe broadly acute, obtuse, or truncate apically, and often projecting as lobes; blooming from late March through July; usually over limestone substrates in a wide variety of habitats |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Plants dark green when fresh, drying olive to dark brown; mature plants with numerous stems from base (to 55), averaging 7.3 or more; blooming from late February through April, rarely into May. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Plant 30-70 cm tall; nodes not geniculate, nodes purplish; mature capsules dark brown to black |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Plant <45 cm tall; nodes usually geniculate and green (occasionally purplish); mature capsules tan to brown. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Surface of leaves, stems and peduncles distinctly granular (like grains of white sand); leaves and spathes scabrous on surface and margins of fresh plants (this character often lost in drying); outer spathe 18.6-34.1 mm (x̅ = 25.8) ; 0.4-12.4 mm longer than inner spathe (x̅ = 4.7); occurring in northcentral Texas on calcareous soils in remnant prairies, fields, open post oak woodlands, and adjacent roadsides and lawns |
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Surface of leaves, stems and peduncles glabrous, margins sometimes scabrous or denticulate (character often lost on dried plants); outer spathe shorter on average and spathes equal or outer spathe averaging much less than 4.7 mm longer than inner; occurring east and south of northcentral Texas. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Most stems branched, but often with one to a few unbranched stems from base; spathes turgid usually tan or brown and strongly tinged with purple to 6.2 mm wide (x̅ = 4.9); occurring on sandy to loamy soils in prairie remnants, fields, adjacent roadsides, and along grassy bayous in southeastern Texas |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 All stems branched with numerous stems on mature plants; spathes green, not turgid and narrower, with purple coloration mostly confined to base of spathe. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Plants typically sprawling; majority of spathes with the inner spathe longer than the outer (character unique to this species), some spathes equal or with outer slightly longer than inner; endemic to prairies and adjacent disturbed habitats primarily in Coastal Bend of Texas, rarely south and west, on calcareous substrates |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Plants typically ascending to erect (S. varians sprawling); spathes equal or with the outer slightly longer than inner (rarely with inner longer than outer). |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Stems 1.8-5.2 mm wide (x̅ = 3.2); leaves 2-4.9 mm (x̅ = 3.9); in a wide variety of open habitats typically on or in close proximity to calcareous substrates (abundant along roadsides) |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Stems 2.3-7.4 mm wide (x̅ = 4.2); leaves 3.6-8.4 mm wide (x̅ = 5.4); occurring in southeastern and southern Texas. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Plants usually sprawling; stems 2.6-5.6 mm wide (x̅ = 3.9); stems 2 to 18 (x̅ = 8); leaves 3.6-8.4 mm wide (x̅ = 5); peduncles 2 to 3 (x̅ = 2.5); endemic from southcentral Texas, rarely eastward to Brazoria County historically; on calcareous substrates in prairies, open woodlands, and adjacent roadsides and typically on or in close proximity to rocky or gravelly outcroppings |
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Plants ascending to erect; stems 2.3-7.4 mm wide (x̅ = 4.5); stems 2 to 55 (x̅ = 10.8) (most of any species observed); leaves 3.7-8 mm wide (x̅ = 5.8); peduncles 2 to 5 (x̅ = 3.1); endemic to deep sandy substrates in southern Texas |