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Key to Ranunculaceae, Key B: Subkey in Ranunculaceae

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1 Fruit a follicle, each carpel with 2 or more ovules.
..2 Leaves cordate-reniform, toothed, not lobed or divided; [tribe Caltheae]
..2 Leaves variously palmately or pedately lobed or divided.
....3 Carpels 1-3; plants 3-30 dm tall; [native, except Consolida]; [tribe Delphinieae].
......4 Stems weak, clambering, reclining, or vining
......4 Stems strong, erect
....3 Carpels 3-6; plants 1-5 dm tall; [introduced, rarely persistent or escaping].
........5 Cauline leaves absent, except for the involucre which immediately subtends the fruit; [tribe Cimicifugeae]
........5 Cauline leaves present; [tribe Helleboreae].
1 Fruit an achene (or dehiscent utricle in Trautvetteria), each carpel with 1 ovule.
..........6 Leaves opposite, distributed along the stem; style plumose; [tribe Anemoneae]
..........6 Leaves all basal, or with a few alternate or whorled involucrate leaves on the stem; style not plumose.
............ 7 Basal leaves linear to linear-spatulate, mostly 4-8 cm long, 1-3 mm wide; receptacle elongate, 1-6 cm long (superficially resembling a Plantago inflorescence); [tribe Ranunculeae]
............ 7 Basal leaves various, but not as above, generally long-petiolate, with an expanded, crenate-toothed, 3-lobed, or palmately-lobed blade; receptacle globose to sub-cylindric, mostly < 1 cm long.
............ ..8 Fruit a dehiscent utricle; cauline leaves alternate; [tribe Ranunculeae]
............ ..8 Fruit an achene; cauline leaves opposite or whorled (or alternate in Ranunculus, or reduced to alternate scale-like bracts in Halerpestes).
............ ....9 Cauline leaves opposite or whorled, or reduced to 3 sepal-like involucral bracts immediately subtending the flower; sepals absent (but in Hepatica” mimicked by the bracts); [tribe Anemoneae]
............ ......10 Leaves lobed, and also toothed and variously cleft; leaves not variegated
............ ......10 Leaves lobed, the margins of the lobes entire; leaves often prominently variegated
............ ....9 Cauline leaves alternate; sepals present; [tribe Ranunculeae]
............ ........11 Achenes smooth or variously ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, sometimes also pubescent, usually noticeably beaked, the beak > 0.3 mm long; leaves various, usually not at once simple, cordate, and unlobed ; [native or introduced]
............ ........11 Achenes not ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, pubescent or glabrous, beakless; leaves simple, unlobed.
............ ..........12 Sepals 3; [introduced garden plants]
............ ..........12 Sepals 5; [native, of s. NJ northwards]
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