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| 1 Lateral veins of each leaflet neatly straight and parallel to one another; [tribe Millettieae] |
| 1 Lateral veins of each leaflet complicatedly and less regularly arrayed. |
| ..2 Leaves (at least the largest and those with the most leaflets) with ≥ 13 leaflets. |
| ....3 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles (looking like a miniature cocklebur, Xanthium); leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae] |
| ....3 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread]. |
| ......4 Leaflets conspicuously dentate; [tribe Cicereae] |
| ......4 Leaflets entire. |
| ........5 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other). |
| ..........6 Petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; [tribe Indigofereae] |
| ..........6 Petals pink-purple to violet; [tribe Galegeae] |
| ........5 Hairs basifixed. |
| ............ 7 Fruit a loment (jointed between each seed and splitting into single-seeded segments). |
| ............ ..8 Loments cylindrical, jointed but not noticeably constricted between the seeds; Inflorescence an umbel of (7-) 10-15 flowers; [tribe Loteae] |
| ............ ..8 Loments flattened, prominently constricted between the seeds; inflorescence a raceme or umbel of 2-8 flowers. |
| ............ ....9 Corolla primarily white to pink; loments 1-2.5 cm long, not borne on a stipe; [tribe Coronilleae] |
| ............ ....9 Corolla primarily yellow (sometimes also marked with pink or orange); loments 2-5 cm long, borne on a 1-20 mm long stipe (above the calyx); [tribe Dalbergieae] |
| ............ 7 Fruit a legume (lacking joints between each seed, though sometimes the pod constricted). |
| ............ ......10 Inflorescences pedunculate, axillary racemes; leaflets eglandular; fruits dehiscent; [tribe Galegeae] |
| ............ ......10 Inflorescences terminal racemes, spikes, or heads; leaflets glandular-punctate or not; fruits indehiscent. |
| ............ ........11 Fruit 1-seeded; leaflets glandular-punctate; [tribe Amorpheae] |
| ............ ........11 Fruit with several seeds; leaflets eglandular; [tribe Sophoreae] |
| ..2 Leaves (the largest and those with the most leaflets) with < 11 leaflets. |
| ............ ..........12 Fruit a loment (constricted between each seed and splitting into single-seeded segments); petals primarily yellow (sometimes also marked with pink or orange); [of the se. Coastal Plain, from e. GA southwards and westwards]; [tribe Dalbergieae]. |
| ............ ............ 13 Stems ascending or erect; loment subterete |
| ............ ............ 13 Stems prostrate, trailing; loment flattened |
| ............ ..........12 Fruit a legume (lacking constrictions between the seeds); petals variously colored; [collectively widespread]. |
| ............ ............ ..14 Ovaries (and later fruits) with dense, hooked prickles; leaves and stems glandular-punctate with brown or black glands; stamens diadelphous (9 and 1); [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Galegeae] |
| ............ ............ ..14 Ovaries (and later fruits) glabrous, glandular, or hairy; leaves and stems glabrous, variously hairy, but not glandular-punctate (except Dalea); stamens 5-10, monadelphous, diadelphous, or separate; [collectively widespread]. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Plants with basal rosettes, the basal and cauline leaves a mixture of simple and pinnately compound; [rare waif in our area]; [tribe Loteae] |
| ............ ............ ....15 Plants with primarily cauline leaves, all pinnately compound; [collectively widespread]. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Plants erect or ascending herbs. |
| ............ ............ ........17 Leaves with 5 leaflets, the 2 basal leaflets positioned like stipules at the base of the leaf (the leaf thus sessile); [tribe Loteae] |
| ............ ............ ........17 Leaves with 5-9 (or fewer or more and then keyed elsewhere), the lower leaflets positioned above a definite petiole. |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; flowers papilionaceous; stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); leaflets often > 5 mm wide; legume 3+-seeded; flowers 5-12 mm long, in racemes; [tribe Indigofereae] |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; flowers not papilionaceous, barely bilaterally symmetrical; stamens 5, monadelphous; leaflets 0.5-5 mm wide; legume 1-seeded; flowers very small, < 5.5 mm long, aggregated into tight spike; [tribe Amorpheae] |
| ............ ............ ......16 Plants prostrate or twining herbaceous vines. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Hairs dolabriform (with 2 branches parallel to the surface and pointing at 180° from each other; petals reddish orange and/or with some pink or salmon; [tribe Indigofereae] |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Hairs basifixed; petals of various colors; [tribe Phaseoleae]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flower usually solitary, resupinate (twisted at 180° so that the standard is below); standard 3.5-5 cm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Flowers few to many in racemes, normally oriented (with the standard above); standard < 2.5 cm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla purplish, maroon, brownish, or yellowish green; leaflets 4-9 cm long, on petioles 3-5 mm long; keel coiled |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Corolla either white with red striations or lavender; leaflets 2-5 cm long, on petioles 1-2 mm long; keel carinate, not coiled |