SANBI Flora Keys - Key to L-2000 Families<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1707391463879_27491271654752114" data-jodit_selection_marker="start" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.
Backtrack a
  • Flowers absent
  • Ovules/seeds borne on scales arranged in cones, or exposed, not in an ovary
  • Pollen sacs borne on scales arranged in cones
  • Trees to woody perennials
  • Leaves mostly needle-, scale- or palm-like
b
  • Flowers present
  • Ovules/seeds enclosed in an ovary
  • Pollen borne in anthers
  • Annual herbs to trees
Backtrack a
  • Leaves usually net-veined, simple to variously compound, often with a petiole, base rarely sheathing the stem (e.g. Apiaceae, Ranunculaceae)
  • Stipules present or absent
  • Flower parts usually in 4s or 5s
  • Vascular bundles in stem usually arranged in a cylinder
  • Embryo usually with 2 cotyledons
b
  • Leaves usually with parallel-convergent veins, simple or rarely compound or lobed but then leaflets or lobes with parallel, not net-like venation, leaves rarely with a petiole but base usually sheathing the stem at least partly
  • Stipules absent
  • Flower parts usually in 3s
  • Vascular bundles scattered in stem
  • Embryo with 1 cotyledon
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2, opposite, permanent, sprawling on the ground and often torn lengthwise by the wind
b
  • Leaves indefinite in number, produced in succession from apex of stems
Backtrack a
  • Palm- or fern-like plants with fibrous stems or trunks, or stemless with a tuberous rootstock
b
  • Trees or shrubs with hardwood stems and simple leaves along branches
Backtrack a
  • Stemless, somewhat fern-like plants with a tuberous rootstock
  • Leaves deciduous from their base
  • Leaflets with midrib and dichotomously branched lateral veins
b
  • Stems above and below ground, covered with persistent leaf bases, sometimes up to 10 m tall, with a crown of palm-like leaves
Backtrack a
  • Leaves small and scale-like
  • Ovules/seeds borne between scales of a rounded woody, rarely fleshy cone
b
  • Leaves well developed, linear to awl-shaped or needle-like
Backtrack a
  • Dioecious trees or shrubs
  • Leaves linear to narrowly ovate
  • Ovules/seeds 1 or 2 borne on a receptacle (often swollen and fleshy), not in cones
b
  • Monoecious trees or shrubs
  • Leaves needle-like, linear or awl-shaped
  • Ovules/seeds borne in cones
Backtrack a
  • Leaves mostly needle-like, 1 or few united at base by a membranous sheath
  • Female cones with many spirally arranged scales, leathery or fleshy at first, mostly becoming stiff and woody later, each bearing 2 ovules/seeds
b
  • Leaves mostly linear to broadly awl-shaped, without a basal sheath, spirally arranged but sometimes appearing 2-ranked
  • Female cones with 5-30 scales, free when young but closely fused later, each bearing 2-9 ovules
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium composed of 2 or more free carpels with separate styles and stigmas (in Nymphaeaceae the carpels are sunk in a fleshy disc)
b
  • Gynoecium composed of 1 carpel or of 2 or more united carpels with united or free styles, or if carpels free below then styles or stigmas united
Backtrack a
  • Petals absent
  • Perianth members all ± similar
b
  • Petals present
Backtrack a
  • Placentation parietal or marginal
  • Ovules 2 or more in the ovary, borne on its outer wall or sometimes on intrusions thereof
b
  • Placentation axile, basal or apical
  • Ovules 1 or more in the ovary, borne on the central axis, or the base or apex of the ovary, or placentation indistinct
Backtrack a
  • Ovary superior
b
  • Ovary ± inferior
Backtrack a
  • Petals absent
  • Perianth members, if present, all ± similar
b
  • Petals free
c
  • Petals ± united
Backtrack a
  • Ovary superior
b
  • Ovary inferior
Backtrack a
  • Petals absent
  • Perianth members, if present, all ± similar
b
  • Petals free
c
  • Petals ± united
Backtrack a
  • Petals absent
  • Perianth members, if present, all ± similar
b
  • Petals free
c
  • Petals ± united
Backtrack a
  • Sepals united below
  • Stamens perigynous, arising at mouth of calyx tube
  • Leaves pinnate or digitate or palmately lobed
  • Stipules present
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes scrambling with prickles
b
  • Sepals free
  • Stamens hypogynous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves compound, sometimes decompound
  • Sepals petaloid
  • Herbs or soft-wooded climbing or trailing plants
b
  • Leaves simple
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Woody climbers with alternate leaves
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Herbs with opposite or subopposite leaves
Backtrack a
  • Sepals 6-18 in 2 or more whorls
  • Stamens 3-6, free or united into a synandrium
  • Flowers in cymes or racemes
  • Leaves entire or palmately lobed
b
  • Sepals 4 or 5 in 1 whorl
  • Stamens 10-15, free
  • Flowers in elongated racemes
  • Leaves entire
Backtrack a
  • Leaves entire
  • Calyx herbaceous
  • Flowers small, in cymes or panicles
b
  • Leaves toothed or lobed
  • Calyx petaloid
  • Flowers large and conspicuous, solitary or few together
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite
  • Stipules absent
  • Carpels as many as petals
  • Plants often succulent
b
  • Leaves alternate, sometimes all radical
Backtrack a
  • Aquatic herbs with floating leaves on long petioles
  • Leaf blades ± peltate
  • Flowers solitary, on long scapes, often large and conspicuous
b
  • Terrestrial plants
  • Leaf blades not peltate
Backtrack a
  • Carpels sunk in a fleshy disc
  • Petals many
  • Leaf blades cordate as well as peltate
b
  • Carpels not sunk in a fleshy disc
  • Petals 3
  • Leaf blades peltate, not cordate
Backtrack a
  • Stamens perigynous, arising at mouth of calyx tube
  • Leaves pinnate or digitate
  • Stipules present
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes scrambling with prickles
b
  • Stamens hypogynous, not arising on calyx
Backtrack a
  • Sepals 6-24 in 2 or more whorls, free or inner ones united
  • Dioecious shrublets or woody climbers with small flowers
b
  • Sepals 2-5 in 1 whorl, free or united
Backtrack a
  • Leaves compound or deeply divided
b
  • Leaves simple, entire
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
b
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves succulent
  • Stamens 8-12
b
  • Leaves herbaceous
  • Stamens mostly more than 12
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
b
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes trailing
Backtrack a
  • Submerged aquatic herbs, fern-like owing to pinnately much-divided leaves
  • Plants dioecious
  • Flowers in elongated, pedunculate spikes
  • Calyx absent
b
  • Terrestrial plants, not fern-like in habit
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate or 2-foliolate
  • Trees
b
  • Leaves simple or digitately 3-foliolate, sometimes reduced to scales
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Leaves simple
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Calyx absent
  • Flowers in catkins
  • Fruit a 2-valved capsule
  • Seeds with a basal tuft of long, fine hairs
b
  • Calyx present
  • Flowers solitary or in fascicles or short racemes
  • Fruit a berry
  • Seeds glabrous or covered with a woolly indumentum
Backtrack a
  • Flowers with a fimbriate corona outside stamens
  • Herbs or shrubs, often climbing with tendrils
b
  • Flowers without corona
  • Tendrils absent
Backtrack a
  • Herbs or low shrublets
  • Fruit a small capsule, either 1-locular with many ovules or 2-locular with 1 or 2 ovules per locule
b
  • Shrubs or trees
  • Fruit, if a capsule, with more than 2 seeds per locule
Backtrack a
  • Capsule (silicula) with 2 1- or 2-seeded locules divided by a persistent, often membranous partition
b
  • Capsule 1-locular, often open at the top, with many ovules on 2-5 placentas
Backtrack a
  • Ovary borne on a distinct stalk (gynophore)
b
  • Ovary sessile or subsessile
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 6, tetradynamous (inner 4 long, outer 2 short)
  • Sepals 4
  • Petals 4 or fewer
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Herbs
b
  • Stamens not tetradynamous
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium composed of 1 carpel, thus with only 1 placenta in ovary
b
  • Gynoecium composed of 2 or more united carpels, thus with 2 or more placentas
Backtrack a
  • Flowers regular
  • Petals 5 or fewer, sometimes 1
  • Leaves simple or compound
  • Trees or shrubs or herbs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Flowers irregular
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2-pinnate
  • Stipules present
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes climbing
  • Flowers in spikes or heads
b
  • Leaves simple, 1-pinnate or 1-3-foliolate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate, the leaflets dotted with pellucid glands, at least at margin
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Leaves simple or 1-foliolate, without pellucid glands
Backtrack a
  • Leaves toothed
  • Stipules present
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals, united at base
  • Herbs or small shrubs
b
  • Leaves entire
  • Stipules absent
  • Stamens more numerous than petals
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Sepals 5
  • Petals 5
  • Flowers in few-flowered racemes
b
  • Sepals 3
  • Petals 6
  • Flowers solitary, axillary
Backtrack a
  • Leaves scale-like, dense
  • Shrubs or small trees
b
  • Leaves not scale-like
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, simple, not all radical
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves alternate or all radical
Backtrack a
  • Leaves dotted with pellucid glands
  • Stamens more than twice as many as petals, often ± grouped into bundles
  • Terrestrial plants
b
  • Leaves not gland-dotted
  • Herbs, often hydrophytes
Backtrack a
  • Leaves bladdery, whorled
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Free-floating aquatics
b
  • Leaves small, opposite or whorled, not bladdery
  • Stamens (4 or 5)6
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
b
  • Flowers bisexual or plants sometimes polygamous
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as petals or more numerous
  • Petals free in all flowers
  • Trees or shrubs without tendrils
b
  • Stamens as many as petals
Backtrack a
  • Petals smaller than sepals
  • Leaves sometimes digitate or palmately lobed
  • Herbaceous or woody climbers with tendrils
b
  • Petals larger than sepals
  • Leaves simple, not lobed
  • Trees or shrubs without tendrils
Backtrack a
  • Ovary borne on a distinct gynophore
b
  • Ovary sessile or subsessile
Backtrack a
  • Flowers with a fimbriate or hairy corona outside stamens
  • Styles 3-6
  • Leaves simple
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Flowers without a corona
  • Style 1 or stigma sessile
  • Leaves simple or digitate
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Flowers ± irregular
b
  • Flowers regular
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2- or 3-pinnate
  • Flowers in axillary panicles
  • Stamens 5, alternating with 5 staminodes
  • Trees
b
  • Leaves simple or digitate
  • Herbs or sometimes shrubs or small trees
Backtrack a
  • Connective of anthers prolonged above thecae into an appendage
  • Flowers mostly solitary
  • Fruit a 3-valved capsule
  • Leaves simple
b
  • Connective of anthers not prolonged above thecae
  • Flowers in terminal racemes or spikes
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a capsule dehiscing throughout its length by 2 valves
  • Leaves simple or digitate
b
  • Fruit a capsule gaping at apex
  • Leaves simple, sometimes pinnately lobed or divided
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 10, with filaments connate into a tube ± as long as the 10 petals
b
  • Combination of characters not as above
Backtrack a
  • Stamens more numerous than petals, or as many and opposite them
b
  • Stamens as many as and alternating with petals
Backtrack a
  • Flowers with a disc or a corona
b
  • Flowers without a disc or a corona
Backtrack a
  • Climbers with tendrils
  • Corona fimbriate, outside stamens
b
  • Shrubs or small trees
  • Disc cupular, crowned by 10 gland-like processes
  • Stamens arising from within disc
Backtrack a
  • Prickly herbs
  • Leaves often pinnately lobed
  • Sepals 2 or 3, caducous
  • Fruit a capsule dehiscing by 4-6 short valves at the top
b
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Leaves not pinnately lobed
  • Fruit capsular or baccate, or of separate drupelets
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium of 5-15 ± free, 1-ovulate carpels united by their completely fused styles
  • Fruit of separate 1-seeded drupelets
b
  • Gynoecium with a 1-locular ovary with 1-many ovules
  • Fruit a capsule or berry
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2-5, free or shortly united at base
b
  • Style 1
Backtrack a
  • Leaves bearing many sticky, stipitate glands
  • Insectivorous herbs
b
  • Leaves without sticky glands
  • Plants not insectivorous
Backtrack a
  • Flowers with a conspicuous, fimbriate or hairy corona outside stamens
  • Herbs or shrubs, often climbing with tendrils
b
  • Flowers without a corona, or corona very small and inconspicuous
  • Herbs without tendrils
Backtrack a
  • Stamens variously united, connective of anthers prolonged above thecae into an appendage
  • Leaves with stipules
b
  • Stamens ± free, anthers without an appendage
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium consisting of 1 carpel, therefore with only 1 placenta in ovary
  • Leaves with or without stipules
b
  • Gynoecium consisting of 2 or more united carpels, therefore with 2 or more placentas in ovary
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Leaves simple or compound, with stipules or stipular spines
  • Fruit a legume
b
  • Leaves simple
  • Stipules absent
  • Fruit a drupe containing a solitary U-shaped seed
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Stamens as many as corolla lobes or more numerous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnately or ternately compound
b
  • Leaves simple, sometimes reduced to scales
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate
  • Annual herbs with watery sap, sometimes with tendrils
  • Outer petals often spurred or saccate at base
b
  • Leaves opposite
  • Trees
  • Fruit large pendulous, sausage-like
Backtrack a
  • Plants parasitic on roots
  • Leaves reduced to scales
  • Stamens 4
b
  • Plants not parasitic
  • Leaves (or solitary leaf) well developed
  • Stamens 2
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite
b
  • Leaves alternate or basal, sometimes small and scale-like
Backtrack a
  • Petals many
  • Succulent herbs or shrubs with succulent leaves
b
  • Petals 4-6
Backtrack a
  • Shrubs or woody climbers with latex
  • Fruit a large berry
b
  • Herbs without latex
  • Fruit a capsule, rarely berry-like
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants monoecious, herbaceous, subherbaceous or acaulescent herbs
b
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Leaves small, scale-like
  • Trees or shrubs, often halophytic
b
  • Leaves well developed
Backtrack a
  • Stamens more numerous than petals
  • Petals twice as many as sepals
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Stamens, petals and sepals all 5(6)
Backtrack a
  • Herbs, aquatic or wetland
  • Stamens arising on corolla tube
b
  • Small trees or shrubs
  • Stamens free from corolla tube
Backtrack a
  • Plants parasitic on roots of shrubs or trees, low, ± fleshy
b
  • Plants not parasitic
Backtrack a
  • Perianth tubular, 3- or 4(5)-lobed, resembling a fungus
b
  • Perianth cup-shaped, 4-9-lobed, fused towards base
Backtrack a
  • Petals absent
  • Perianth members all ± similar
b
  • Petals present
  • Perianth differentiated into calyx and corolla
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular, usually with an S-shaped tube, medium-sized to large
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Tepals fused only towards base
  • Fruit winged, horned or spiny
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants usually climbing with tendrils
  • Leaves often palmately lobed or deeply divided
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Plants without tendrils
  • Leaves mostly entire, rarely with palmate venation
Backtrack a
  • Leaves absent or reduced to scales
  • Succulent shrubs or shrublets, sometimes epiphytic
b
  • Leaves mostly well developed
Backtrack a
  • Succulent herbs or shrubs with succulent leaves
  • Leaves mostly opposite
  • Petals many
b
  • Plants not succulent
  • Leaves opposite, or alternate
  • Petals fewer than 10
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, with interpetiolar stipules
b
  • Leaves alternate or spirally imbricate and ± ericoid, rarely opposite but then without stipules
  • Stipules if present, not interpetiolar
Backtrack a
  • Leaves small, sessile, ± ericoid, densely spirally imbricate
b
  • Leaves flat, broader than ericoid, alternate, rarely opposite, floating or submerged, if aquatic herbs
Backtrack a
  • Aquatic herbs with usually floating peltate leaves
b
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules in each locule
b
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Plants aquatic
  • Moss-like or liverwort-like in habit, growing on rocks
  • Flowers small and inconspicuous
  • Stamens 1 or 2
  • Ovary with many ovules
  • Fruit a capsule
b
  • Plants terrestrial, not moss-like or liverwort-like in habit
Backtrack a
  • Leaves reduced to scales forming toothed sheaths surrounding nodes of pine needle-like jointed branchlets
  • Trees with unisexual flowers
  • Male flowers in spikes
  • Female flowers in heads
  • Stamen 1
  • Ovary 1-locular with 2 collateral ovules
  • Style with 2 elongated branches
b
  • Leaves well developed, not reduced to scales
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled or all radical
b
  • Leaves alternate, not all radical
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Trees, shrubs or shrublets
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Calyx absent
  • Leaves toothed at apex, fan-like
  • Flowers in catkin-like spikes
  • Ovules many in each locule
b
  • Calyx present
  • Leaves entire, not fan-like
  • Flowers solitary or fasciculate in axils of leaves
  • Ovules 2 in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
  • Plants dioecious
  • Stamens very many, spirally arranged on prolonged floral axis
b
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Plants monoecious
  • Stamens 4-6
Backtrack a
  • Calyx spurred, spur adnate to pedicel
  • Ovary beaked
  • Leaves toothed or lobed
b
  • Calyx not spurred
  • Ovary without stout central axis
  • Leaves entire
Backtrack a
  • Sepals fused below
  • Stamens perigynous, inserted on calyx tube
b
  • Sepals free or almost so
  • Stamens hypogynous
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2-5, or if 1 then ovary 1-locular with few ovules
  • Fruit a circumscissile capsule
b
  • Style 1
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-5-locular, with many ovules in each locule
b
  • Ovary 4-locular, with 2 or 4 basal, erect, or 2 erect and 2 pendulous ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 2-5-locular, with axile placentas
b
  • Ovary 1- or 4-locular with basal, free-central or apical placentation
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular with basal or free-central placentation
b
  • Ovary 4-locular, with 2 pendulous ovules in each locule, rarely 1 ovule aborted
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate
  • Trees, polygamous or with flowers all unisexual
  • Ovary 2-locular with 2 ovules in each locule
  • Fruit indehiscent
b
  • Leaves simple or digitate
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular
  • Flowers in racemes or spikes
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
Backtrack a
  • Flowers mostly bisexual but plants sometimes polygamous
b
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Calyx not scarious
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Calyx scarious
  • Fruit a ± circumscissile capsule
  • Herbs
b
  • Calyx of 4 thickish lobes
  • Fruit a follicle
  • Gland-dotted shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
  • Calyx imbricate
  • Stamens opposite sepals
  • Styles 3, usually 2-lobed
b
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Calyx valvate
  • Stamens alternating with sepals
  • Style absent, stigma sessile and multiradiate
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium composed of 3 or more loosely united carpels, in fruit separating into as many follicles (or fewer by abortion)
  • Trees or shrubs with flowers both bi- and unisexual
  • Leaves simple or digitate
  • Sepals valvate, united below
  • Stamens united into a column
b
  • Gynoecium composed of completely united carpels, in fruit forming a capsule, or indehiscent or finally separating into winged cocci
Backtrack a
  • Ovary borne on a distinct gynophore
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Shrubs with solitary, pedunculate, axillary flowers
b
  • Ovary sessile or subsessile
Backtrack a
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Perianth segments sepaloid externally and petaloid internally
b
  • Flowers mostly unisexual
  • Plants occasionally polygamous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
  • Fruit a capsule, or indehiscent, or separating into 2 winged cocci
  • Trees or shrubs or herbs
b
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Fruit a septicidal capsule with 2 or more longitudinal, membranous wings
  • Shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
b
  • Ovary 1-locular
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate
b
  • Leaves simple, sometimes lobed or much divided or reduced to scales or stipular spines
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate, alternate
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Leaves 3-foliolate, opposite
  • Subshrubs
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual or plants polygamous
b
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 5-locular, carpels loosely united and becoming separate in fruit
  • Calyx present, valvate, sepals united below
  • Stamens 5-10, united into a column
  • Leaves alternate
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Ovary 2-4-locular, carpels completely united and not becoming separate in fruit
Backtrack a
  • Small aquatic herbs, sometimes terrestrial in damp situations
  • Leaves opposite
  • Perianth absent
  • Fruit indehiscent, leathery
b
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs
  • Leaves alternate or opposite, sometimes reduced to scales or stipular spines
  • Calyx present or absent
  • Fruit mostly dehiscent
Backtrack a
  • Sepals fused into a very short to long tube
  • Stamens perigynous or hypogynous
b
  • Sepals free
  • Stamens hypogynous or almost so
Backtrack a
  • Stamens arising from upper portion of calyx tube, in 2 whorls
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Shrubs
b
  • Stamens not arising on sepals, sometimes in groups
  • Fruit a capsule or flat samara with membranous wings
Backtrack a
  • Trees with dentate leaves
  • Fruit a flattened samara
b
  • Herbs, shrublets or shrubs with entire, often somewhat succulent leaves
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves ± toothed or pinnately lobed or divided
  • Style 1
  • Fruit a flattened silicule or separating into 2 cocci
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves entire
  • Styles 2 or more, free or united at base
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 7-10-locular
  • Fruit a berry
  • Flowers in spike-like racemes
  • Herbs or shrublets
b
  • Ovary 2-5-locular
  • Fruit a loculicidal capsule or separating into 2 cocci, cocci sometimes winged along back
  • Flowers in lax or dense cymes
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves absent or reduced to scales
  • Flowers spicate
b
  • Leaves present, well developed, not reduced to scales
Backtrack a
  • Slender, twining, parasitic plants
  • Flowers not immersed in rachis of spike
  • Stamens 6-9, accompanied by staminodes
  • Anthers opening by valves
b
  • Succulent, maritime herbs with articulated branches, not parasitic
  • Flowers immersed in rachis of spike
  • Stamens 1 or 2
  • Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules, stipules sometimes forming a sheath (ocrea) surrounding the stem
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 3- or 4-pinnate
  • Calyx petaloid
  • Fruit a stipitate achene borne on a slender pedicel
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves simple or digitate
Backtrack a
  • Ovule pendulous from apex or near apex of ovary
  • Flowers unisexual or plants polygamous
b
  • Ovule arising from base or near base of ovary
Backtrack a
  • Flowers densely spicate or capitate, or crowded in or on an open or flat receptacle or inside a hollow, almost closed receptacle (fig), female flowers sometimes immersed in tissue of receptacle
  • Calyx sometimes absent
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs
b
  • Flowers solitary or fasciculate or in cymes or racemes or panicles
  • Calyx sometimes reduced or absent in female flowers
Backtrack a
  • Annual herbs
  • Leaves opposite or alternate, all or lower ones palmately divided
  • Male flowers in elongated panicles
  • Female flowers spicate, enclosed by bracts
  • Fruit dry, indehiscent
b
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Leaves alternate
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many as calyx segments, 4 or 5
  • Style 2-branched with simple or divided stigmas
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Stamens more numerous than calyx segments
  • Style unbranched, sometimes very short
Backtrack a
  • Flowers solitary or paired in axils of leaves
  • Leaves 1-3-foliolate with small, narrow leaflets
  • Heath-like shrubs
b
  • Flowers in axillary racemes or panicles
  • Leaves simple
  • Trees
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite, marked with cystoliths
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Herbs or shrubs
b
  • Leaves alternate
Backtrack a
  • Calyx absent
  • Flowers minute, in dense spikes
  • Shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Calyx present
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2 or 3, free or united below
  • Stamens 4-8
  • Fruit a small nut
  • Stipules often forming an ocrea surrounding the stem
  • Herbs or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Style 1 or absent
  • Stamens 5 or fewer
Backtrack a
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Sepals united below, free portions alternating with lobes of an epicalyx
  • Style arising laterally from near base of ovary
  • Herbs with palmately lobed leaves
b
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Sepals free or united, without an epicalyx
  • Style or sessile stigma terminal
Backtrack a
  • Leaves palmate or palmately lobed, without cystoliths
  • Plants dioecious
  • Male flowers crowded in branched spikes
  • Female flowers in heads
  • Trees
b
  • Leaves simple, sometimes pinnately lobed, often marked with cystoliths
  • Plants monoecious or dioecious
  • Flowers cymose, cymes often dense or head-like
  • Herbs or shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing or epiphytic
Backtrack a
  • Submerged, aquatic herbs
  • Leaves whorled, deeply and bifurcately divided with linear or filiform segments
  • Flowers unisexual, solitary and sessile in axils of leaves
b
  • Plants not aquatic
  • Leaves alternate or opposite, undivided or sometimes pinnately divided
Backtrack a
  • Calyx absent
  • Flowers in spikes
b
  • Calyx present, at least in male flowers
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Stamens 3-12
  • Styles 2, free or shortly united below
  • Leaves alternate
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Stamens 2
  • Style absent, stigma sessile
  • Leaves alternate or opposite or whorled
  • Herbs, sometimes trailing or climbing or epiphytic
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as calyx segments or more numerous
b
  • Stamens fewer than twice as many as calyx segments, sometimes accompanied by staminodes
Backtrack a
  • Ovule erect from base of ovary
  • Fruit enclosed in persistent, longitudinally 4-winged calyx tube
  • Spiny shrubs with small, linear, often fasciculate leaves
  • Plants polygamo-dioecious
b
  • Ovule pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Fruit not enclosed in winged calyx tube
  • Plants not spiny
Backtrack a
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Sepals united into an elongated tube
  • Stamens arising on calyx tube
  • Style elongated, slender
  • Shrubs, often heath-like, or sometimes trees, with alternate or opposite leaves
b
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Sepals shortly united at base
  • Stamens not arising on calyx tube
  • Style absent, stigma sessile
  • Shrubs or trees with opposite or subopposite leaves
Backtrack a
  • Anthers opening by valves
  • Calyx 6-lobed
  • Stamens 6-9, accompanied by staminodes
  • Trees
b
  • Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
  • Calyx with 3-5 segments or lobes
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or subopposite
b
  • Leaves alternate
Backtrack a
  • Sepals ± petaloid, united into a tube constricted above ovary, lower portion of tube persistent and enclosing fruit and often glandular on outside
  • Stamens not accompanied by staminodes
  • Herbs or climbing shrubs
b
  • Sepals dry and ± scarious, free or shortly united at base, not forming a tube constricted above ovary
  • Stamens as many as and opposite calyx segments, often alternating with staminodes
  • Herbs or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Twining herbs
  • Sepals (petals?) united below into a tube with 2 adnate bracteoles outside
  • Flowers in axillary, pedunculate spikes
b
  • Plants not twining
  • Sepals free or united, without adnate bracteoles
Backtrack a
  • Calyx with 2-4 valvate segments
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Flowers bisexual, in large, bracteate heads or in elongated spikes or racemes
  • Stamens 4, free, opposite to and inserted on calyx segments
  • Fruit a nut
b
  • Calyx with 3-5 imbricate segments or sometimes almost completely tubular with indistinct segments
  • Herbs, shrubs or woody climbers
Backtrack a
  • Stamens fewer than calyx segments and mostly alternating with them
  • Leaves small, linear
  • Flowers in elongated, simple spikes
b
  • Stamens as many as or fewer than calyx segments and opposite them
Backtrack a
  • Disc of 4 or 5 fleshy lobes alternating with petals (may be taken for sepals as calyx is reduced to a rim)
  • Woody climbers
b
  • Disc absent
Backtrack a
  • Sepals dry and ± scarious, free or shortly united at base
  • Leaves entire
b
  • Sepals herbaceous, free or ± united into a tube
  • Leaves entire or ± toothed or pinnately divided
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular, sometimes septate towards base
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
Backtrack a
  • Sepals 1 or 2, free, sometimes caducous
b
  • Sepals (or calyx lobes) 3 or more, sometimes ± obsolete (calyx annular)
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Sepals 1 or 2
  • Petals 1-4
  • Stamens united into a synandrium
  • Leaf blades peltate or subpeltate
  • Woody climbers
b
  • Flowers bisexual or, if unisexual, then stamens free
  • Sepals 2
  • Petals 4 or 5
  • Leaf blades not peltate
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular
  • Ovary with 1 ovule
  • Fruit a nut
  • Leaves much divided
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Ovary with many ovules
  • Fruit a capsule
  • Leaves entire, fleshy
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, not all radical
b
  • Leaves alternate, sometimes all radical
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
  • Herbs or shrublets
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Petals and stamens perigynous, inserted on calyx tube
b
  • Petals and stamens hypogynous or only slightly perigynous, not inserted on calyx
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 apical, pendulous ovule
  • Fruit indehiscent, dry or fleshy
  • Often heath-like
b
  • Ovary with many ovules on a basal or free-central placenta
  • Stamens twice as many as petals or fewer
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
  • Ovary with 1-many ovules on a basal or free-central placenta
  • Fruit a capsule
b
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Ovary with 1 or 2 ovules
  • Fruit drupaceous
  • Stamens as many as and alternating with petals
Backtrack a
  • Filaments united at base into a tube or cup
b
  • Filaments ± free
Backtrack a
  • Ovule 1
  • Styles 3, free or united at base
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious or polygamous
b
  • Ovules 2-8
  • Style 1 or stigma sessile
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 2, pendulous from apex of ovary
b
  • Ovules 2-8, erect from base of ovary
Backtrack a
  • Leaves compound with 3 or more leaflets
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Leaves simple or 1-foliolate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2-pinnate
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Fruit winged, indehiscent
b
  • Leaves 1-pinnate or 3-foliolate
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants polygamous or dioecious
  • Fruit drupaceous
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule
b
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular
  • Inner 2 sepals larger than the others, the lowest (median) petal forming a keel, the upper 2 petals vestigial or absent
  • Fruit long-winged, indehiscent
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Fruit unwinged, but sometimes surrounded by persistent wing-like sepals
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Sepals united into an elongated tube
  • Stamens mostly twice as many as petals, inserted on calyx tube
  • Shrubs, sometimes heath-like
b
  • Sepals free or almost so
  • Calyx sometimes reduced to a rim
Backtrack a
  • Stamens united into a synandrium
  • Leaf blade peltate or subpeltate
  • Woody, dioecious climbers
b
  • Stamens free or almost so
  • Leaf blade not peltate
Backtrack a
  • Plants polygamous or dioecious
  • Stamens 1-10
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Plants with bisexual flowers
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals
  • Woody climbers
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules
b
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals, united at base
  • Petals and stamens hypogynous
  • Herbs or shrublets with stellate hairs
b
  • Stamens more numerous than petals, free
  • Petals and stamens perigynous, inserted at mouth of calyx tube
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Petals imbricate
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals
  • Ovules on a free-central or basal placenta
b
  • Petals valvate
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 2 per locule, pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Stamens as many as and alternating with petals
b
  • Ovules 2-5 per locule, pendulous from apex of a central placenta
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals, or up to twice as many, or reduced to 3 and accompanied by staminodes
Backtrack a
  • Stamens opposite and usually as many as petals
b
  • Stamens, at least those of inner whorl, alternating with petals, as many as or more numerous or fewer than petals
Backtrack a
  • Filaments ± united into a tube or cup, sometimes alternating with staminodes
  • Calyx lobes valvate
  • Herbs or shrubs, often with stellate hairs
b
  • Filaments free, not alternating with staminodes
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with many ovules in each locule
  • Fruit a loculicidal capsule
  • Flowers in mainly terminal panicles
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Ovary with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule
  • Fruit drupaceous or baccate
Backtrack a
  • Flowers usually unisexual by abortion
  • Sepals and petals (4)5
  • Disc well developed
  • Capsule rounded
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Sepals, petals and stamens 6
  • Disc absent
  • Capsule dorsiventrally compressed
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescences leaf-opposed
  • Herbaceous or woody plants, often climbing with tendrils
  • Leaves simple (often lobed or divided) or digitate
  • Ovules 2 in each locule
  • Fruit a berry
b
  • Inflorescences axillary
  • Trees or shrubs, often spiny, without tendrils
  • Leaves simple, undivided
  • Ovules 1 in each locule
  • Fruit drupaceous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves compound, with 2 or more leaflets
b
  • Leaves simple or 1-foliolate, sometimes deeply divided
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescences bearing tendrils
  • Climbing shrubs or herbs
  • Leaves pinnate or 2-ternate
b
  • Inflorescences without tendrils
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
  • Stamens mostly twice as many as petals, sometimes as many as petals
b
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Style simple or stigma sessile
  • Leaves mostly opposite, rarely alternate, 2- or 3-foliolate or pinnate
b
  • Styles 5, rarely fewer
  • Leaves alternate or radical, digitately or pinnately compound
Backtrack a
  • Anthers 1-thecous
  • Leaves digitate, 3-9-foliolate
  • Stamens 10 or more, filaments united below
b
  • Anthers 2-thecous
  • Leaves pinnate or 2-pinnate or 2- or 3-foliolate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or subopposite
b
  • Leaves alternate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves paripinnate, leaflets without pellucid glands
  • Fruit a compressed capsule with winged seeds
b
  • Leaves imparipinnate or 3-foliolate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves dotted with pellucid glands at least at margin
  • Fruit baccate or separating into 2-4 mericarps
b
  • Leaves not gland-dotted
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with lateral or intrapetiolar stipules, imparipinnate
  • Flowers ± irregular, in racemes
  • Stamens 4 or 5
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Filaments united into a tube
  • Leaves pinnate or 2-pinnate
b
  • Filaments free or only shortly united at base
Backtrack a
  • Leaflets dotted with pellucid glands
  • Leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate
b
  • Leaflets without pellucid glands
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules in each locule
b
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Ovules many in each locule
  • Styles 5
  • Fruit baccate
  • Leaves pinnate
b
  • Ovules 2 in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Fruit drupaceous
  • Plants resinous
b
  • Fruit a capsule
  • Carpels separating from a persistent central column
  • Plants not resinous
Backtrack a
  • Styles 3-5, free and separated at base
  • Plants polygamous or dioecious
b
  • Style or styles central or terminal, not separated at base
Backtrack a
  • Fruit with carpels separating from persistent central column
  • Ovules on axile placenta
  • Seeds winged
b
  • Fruit not as above
  • Ovules erect or ascending or pendulous
Backtrack a
  • Ovules erect or ascending
  • Leaves paripinnate or 2-pinnate or 2- or 3-foliolate
b
  • Ovules pendulous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2-foliolate
  • Branches armed with straight spines
b
  • Leaves imparipinnate, tufted at ends of branchlets
  • Branches unarmed
Backtrack a
  • Perianth strongly irregular
  • Sepals 3 or sometimes 5, the median one spurred
  • Petals 3
  • Stamens 5
  • Anthers united around ovary
  • Fruit an explosively dehiscent capsule
  • Herbs
b
  • Perianth regular or slightly irregular
Backtrack a
  • Plants viscid
  • Subshrubs
  • Leaves with gland-tipped tentacles which trap insects
b
  • Plants not viscid
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, not all radical
b
  • Leaves alternate or fascicled, sometimes all radical
Backtrack a
  • Stamens more than twice as many as petals
b
  • Stamens up to twice as many as petals
Backtrack a
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Sepals free
  • Stamens and petals hypogynous
  • Filaments irregularly arranged or ± united into bundles
  • Styles 1-5 or absent
  • Leaves usually dotted or streaked with pellucid or opaque glands
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs
b
  • Leaves with stipules
Backtrack a
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Stipules interpetiolar
  • Petals fringed at apex
  • Stamens 15-45
  • Filaments not united into bundles
b
  • Herbs
  • Stipules not interpetiolar
  • Petals not fringed
  • Stamens 15
  • Filaments united below into 5 bundles
Backtrack a
  • Sepals united below into a tube
b
  • Sepals free or almost so
Backtrack a
  • Petals perigynous, inserted at mouth of calyx tube
  • Ovary with many ovules in each locule
b
  • Petals hypogynous, not arising on calyx tube
  • Ovary with 1-3 ovules per locule
Backtrack a
  • Anthers opening by apical pores
  • Connective often appendaged below anther
  • Leaves with 3 or more parallel longitudinal nerves
  • Herbs or shrubs
b
  • Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
  • Connective unappendaged
  • Leaves without parallel longitudinal nerves
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Succulent annuals
b
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as petals
  • Leaves with interpetiolar stipules
  • Petals fringed at apex
  • Plants not spiny
b
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Petals not fringed
  • Plants spiny
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each fertile locule (sometimes 1 or 2 of the locules empty)
  • Stamens twice as many as petals
  • Fruit winged
  • Shrubs, often climbing
b
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves lobed or deeply divided
  • Ovary beaked
  • Herbs or shrublets
b
  • Leaves not lobed or divided
  • Ovary without a stout central axis
Backtrack a
  • Styles 3-5
b
  • Style 1
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with many ovules in each locule
  • Sepals entire
  • Leaves with stipules
b
  • Ovary with 2 ovules in each locule
  • Sepals toothed or lobed at apex
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Herbs or subshrubs
  • Leaves succulent or glaucous
b
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many as petals, alternating with petaloid staminodes
  • Leaves dotted with pellucid glands
b
  • Stamens as many as or fewer than petals, not alternating with staminodes
  • Leaves without translucent glands
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each fertile locule (sometimes 1 or 2 of the locules empty)
b
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual or plants polygamous
b
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Leaves without stipules
  • Latex absent
  • Flowers in racemes or narrow panicles
  • Fruit a drupe or capsule, sometimes bladdery or winged
b
  • Leaves with or without stipules
  • Stipules sometimes spiny, especially in succulent species
  • Milky to reddish latex often present
  • Inflorescences basically cymose, sometimes flowers in cyathia (Euphorbia)
  • Fruit often a 3-lobed capsule dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci, often leaving a ± persistent axis
Backtrack a
  • Anthers 1-thecous
  • Stamens numerous, filaments ± united into a tube around the style
  • Sepals valvate, with or without an epicalyx
  • Plants often with stellate hairs
b
  • Anthers 2-thecous
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2 or more, sometimes fused towards base
b
  • Style 1
Backtrack a
  • Herbs or low subshrubs
  • Fruit of 2 hemispherical mericarps, often with a rough surface
b
  • Trees, shrubs or perennial scramblers
  • Fruit a drupe or separating into 2 or 3 broadly winged mericarps
Backtrack a
  • Perennial scramblers, rarely shrubs with medifixed unicellular hairs
  • Fruit separating into 2(3) broadly winged mericarps
b
  • Trees or shrubs, not scrambling, glabrous
  • Fruit a drupe
Backtrack a
  • Herbs or subshrubs
  • Sepals and petals 4
  • Stamens 6, tetradynamous (inner 4 long, outer 2 short)
  • Fruit an indehiscent, dehiscent or splitting capsule (silicula)
b
  • Trees, shrubs or rhizomatous subshrubs
  • Sepals and petals usually 5
  • Stamens mostly more than 6
Backtrack a
  • Petals and stamens perigynous, arising at mouth of calyx tube
  • Ovary entire, fused on one side to calyx tube
b
  • Petals and stamens hypogynous
  • Ovary deeply lobed, free from calyx
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many as or fewer than petals
b
  • Stamens more numerous than petals
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 5-locular
b
  • Ovary 2-4-locular
Backtrack a
  • Trees, monoecious
  • Leaves usually paripinnate
  • Ovules 6-12 per locule
b
  • Herbs or shrublets
  • Ovules 2 per locule
Backtrack a
  • Petals imbricate
  • Leaves lobed or divided
  • Ovary and fruit beaked
  • Herbs or shrublets
b
  • Petals contorted
  • Leaves simple, entire
  • Ovary and fruit without a stout central axis
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Petals 2-lobed or 2-fid
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Leaves entire
b
  • Petals not 2-lobed
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Styles 2 or 3, free or united at base, often lobed or branched
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Style 1
Backtrack a
  • Leaves without stipules
b
  • Leaves with stipules
Backtrack a
  • Filaments ± united into a tube
b
  • Filaments free
Backtrack a
  • Leaves dotted with translucent glands
b
  • Leaves without translucent glands
Backtrack a
  • Trees or shrubs, secreting resin
b
  • Herbs with tubers or a woody rootstock
Backtrack a
  • Sepals imbricate
  • Plants without stellate hairs
  • Ovary 5-locular with 2 ovules in each locule
b
  • Sepals (or calyx lobes) valvate
  • Plants often with stellate hairs
Backtrack a
  • Petals imbricate
  • Ovary beaked, with a 5-branched style
  • Herbs or shrublets
b
  • Petals contorted
  • Ovary without a stout central axis, with 5 free styles
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Filaments free or almost so
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs
b
  • Filaments ± united into a tube or into groups of 2 or 3
Backtrack a
  • Anthers 2-thecous
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Anthers 1-thecous
  • Herbs, shrubs or sometimes trees
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular, sometimes septate towards base
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
  • Male flowers with united petals
  • Female flowers with 1-4 free petals
  • Stamens united into a synandrium
  • Leaf blades peltate or subpeltate
  • Woody climbers
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Stamens free or with united filaments
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule
b
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular, papilionaceous, lowermost 2 petals united and forming a keel
  • Stamens 10, diadelphous, uppermost 1 free, other 9 with united filaments
  • Herbs
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Stamens not diadelphous
Backtrack a
  • Sepals 2
  • Petals united only near base
  • ± succulent twining herbs or stout shrubs
b
  • Sepals more than 2
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate
  • Perennials with twining stems
b
  • Leaves opposite
  • Succulent shrubs with stout, sometimes waxy branches
Backtrack a
  • Stamens inserted on elongated calyx tube, usually twice as many as calyx lobes
  • Corolla ring-like, inserted at mouth of calyx tube
  • Ovule pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Stamens not inserted on calyx, as many as calyx lobes
  • Corolla 4- or 5-lobed, not ring-like
  • Ovule arising from base of ovary
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate
  • Stamens opposite petals
  • Calyx covered with stalked glands
  • Herbs or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Leaves opposite
  • Stamens alternating with petals
  • Calyx without stalked glands
  • Shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Stamens fewer than petals
  • Flowers ± irregular
  • Herbs, often aquatic
b
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Flowers regular or almost so
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 2
  • Corolla strongly irregular, tube spurred
  • Leaves undivided or much divided and often bearing insectivorous bladders
b
  • Stamens 4
  • Corolla only slightly irregular, tube not spurred
  • Leaves undivided, without bladders
Backtrack a
  • Stamens opposite petals
b
  • Stamens alternating with petals
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Trees, shrubs or lianes
  • Fruit indehiscent, usually 1-seeded
  • Leaves alternate
b
  • Herbs
  • Fruit a many-seeded circumscissile or 5-valved capsule, or sometimes 1-seeded and indehiscent
  • Leaves opposite or alternate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves densely crowded or in whorls or pseudowhorls, ± ericoid to coarsely so
b
  • Leaves opposite or alternate, flat or succulent
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite
b
  • Leaves alternate
  • Stamens 5 or 10 or more
  • Ovules 2 or 10 or more
Backtrack a
  • Shrubs or woody climbers with milky sap
b
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes mangroves, sometimes leaves with 5(7) major veins from near the base
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with 1 major vein from the base
  • Mangroves
b
  • Leaves with 5(7) major veins from near the base
  • Savanna trees
Backtrack a
  • Trees, shrubs or lianas
  • Sepals (3)4 or 5
  • Stamens 5
  • Fruit a drupe
b
  • Subshrubs or perennial herbs, often with fleshy leaves
  • Sepals 2
  • Stamens 10 or more
  • Fruit a chartaceous capsule
Backtrack a
  • Petals 10 or more
b
  • Petals fewer than 10
Backtrack a
  • Styles/stigmas 5
  • Fruit a 5-valved capsule
  • Herbs with fleshy leaves
b
  • Style 1
  • Fruit a berry
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
Backtrack a
  • Petals in 2 or 3 series, imbricate
  • Stamens twice as many as inner petals, or as many as and opposite inner petals and alternating with staminodes
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
  • Leaves alternate
b
  • Petals in 1 whorl, imbricate
  • Stamens 2
  • Ovary with 4 or 5 ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Stamens more numerous than petals
b
  • Stamens as many as or fewer than petals
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules, often digitate or palmately lobed
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Flowers irregular, lowest (median) petal forming a keel
  • Filaments united into a sheath split on upper side
  • Ovary 2-locular with 1 ovule in each locule
  • Herbs or shrubs
b
  • Flowers regular
  • Filaments not united into a sheath
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule
  • Fruit indehiscent, baccate
  • Flowers bisexual or unisexual
b
  • Ovary with several or many ovules in each locule
  • Fruit a loculicidal capsule
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Anthers opening by apical pores or by longitudinal slits
  • Style unbranched
  • Plants often heath-like
Backtrack a
  • Stamens fewer than petals: 2-4
b
  • Stamens as many as petals: 4 or more
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with more than 4 ovules in each locule
  • Flowers mostly irregular
b
  • Ovary with 1-4 ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate, opposite or ternate
  • Stamens 4
  • Fruit a loculicidal capsule with winged seeds
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Leaves simple, sometimes deeply divided or reduced to scales
Backtrack a
  • Ovary completely or incompletely 4-chambered, each of 2 original locules becoming divided into 2 by a false septum
  • Stamens 4
  • Herbs or sometimes shrubs, with mucilaginous glands
b
  • Ovary 2-locular, locules not becoming divided by false septa
Backtrack a
  • Ovules arranged in more than 2 series on each placenta
  • Stamens 4 or 2
  • Fruit a capsule or sometimes a berry, seeds not borne on hardened hook-like funicles
  • Leaves alternate or opposite or whorled, sometimes reduced to scales
  • Herbs or shrubs or sometimes trees
b
  • Ovules arranged in 1 or 2 series on each placenta
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a club-shaped to ellipsoidal, loculicidally, often explosively dehiscent capsule, with seeds mostly borne on hard, hygroscopic, hook-like funicles
  • Leaves opposite, mostly entire
  • Herbs, shrubs or small trees
b
  • Fruit indehiscent to tardily dehiscent, sometimes a drupe
  • Seeds not borne on hardened hook-like funicles
  • Leaves ± sinuate or lobed to unlobed
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Flowers regular, small, white, bell-shaped, solitary or in axillary clusters
  • Leaves gland-dotted, entire or toothed
  • Evergreen shrubs or trees
b
  • Fruit indehiscent or tardily dehiscent, armed with horns bearing recurved spines
  • Flowers irregular, medium-sized, variously coloured, adaxially often gibbous, usually solitary, axillary
  • Herbs rarely shrubs or small trees
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 3
  • Peduncles adnate to petioles of subtending leaves
  • Trees or shrubs with alternate leaves
b
  • Stamens 4 or 2
  • Peduncles not adnate to leaves
Backtrack a
  • Perianth regular
b
  • Perianth irregular
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 2
  • Leaves opposite or sometimes ternate or alternate
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Stamens 4
  • Leaves alternate, simple, gland-dotted
  • Evergreen shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Ovary ± deeply 4-lobed, style gynobasic
  • Fruit separating into 4 nutlets (or fewer by abortion)
  • Leaves simple, opposite or whorled or sometimes alternate
  • Herbs or shrubs, often aromatic
b
  • Ovary not deeply 4-lobed, style not gynobasic
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a capsule, loculicidally dehiscent or sometimes failing to dehisce
  • Seeds often borne on hardened, hook-like funicles
  • Ovary 2-locular with 2-4 ovules in each locule
  • Herbs or shrubs with opposite, simple leaves
b
  • Fruit separating into 2 or more pyrenes or cocci, or a capsule, but then seeds not borne on hardened hook-like funicles
Backtrack a
  • Flowers solitary, axillary
  • Fruit indehiscent, armed with 2 or 4 spines, or longitudinally 4-winged
  • Stamens 4
  • Leaves opposite or subopposite, often toothed or pinnately lobed
  • Herbs with mucilaginous glands
b
  • Flowers grouped in inflorescences
  • Fruit without spines or wings
Backtrack a
  • Anthers 1-thecous
  • Leaves mostly alternate, simple, narrow
  • Ovary 2-locular with 1 apical, pendulous ovule in each locule
  • Herbs or shrubs
b
  • Anthers 2-thecous, sometimes confluent
  • Leaves opposite or whorled
Backtrack a
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
  • Leaves simple or digitate
  • Ovary 2-8-locular with 1 basal or axile ovule in each locule
b
  • Ericoid shrubs or shrublets
  • Leaves simple, whorled on older branches
  • Ovary 1- or 2-locular, sometimes septum incomplete, 2-ovuled
  • Ovules erect, anatropous
Backtrack a
  • Leaves absent or reduced to scales
b
  • Leaves present, well developed
Backtrack a
  • Slender, twining, parasitic plants
  • Ovary with 2 ovules in each locule
  • Fruit a capsule
  • Corolla with or without infrastaminal scales (Cuscuta)
b
  • Shrubs or succulent plants, not parasitic
  • Ovary with many ovules in each locule
  • Fruit formed of 2 separate follicular carpels (or 1 by abortion)
  • Flowers with corona
Backtrack a
  • Stamens opposite petals, sometimes with staminodes
  • Trees or shrubs with alternate leaves
b
  • Stamens alternating with petals, sometimes partly connate
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, sometimes in opposite or subopposite fascicles on small cushions, not all radical
b
  • Leaves (at least lower ones) alternate, sometimes all radical
Backtrack a
  • Stamens hypogynous, not arising on corolla
  • Anthers opening by apical slits
  • Heath-like shrubs
b
  • Stamens arising on corolla tube or variously joined with gynoecium
Backtrack a
  • Petals imbricate
b
  • Petals contorted or valvate
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule
  • Fruit drupaceous or separating into pyrenes or nutlets
b
  • Ovary with several to many ovules in each locule
  • Fruit a septicidal capsule, sometimes a berry
Backtrack a
  • Petals and stamens 5
  • Herbs, often with bulbous-based hairs
b
  • Petals and stamens 4
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
Backtrack a
  • Petals and stamens 5 or more
  • Leaves pinnately compound, or simple and then rigid spiny shrubs with solitary or paired flowers
b
  • Petals and stamens 4
  • Herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or trees, not spiny, and if shrubs, flowers not solitary or paired
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
  • Flowers solitary or paired in leaf axils
b
  • Trees, shrubs or subshrubs
  • Flowers in cymes, racemes or panicles
Backtrack a
  • Petals valvate
  • Leaves usually with 3 major veins from base
  • Fruit a berry, often large, globose and with a woody rind
b
  • Petals contorted
Backtrack a
  • Herbs with septicidal capsules or rarely trees with berries
b
  • Herbs, often succulent, shrubs or trees, often with milky latex
  • Flowers often with corona
  • Fruit mostly a pair of follicular mericarps
Backtrack a
  • Leaves all radical
  • Flowers small, in pedunculate spikes or heads
  • Fruit a circumscissile capsule
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves not all radical
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with more than 2 ovules in each locule
b
  • Ovary with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Petals contorted
  • Fruit formed of 2 follicular mericarps
  • Shrubs or trees
b
  • Petals not contorted
  • Fruit a capsule or berry
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2 or 3
  • Petals imbricate
  • Fruit a capsule
  • Herbs
b
  • Style 1
Backtrack a
  • Petals plicate or valvate
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
b
  • Petals imbricate
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a capsule with winged seeds
  • Leaves simple or 3-foliolate
  • Spiny shrubs
b
  • Fruit a berry or capsule, seeds unwinged
  • Leaves simple
  • Herbs or spiny shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Filaments united into a sheath split on upper side
  • Flowers irregular, lowest (median) corolla lobe forming a keel
  • Fruit drupaceous
  • Shrubs or trees
b
  • Filaments not united into a sheath
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube split down front, with 4 lobes
  • Anthers 1-thecous
  • Ovary 2-locular with 1 apical, pendulous ovule in each locule
  • Herbs or shrublets with spicate flowers
b
  • Corolla tube not split
  • Anthers 2-thecous
Backtrack a
  • Style absent
  • Stigma sessile
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Fruit a globose berry
b
  • Style(s) present, terminal or gynobasic
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Fruit a schizocarp or drupaceous or a capsule, rarely indehiscent
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a schizocarp of 4 nutlets or drupaceous with 4, 1-seeded stones, rarely a 2-locular capsule with 1 seed per locule (Wellstedia)
  • Petals imbricate or contorted in bud
b
  • Fruit a capsule or indehiscent
  • Petals convolute, folded and valvate in bud
  • Plants often twining or trailing
Backtrack a
  • Parasitic plants, either low, ± fleshy, ± leafless and growing on roots of woody plants or shrublets growing on trees or shrubs
b
  • Plants not parasitic
Backtrack a
  • Shrublets growing on other trees or shrubs
b
  • Low, ± fleshy, ± leafless root parasites
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual, in many-flowered inflorescences
  • Leaves scale-like
  • Ovule 1
b
  • Flowers usually bisexual, solitary, with a tubular 3- or 4(5)-lobed perianth resembling a fungus
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
b
  • Ovary 1-locular
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Leaves with stipules
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Male flowers in catkins
  • Female flowers solitary
b
  • Flowers in heads, cymes or panicles
Backtrack a
  • Flowers in heads
  • Stamens as many as sepals
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
  • Trees or shrubs with entire leaves
b
  • Flowers in cymes or panicles
  • Stamens many
  • Ovary with very many ovules in each locule
  • Sepals petaloid
  • Herbs, sometimes epiphytic, with alternate, often unequal-sided leaves
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite
  • Flowers solitary and subsessile in axils of leaves
  • Herbs
b
  • Leaves alternate
Backtrack a
  • Trees (mangroves)
  • Stamens and staminodes very many, the outer series of staminodes fused and resembling a corolla
b
  • Herbs or shrubs
  • Stamens, if many, without fused staminodes
Backtrack a
  • Perianth fused into an S-shaped to ± straight tube
  • Usually twining or scrambling herbs or shrubs
  • Fruit a capsule
b
  • Perianth members free or fused only in the lower half
  • Fruit a nut, often winged or spiny
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 2 or more in the ovary
b
  • Ovule 1 in the ovary
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as calyx lobes
b
  • Stamens as many as calyx lobes
Backtrack a
  • Trees, shrubs or scramblers
  • Flowers in racemes, spikes or heads
  • Fruit indehiscent, often with 2-5 longitudinal wings
b
  • Shrubs or shrublets
  • Flowers usually in threes surrounded by an involucre, or in miniature cone-like aggregations
  • Fruit fused to perianth base and fused with adjacent fruits to form a syncarp
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 2-4, pendulous from a free-central placenta
  • Style 1 with an entire or divided stigma
  • Flowers solitary or in cymes or racemes, bisexual or unisexual
  • Herbs or shrubs, often parasitic on roots and sometimes with reduced leaves
b
  • Ovules 4, pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Styles 4
  • Flowers clustered in axils of leaves, unisexual or plants polygamous
  • Herbs, not parasitic
Backtrack a
  • Herbs with basal, long-petiolate, toothed, kidney-shaped leaves
  • Flowers small, paniculate-spicate
b
  • Trees, shrubs or subshrubs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite
  • Perianth tube deeply urn-shaped
  • Anthers opening by 2 valves
b
  • Leaves mostly alternate
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual, small, enclosed in a syconium or 'fig', or implanted on a flat to top-shaped receptacle, in globose heads or catkins
  • Often with milky or watery latex
b
  • Flowers bisexual or unisexual, cymose in axils of upper leaves
  • Latex absent
  • Fruit a bony nut with long wings
Backtrack a
  • Parasitic shrubs growing on other shrubs or trees
  • Ovules scarcely distinguishable from surrounding tissue of ovary
  • Calyx truncate or obsolete
  • Stamens as many as and opposite petals and arising on them
  • Leaves simple, entire, opposite or alternate, sometimes reduced to scales
b
  • Plants not parasitic
  • Ovule or ovules clearly distinguishable within ovary
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular
Backtrack a
  • Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing
  • Style 1, unbranched
b
  • Herbs or subshrubs
  • Styles or style branches 2-6
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate or scattered, ± ericoid
  • Stamens 4 or 5
b
  • Leaves opposite, rarely alternate but then stamens more than 5, flat, sometimes with 3(5) main veins from base
Backtrack a
  • Sepals, petals and stamens 4
  • Flowers solitary, axillary
b
  • Sepals, petals and stamens 5
  • Flowers in dense heads, panicles or spikes, rarely solitary
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with 3(5) main veins from base
  • Young branches usually 4-angled
  • Fruit a ± globose berry
  • Ovules 2-12 on central placenta
b
  • Leaves with 1 main vein from base
  • Fruit usually indehiscent, dry or sometimes fleshy, often variously winged or ridged
  • Ovules usually 2, pendulous
Backtrack a
  • Ovules many on basal placenta
  • Sepals 2, often deciduous
  • Fruit a circumscissile capsule
b
  • Ovule or ovules pendulous from apex of ovary or on pendulous, apical placentas
  • Sepals or calyx lobes 2-5
  • Fruit not circumscissile
Backtrack a
  • Ovules many on pendulous placentas
  • Fruit a capsule dehiscing at apex
  • Leaves opposite
  • Flowers bisexual, in axillary pairs
  • Petals and stamens 5
b
  • Ovules 1-4, pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Fruit indehiscent
  • Leaves alternate or opposite, sometimes all radical
  • Flowers bisexual or unisexual, paniculate-spicate or in axillary clusters
Backtrack a
  • Leaves small, sessile
  • Flowers in axillary fascicles
b
  • Leaves large, on long petioles
  • Flowers in terminal heads or compound spikes
Backtrack a
  • Ovule 1 in each locule, rarely 2 in Loasaceae
b
  • Ovules 2 or more in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Stamens many
  • Scabrous shrubs or shrublets with barbed bristles
  • Fruit woody, ribbed, crowned with persistent calyx
b
  • Stamens as many or twice as many as petals
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as petals
b
  • Stamens as many as petals
Backtrack a
  • Trees or shrubs, mostly mangroves
b
  • Herbs or subshrubs
Backtrack a
  • Petals 5
  • Stamens 10
  • Ovary 5-10-locular
  • In dry habitats
b
  • Petals 2-4
  • Stamens 4-8
  • Ovary 1-4-locular
Backtrack a
  • Flowers small to minute, usually unisexual
  • Aquatics or marsh plants
b
  • Flowers conspicuous with 4 white, usually sharply clawed petals
Backtrack a
  • Stamens opposite petals
  • Shrubs, often climbing with tendrils
  • Fruit often separating into cocci, sometimes winged
b
  • Stamens alternating with petals
  • Plants without tendrils
Backtrack a
  • Flowers solitary in axils of leaves
  • Floating, aquatic herbs
  • Leaves alternate, rosulate, with ± inflated petiole
  • Fruit large, indehiscent, with hard endocarp and armed with 2 or 4 horns
b
  • Flowers grouped in inflorescences
  • Plants not aquatic
Backtrack a
  • Fruit separating into 2 cocci
  • Herbs, sometimes arborescent
  • Flowers in simple or compound umbels, sometimes capitate
  • Leaves often much divided or compound
b
  • Fruit drupaceous or capsular, not separating into cocci
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnate or digitate or palmately divided
  • Flowers in umbels or racemes or spikes
  • Fruit drupaceous
b
  • Leaves simple, undivided
Backtrack a
  • Petals and stamens 4
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Leaves opposite, entire or toothed
  • Flowers bisexual or unisexual, in panicles or umbel-like cymes
b
  • Petals and stamens 5
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves small, often ericoid, rarely longer than 20 mm, sessile to shortly petiolate
  • Shrubs or shrublets
b
  • Leaves mostly longer than 25 mm, petiolate
  • Trees or shrubs
Backtrack a
  • Leaves usually small, often ericoid, densely spirally imbricate
b
  • Leaves alternate or opposite
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate
b
  • Leaves opposite
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with stipules, often unequal-sided
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants monoecious
  • Stamens many
  • Ovules very many in each locule
  • Herbs, sometimes epiphytic
b
  • Leaves without stipules
Backtrack a
  • Style absent
  • Stigmas as many as locules, subulate to filiform
  • Leaves ± succulent
b
  • Styles 1 or 2
Backtrack a
  • Styles 2
  • Flowers unisexual or both bisexual and unisexual on same plant, in axillary panicles
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Ovary 2-locular
  • Shrubs
b
  • Style 1, with an entire or lobed stigma
  • Flowers bisexual or sometimes both bisexual and unisexual on same plant
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a drupe
  • Petals 2-fid or 2-lobed
  • Leaves entire
b
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many or twice as many as petals
b
  • Stamens many, more than twice as many as petals
  • Fruit a berry or drupe
Backtrack a
  • Herbs or shrubs, sometimes aquatic
  • Flowers bisexual
b
  • Shrub or shrublets, dioecious
  • Flowers small, male corymbose, female solitary
Backtrack a
  • Flowers solitary or paired in axils of leaves
  • Ovary 2-locular
  • Leaves gland-dotted
  • Shrublets
b
  • Flowers in terminal racemes
  • Ovary 4-locular
  • Leaves not gland-dotted
  • Mangroves
Backtrack a
  • Leaves fleshy and succulent
b
  • Leaves not succulent
Backtrack a
  • Stamens as many as petals
  • Petals alternating with incurved scales
  • Trees or shrubs
b
  • Stamens twice as many as petals or more numerous
  • Petals not alternating with scales
Backtrack a
  • Stamens many, more than twice as many as petals
  • Trees or shrubs with gland-dotted leaves
  • Stipules absent or very small
b
  • Stamens twice as many as petals, if more, then interpetiolar stipules present or a scar line if they have fallen
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with interpetiolar stipules
  • Ovules 2 in each locule
  • Viviparous, mangroves, or forest trees or shrubs
b
  • Leaves without stipules or stipules much reduced
  • Ovules many in each locule
  • Plants not viviparous
Backtrack a
  • Anthers opening by an apical pore
  • Connective often appendaged below anther
  • Leaves with 3 or more parallel, longitudinal nerves
  • Seeds without tuft of hairs
  • Herbs or shrubs or small trees
b
  • Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
  • Connective unappendaged
  • Leaves without parallel, longitudinal nerves
  • Seeds often with an apical tuft of hairs
  • Herbs
Backtrack a
  • Parasitic shrubs growing on other shrubs or trees
  • Ovules scarcely distinguishable from surrounding tissue of ovary
  • Calyx truncate or shortly lobed
  • Stamens as many as and opposite corolla lobes and arising on them
  • Leaves simple, entire, opposite or alternate, sometimes ternate
b
  • Plants not parasitic
  • Ovule or ovules clearly distinguishable within ovary
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 1-locular
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular (sometimes 3-locular with 1 fertile locule and 2 empty locules)
Backtrack a
  • Ovules pendulous
  • Ericoid shrubs or shrublets
b
  • Ovules not pendulous
Backtrack a
  • Ovule 1
  • Flowers regular or irregular, in involucrate heads
  • Fruit indehiscent, often crowned by persistent calyx forming a pappus of bristles or scales
b
  • Ovules many on basal placenta
  • Flowers regular, not in involucrate heads
Backtrack a
  • Anthers united into tube surrounding style
  • Ovule erect from base of ovary
  • Herbs, shrubs or trees
  • Corolla of outer (ray) flowers often differing from that of inner flowers
b
  • Anthers free
  • Ovule pendulous from apex of ovary
  • Herbs with opposite leaves
Backtrack a
  • Calyx composed of 2 often deciduous sepals
  • Fruit a circumscissile capsule
  • Stamens as many as and alternating with corolla lobes or more numerous
  • Herbs
b
  • Calyx 4- or 5-lobed
  • Fruit not circumscissile
  • Stamens as many as and opposite corolla lobes
Backtrack a
  • Trees or shrubs
  • Flowers in axillary panicles or racemes
  • Fruit indehiscent, dry or fleshy
b
  • Herbs
  • Flowers in terminal racemes
  • Fruit a 5-valved capsule
Backtrack a
  • Petals united into a deciduous mass (calyptra)
  • Stamens very many
  • Trees or shrubs with gland-dotted leaves
b
  • Petals more or less united into a tube, not into a deciduous mass
  • Stamens not more than twice as many as corolla lobes
Backtrack a
  • Ovary 3-locular with 2 empty locules, fertile locule with 1 apical, pendulous ovule
  • Stamens 3
  • Fruit indehiscent, often crowned by persistent calyx forming feathery pappus
  • Herbs with opposite leaves
b
  • Ovary 2- or more-locular, usually without empty locules
Backtrack a
  • Trailing or climbing herbs or shrubs often with tendrils
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Stamens 3-5, anthers sometimes curved or flexuous or folded
  • Leaves often palmately or pedately lobed or deeply divided
b
  • Plants without tendrils
  • Flowers bisexual or sometimes unisexual
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or whorled, with interpetiolar or intrapetiolar (sometimes leaf-like) stipules and entire margin
  • Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes climbing
b
  • Leaves alternate or opposite, or spirally imbricate, without stipules, sometimes reduced to scales
Backtrack a
  • Stamens indefinite
  • Leaves fleshy
b
  • Stamens definite
  • Leaves rarely succulent
Backtrack a
  • Stamens twice as many as corolla lobes
  • Anthers opening by apical pores
  • Flowers in axillary racemes
  • Trees or shrubs with alternate leaves
b
  • Stamens as many as corolla lobes
  • Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a drupe
b
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
  • Flowers irregular, corolla tube split down back
  • Maritime shrubs or undershrubs
b
  • Ovary with 2 or more ovules in each locule
  • Flowers ± regular
  • Petals bifid or bilobed
Backtrack a
  • Ovules (1)2(-10) in each locule, pendulous
  • Ericoid shrublets or shrubs
b
  • Ovules many in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Corolla lobes imbricate
  • Capsule circumscissile
  • Flowers regular, in terminal spikes
  • Anthers free
  • Hydrophytes
b
  • Corolla lobes valvate
  • Capsule dehiscing by valves
Backtrack a
  • Flowers regular
  • Anthers free
b
  • Flowers irregular, 1- or 2-lipped
  • Anthers cohering in a tube around the style, very rarely free
Backtrack a
  • Flowers white or otherwise brightly coloured
  • Perianth wholly or partly petal-like
b
  • Flowers with perianth absent or papery, glumaceous to hyaline or sometimes herbaceous, or reduced to hairs or scales
Backtrack a
  • Ovary superior
b
  • Ovary inferior or half-inferior
Backtrack a
  • Land plants, sometimes rooting in water
b
  • Aquatic herbs, free-floating or submerged
Backtrack a
  • Flowers (florets) arranged in small spikes (spikelets) subtended or enclosed by bracts
  • Grasses or grass-like plants
b
  • Flowers not arranged in spikelets
Backtrack a
  • Aquatic or marsh herbs
b
  • Land plants, sometimes rooting in water
Backtrack a
  • Perianth of 6 petal-like tepals in 2 whorls, blue, white or yellow
  • Gynoecium with an ovary of 3 fused carpels
b
  • Perianth of 3 coloured sepals or tepals, often accompanied by 3 herbaceous sepals
  • Gynoecium composed of 2-many ± free carpels
Backtrack a
  • Flowers in a simple or 2-branched spike
  • Perianth in a single whorl of 1-3 white to pink tepals
b
  • Flowers whorled or in simple or compound umbels
  • Plants often with white sap
Backtrack a
  • Carpels each with 1 basal ovule
  • Fruit of 3-many achenes
b
  • Carpels each with many ovules on a parietal/marginal placenta
  • Fruit a head of follicles
Backtrack a
  • Perianth composed of separate calyx and corolla, the calyx usually herbaceous
b
  • Perianth composed of similar or subsimilar tepals, all petal-like
Backtrack a
  • Style simple
  • Ovary 2- or 3-locular
  • Flowers in open to congested cymes, with conspicuous corolla often blue or yellow, often subtended by folded or boat-shaped bracts
b
  • Style branched
  • Ovary 1-3-locular
  • Flowers small, crowded in bracteate heads or spikes on long, leafless peduncles
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Corolla inconspicuous to minute
  • Ovary 3- or 2-locular
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Petals mostly yellow to white
  • Ovary 1-locular
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 3
  • Rootstock often bright orange-red
b
  • Stamens 6
  • Sometimes outer whorl without anthers
Backtrack a
  • Anthers dehiscing by an apical pore, often unequal
  • Filaments short, inserted at mouth of perianth tube
  • Rootstock a corm
b
  • Anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits (these rarely very short but then plants leafless)
  • Rootstock a rhizome, bulb or tuber
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a fleshy berry or drupe
b
  • Fruit a capsule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves with 2 basal tendrils
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Plants dioecious
b
  • Leaves without basal tendrils
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Leaf tips narrowing into a coiled tendril
b
  • Leaf tips not as above
Backtrack a
  • Flowers crowded in dense racemes or panicles, longer than 20 mm, tubular below, with exserted stamens
  • Leaves large, tough and crowded
  • Plants rhizomatous or tree-like
b
  • Flowers few in axillary racemes or cymes, shorter than 10 mm
  • Plants shrubby or scandent
Backtrack a
  • Leaves reduced to scales with a spiny or soft spur
  • Cladodes needle-shaped or leaf-like and without distinct cross-connections between parallel veins
b
  • Leaves with many prominent parallel veins with distinct cross-connections
Backtrack a
  • Flowers in umbels subtended by 2 spathaceous bracts and borne on naked peduncles
b
  • Flowers in spikes or racemes
Backtrack a
  • Flowers perfectly regular with stamens spreading, or anthers sessile
  • Capsule ovoid
  • Plants usually smelling of onion or garlic
  • Rootstock a bulb or rhizome
b
  • Flowers slightly irregular with stamens declinate and recurved at tips
  • Capsule 3-angled or -winged
  • Plants not smelling of onion or garlic
  • Rootstock a rhizome
Backtrack a
  • Rootstock a bulb
b
  • Rootstock a rhizome, corm or tuber
Backtrack a
  • Flowers borne on leafy stems
  • Bulb with loose scales
b
  • Flowers borne on naked peduncles
  • Bulb rarely with loose scales
Backtrack a
  • Seeds woolly
  • Flowering stems leafless except for a clasping basal leafy bract
  • Leaves petiolate, often absent at flowering
  • Rootstock a tuber
b
  • Seeds glabrous
  • Flowering stems leafy
Backtrack a
  • Rootstock a corm, rarely a tuber
  • Seeds brown
  • Flowers usually opposite the bracts
b
  • Rootstock a rhizome, sometimes short and with swollen roots
  • Seeds black
  • Flowers in axils of bracts
Backtrack 002 a
  • Flowers borne singly in axils of bracts
b
  • Flowers more than 1 in axils of bracts
Backtrack a
  • Submerged aquatics rooting from a rhizome
  • Flowers mostly unisexual, submerged or floating
b
  • Terrestrial plants or emergent aquatics, but then rootstock cormous and stamens 6
Backtrack a
  • Fertile stamens 5(6) or 1, but then supported by and not fused to the style
  • Leaves pseudopetiolate with a broad base, midrib prominent and secondary veins pinnate-parallel
b
  • Fertile stamens 3(4)6 or 1, but then fused to the style into a complex columnar structure
  • Leaf venation never pinnate-parallel
Backtrack a
  • Fertile stamen 1
b
  • Fertile stamens 5(6)
Backtrack a
  • Outer tepals united into a tube
  • Anther 2-thecous
  • Filament thread-like
b
  • Outer tepals free
  • Anther 1-thecous
  • Stamen partly petal-like
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual, upper 5 tepals fused below
  • Leaves spirally inserted
  • Stems not woody, drying after fruiting, sometimes suckering
  • Fruit a banana with seeds embedded in pith
b
  • Flowers bisexual, lateral inner tepals fused and enclosing style and stamens
  • Leaves distichous
  • Stems and rootstock perennial
  • Seeds pea-like with a tuft of hairs
Backtrack a
  • Stamen 1, united with style into a column (gynostemium)
  • Pollen agglutinated into masses (pollinia)
  • Upper or lower median tepal often elaborated and spurred
b
  • Stamens 3(4) or 6
  • Pollen not agglutinated into masses
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual, in spikes or racemes
  • Climbers with ± heart-shaped leaves
b
  • Flowers bisexual
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 3, opposite outer tepals
  • Leaves mostly unifacial
  • Rootstock a corm or rhizome
b
  • Stamens 6 or 3, but then opposite inner tepals
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescence apparently an umbel (sometimes 1-flowered), subtended by 1 or more spathaceous bracts and borne on a naked scape
  • Rootstock a bulb or rhizome
b
  • Inflorescence a corymb, raceme, panicle, cyme or 1-flowered, not subtended by spathaceous bracts
  • Rootstock a corm or rhizome (rarely reduced)
Backtrack a
  • Small saprophytic herbs with a few narrow basal leaves or leaves scale-like
b
  • Photosynthetic plants with well-developed leaves
Backtrack a
  • Robust, rosulate plants with tree-like inflorescences and large, spine-tipped, leathery or succulent leaves persisting for several years
b
  • Smaller plants, often coarsely hairy
  • Leaves never spine-tipped
Backtrack a
  • Flowers many, in helicoid cymes borne on bracteate stalks
  • Ovules 1 or 2 per locule
b
  • Flowers mostly solitary or few borne on leafless scapes or pedicels
  • Ovules many per locule
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 3
  • Pubescence of simple hairs
  • Rhizome often bright red
b
  • Stamens 6
  • Pubescence of plumose hairs
Backtrack a
  • Shrublets or short-stemmed perennials
  • Leaves fibrous, abscising below, persistent bases stiffly fibrous and closely imbricate
  • Flowers solitary, purple to mauve or white, with septal nectaries
  • Seeds white to yellowish
b
  • Acaulescent perennials
  • Leaves softer, decaying irregularly, bases loosely fibrous and not regularly imbricate
  • Flowers 1 to many, yellow, white pink to red, without nectaries
  • Seeds black
Backtrack a
  • Plants floating freely on the surface, though sometimes attached to the substrate in very shallow water
b
  • Plants rooted or freely suspended with leaves submerged or floating
Backtrack a
  • Small, ± disc-shaped to globular annuals not differentiated into stems and leaves
  • Flowers borne in pouches or sheaths
b
  • Rosette-forming, stoloniferous herbs with oblong, hairy leaves
  • Flowers borne on a small spadix surrounded by a tubular spathe
Backtrack a
  • Gynoecium composed of 2 or more free carpels with separate styles and stigmas
b
  • Gynoecium composed of 1 carpel or of 2 or more united carpels with free or united styles
Backtrack a
  • Perianth absent or cupular
  • Stamens 1 or 2
b
  • Perianth present, composed of 1-4 free tepals
  • Stamens 3-many
Backtrack a
  • Flowers bisexual, in spikes above water at anthesis, spikes consisting of 2 naked flowers facing in opposite directions and borne at different heights
  • Carpels 4-8, becoming stipitate in fruit and appearing umbellate
  • Stamens 2, free
b
  • Flowers unisexual, submerged, axillary, cymose or solitary
  • Carpels 1-9, stipitate
  • Stamens 1 or 2, united
Backtrack a
  • Marine plants, dioecious
  • Pollen filamentose
b
  • Brackish or freshwater plants, monoecious
  • Pollen globose
Backtrack a
  • Leaves borne on elongated stems
  • Tepals usually 4
  • Inflorescence a simple spike not enclosed in a spathe when young
b
  • Leaves all basal
  • Tepals 1-3
  • Inflorescence a 2-branched or simple spike at first enclosed in a spathe
Backtrack a
  • Flowers in a 2-branched or simple spike on an elongated axillary peduncle at first enclosed in a spathe
  • Flowers without bracts
b
  • Flowers whorled or in simple or compound umbels
  • Plants often with white sap
Backtrack a
  • Carpels each with 1 basal ovule
  • Fruit of 3-many achenes
b
  • Carpels each with many ovules on a parietal placenta
  • Fruit a head of follicles
Backtrack a
  • Perianth present
  • Ovary inferior, 1-locular with many ovules on parietal placentas
  • Flowers mostly unisexual, submerged in marine species, exserted during anthesis in others
  • Male flowers sometimes becoming detached and free-floating
b
  • Perianth absent
  • Ovary superior, with a solitary ovule
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite or verticillate, often toothed
  • Flowers solitary or few together in leaf axils
  • Freshwater plants
b
  • Leaves alternate
  • Inflorescence a spike of alternating male and female flowers enclosed in a spathe
  • Marine plants
Backtrack a
  • Leaves reduced to sheaths with free margins
  • Plants dioecious
  • Florets with a perianth of 6 tepals in 2 whorls
b
  • Leaves usually with a well-developed blade and a sheathing base
  • Plants very rarely dioecious
  • Florets mostly with 2-6 scale-like bracts or bristles
Backtrack a
  • Leaves 2-ranked
  • Leaf sheaths usually with free, overlapping margins
  • Stems terete or compressed, usually with hollow internodes
  • Style branches and stigmas usually 2, feathery
  • Anthers deeply sagittate and therefore appearing dorsifixed
b
  • Leaves often 3-ranked, mostly crowded in a basal tuft
  • Leaf sheaths usually closed
  • Stems often 3-angled, with solid internodes
  • Style branches and stigmas 2 or 3, not feathery
  • Anthers basifixed
Backtrack a
  • Leaves pinnately or palmately compound
  • Palms
b
  • Leaves simple
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescence a very dense cylindrical spike with female florets below and male ones above
  • Perianth segments reduced to bristles
b
  • Inflorescence various, not as above
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescence a dense fleshy spike (spadix) subtended by a conspicuous or long, leaf-like spathe
b
  • Inflorescence various, not a spadix
Backtrack a
  • Leaves arranged in 2 vertical rows, not differentiated into petiole and blade
  • Spathe leaf-like, much longer than spadix
b
  • Leaves alternate, differentiated into petiole and blade
  • Spathe conspicuous, of various colours
Backtrack a
  • Perianth segments herbaceous
  • Fruit separating into 3 cocci
  • Leaves radical
b
  • Perianth segments dry and glumaceous to hyaline
  • Leaves basal, cauline or reduced to sheaths
  • Plants often rush-like
Backtrack a
  • Tufted herbs with radical leaves and small to minute flowers crowded in terminal, compact, head-like inflorescences borne on naked peduncles
b
  • Combination of characters not as above
Backtrack a
  • Flowers unisexual
  • Ovary 3- or 2-locular
b
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Ovary 1-locular
Backtrack a
  • Leaves reduced to sheaths
  • Flowers unisexual, sexes on separate plants
  • Ovary 1- or 3-locular with 1 ovule per locule
b
  • Leaves with blades
  • Flowers bisexual
  • Ovary 1-3-locular with 3 or more ovules per locule
Backtrack a
  • Plants caulescent, up to 2 m or higher, with apical leaf rosette
  • Leaves serrate
  • Ovules few
  • Stigmas sessile or subsessile
b
  • Plants rhizomatous, with basal, entire leaves
  • Ovules many
  • Style short or long