e-Key v3 - Ke<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1706533125544_4830884518875149" data-jodit_selection_marker="start" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>y to Scrophulari<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1706533125544_6883788304837606" data-jodit_selection_marker="end" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>aceae Genera
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 ovule in each locule
  • Fruit consisting of 2(1) ± ovoid cocci
b
  • Ovary with 2-many ovules in each locule
  • Fruit a capsule, berry or drupe
Backtrack a
  • Two lateral corolla lobes ascending and united with 2 posterior (upper) lobes to form a 4-lobed upper lip, anterior (lower) lobe aborted or reduced to a small tooth
b
  • Corolla limb usually with a 1- or 2-lobed upper lip and 3-lobed lower lip, occasionally upper lip 4-lobed with one well-developed anterior lobe
Backtrack a
  • Calyx campanulate, 5-lobed or 5-toothed
b
  • Calyx of 1 or 2 segments
Backtrack a
  • Calyx of 2 segments
b
  • Calyx of 1 segment
Backtrack a
  • Ovary with 1 locule aborted or lacking an ovule
b
  • Ovary bilocular with an ovule in each locule
Backtrack a
  • Corolla limb herbaceous, corolla tube funnel-shaped (caution: Selago luxurians may have only 1 fertile locule and such a corolla but it has no orange/yellow patch in corolla throat as has Globulariopsis)
b
  • Corolla limb leathery, corolla tube long, cylindrical, expanding somewhat at top
Backtrack a
  • Calyx lobed at least halfway to base
  • Bracts free from calyx
b
  • Calyx very shortly toothed
  • Bracts adnate to at least part of calyx tube
Backtrack a
  • Corolla limb always glabrous on inner surface
b
  • Corolla limb with conspicuous 1-celled clavate hairs at base of upper lip, often all round mouth
Backtrack a
  • Bracts free from calyx
  • Ovary ellipsoid to elongate
  • Flowers sessile
b
  • Bracts usually adnate to pedicel and calyx tube, sometimes free from latter
  • Ovary subglobose or ovoid
  • Flowers sessile to petiolate
Backtrack a
  • Calyx divided more than halfway into 5 narrowly triangular lobes, becoming indurated (hardened) in most species
b
  • Calyx divided much less than halfway (except sometimes the posterior lobe) into 3 or 5 lobes, at least the anterior pair broadly deltoid, never indurated
Backtrack a
  • Lobes of posterior (upper) corolla lip entirely or sometimes only partly interior in bud (covered by lobes of anterior lip)
  • Many holoparasites or hemiparasites
b
  • Lobes of posterior (upper) corolla lip exterior in bud (covering lobes of anterior lip)
  • Herbs, undershrubs, or sometimes small trees
Backtrack a
  • Plants holoparasitic, lacking chlorophyll, or apparently so because of other colouring masking green colour
  • Leaves scale- or bract-like or aborted
b
  • Plants not apparently or actually holoparasitic, but often hemiparasitic
  • Leaves with chlorophyll
Backtrack a
  • Flowers in dense, often subcorymbose to head-like spikes
  • Corolla limb 3-lobed
b
  • Flowers usually in more lax racemes or spikes, sometimes dense above and lax below, rarely in dense heads
  • Corolla limb 5- or 4-lobed
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube bent abruptly above middle
  • Anthers unithecate
b
  • Corolla tube straight or somewhat curved but not abruptly bent as above
  • Anthers bithecate but sometimes thecae unequal and one may be subobsolete
Backtrack a
  • Corolla distinctly bilabiate
  • Ovary unilocular with parietal placentation
  • Seeds subglobose
b
  • Corolla subregular to somewhat bilabiate
  • Ovary bilocular with axile placentation
  • Seeds linear, clavate or oblong
Backtrack a
  • Corolla yellow or orange with red or markedly darker veins
  • Anther thecae equal or unequal, all fertile
b
  • Corolla variously coloured, if yellow, without darker veins
  • Anther thecae unequal, one fertile, one barren or subobsolete
Backtrack a
  • Calyx and corolla 4(5)-lobed, if 5-lobed then corolla subrotate and calyx not hairy inside
b
  • Calyx with 5(4) lobes or teeth, if with 4 then calyx with 7, 8, 10 or 11 ribs or veins
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 2
b
  • Stamens 4
Backtrack a
  • Woody subshrubs
  • Glabrous or minutely pubescent
  • Corolla regular, rotate
b
  • Viscid-pubescent annuals
  • Corolla bilabiate, almost personate
Backtrack a
  • Shrubs or subshrubs
b
  • Herbs, often hemiparasitic
Backtrack a
  • Plants climbing
  • Hemiparasitic
  • Leaves petiolate
b
  • Plants not climbing
  • Not parasitic
  • Leaves sessile
Backtrack a
  • Plants with branches opposite, spreading ± at right angles
  • Flowers ebracteolate
  • Corolla tube as long as calyx tube
  • Anthers exserted
b
  • Plants with branches not spreading ± at right angles
  • Flowers bibracteolate
  • Corolla tube longer than calyx tube
  • Anthers included
Backtrack a
  • Anthers with 2 fertile, equal, to somewhat unequal thecae
b
  • Anthers unithecate or with 1 fertile theca and 1 variously modified theca
Backtrack a
  • Calyx enlarged and inflated in fruit
b
  • Calyx not enlarged and inflated in fruit
Backtrack a
  • Flowers yellow or orange, sessile or subsessile, in spikes or subspikes
b
  • Flowers shades of purple, violet or blue, pedicellate, in racemes, sometimes appearing cymose
Backtrack a
  • Short herbs (to ± 0.15 m)
  • Stems ± decumbent, softly pilose
  • Leaves broadly elliptical, petiolate
  • Flowers bibracteolate
  • Pedicels recurved in fruit
b
  • Tall herbs (0.35-0.8 m)
  • Stems ± erect, hispid
  • Leaves linear-lanceolate, sessile
  • Flowers ebracteolate
  • Pedicels not recurved
Backtrack a
  • Anthers bithecate, with 1 fertile theca and 1 narrow, sterile one
  • Corolla subcampanulate
b
  • Anthers all unithecate
  • Corolla tube ± cylindrical or gradually widening above
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube rather sharply curved at or above the middle and often dilated at the curve
  • Anthers basifixed
b
  • Corolla tube straight or sometimes slightly curved
  • Anthers dorsifixed
Backtrack a
  • Flowers small, sessile or subsessile, usually in spikes or globose clusters
  • Corolla lobes subequal,
  • Ovary elliptical
b
  • Flowers large, usually petiolate and in racemes (rarely sessile and in spikes)
  • Corolla lobes unequal
  • Ovary ovate, ovoid or globose
Backtrack a
  • Stamens didynamous, arising at 2 levels in corolla tube
  • Style never exceeding lowest pair of stamens
b
  • Stamens equal in length, arising at 1 level in corolla tube
  • Style exceeding stamens
Backtrack a
  • Leaves alternate, very rarely opposite
  • Corolla without pouches, pockets or spurs
b
  • Leaves usually opposite at least near base, sometimes rosulate or verticillate, occasionally alternate above
  • Corolla tube sometimes with pouches, pockets or spurs
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube very short, narrow, or sometimes somewhat campanulate
b
  • Corolla tube elongated, comparatively broad with wide open throat
Backtrack a
  • Herbs erect
  • Fertile stamens 2
b
  • Low undershrubs or subherbaceous plants, erect to procumbent
  • Stamens 4
Backtrack a
  • Capsules thick-walled, obovoid or ± globose to ovoid, compressed in upper part at right angles to septum, emarginate, opening only above
  • Anthers of posterior pair of stamens smaller than others, sometimes empty (caution: 2 species of Aptosimum have Peliostomum-type fruits. See note under that genus.)
b
  • Capsules thin-walled, narrowly elongate-ovoid, acute, acuminate or obtusely pointed, opening ± down to base
  • All 4 anthers fertile and of ± equal size
Backtrack a
  • Corolla with pouches, pockets or spurs, usually near base (caution: 0 in Diascia such inflations rarely absent or corolla throat only slightly depressed, then yellow patches or oil-secreting hairs sometimes present there and seeds usually curved)
b
  • Corolla without pouches, pockets or spurs near base of corolla tube or limb
Backtrack a
  • Flowers resupinate (inverted by twisting of stalk)
  • Corolla tube split to base
b
  • Flowers not resupinate
  • Corolla tube not split, even if very short
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube very short or obsolete
  • Various inflations usually present in corolla throat or at base of limb
b
  • Corolla tube somewhat elongated with various inflations at base
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 4
b
  • Stamens 2
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube with 2 small hollows or short pouches at base
b
  • Corolla tube with only 1 hollow, pouch or spur at base
Backtrack a
  • Herbs
b
  • Shrubs or small trees
Backtrack a
  • Anther thecae confluent
  • Capsule dehiscing septicidally and/or loculicidally
b
  • Anther thecae separate, distinct
  • Capsule dehiscing as above or opening by 1 or more pores
Backtrack a
  • Capsule ± ovate or urceolate, laterally compressed, septicidal
  • Posterior corolla lip 4-lobed
b
  • Capsule subglobose, loculicidal
  • Posterior corolla lip 2-lobed
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube pouched
  • Capsule opening by 3 pores
b
  • Corolla tube with conical to cylindrical spur at base
  • Capsule opening either by single pore or meridional fissures
Backtrack a
  • Capsule locules each opening by single apical pore, with detachable lid
b
  • Capsule locules dehiscing by several meridional fissures
Backtrack a
  • Leaves palmately veined, reniform to orbicular, petiolate
b
  • Leaves not so veined, usually narrow, ± sessile
Backtrack a
  • Leaves closely set and overlapping
  • Calyx 3-partite
  • Stamens 2, plus 2 or 3 staminodes
b
  • Leaves not usually dense
  • Calyx 5-lobed
  • Stamens 4, all perfect
Backtrack a
  • Hairs stellate
  • Leaves opposite or nearly so
  • Calyx with valvate aestivation
b
  • Hairs simple
  • Leaves usually ternate
  • Calyx with imbricate aestivation
Backtrack a
  • Shrubs, or trees, or softly woody epiphytes
b
  • Herbs or undershrubs
Backtrack a
  • Fruit fleshy and indehiscent
b
  • Fruit capsular, dehiscent or subindehiscent
Backtrack a
  • Leaves opposite and decussate, fleshy
  • Stamens 5, perfect, equal
  • Epiphytic
b
  • Leaves opposite, rarely decussate, or alternate, not fleshy
  • Stamens 4 (rarely 5, or 5th one a staminode), didynamous or subequal
  • Not epiphytic
Backtrack a
  • Ovules usually 4 per locule
  • Flowers solitary
b
  • Ovules many per locule
  • Flowers in cymes or subfasciculate
Backtrack a
  • Calyx 3-5-cleft
  • Style long, filiform
b
  • Calyx 5-partite
  • Style short, fleshy
Backtrack a
  • Anthers bithecate with thecae erect
  • If staminodes present, very short and rudimentary
b
  • Anthers synthecate (becoming unithecate by confluence of 2 thecae) with thecae transverse
  • If staminode present, filament long
Backtrack a
  • Leaves petiolate
  • Stamens exserted
  • Capsule valves entire
b
  • Leaves sessile to shortly-petiolate
  • Stamens included or scarcely exserted
  • Capsule valves bifid
Backtrack a
  • Branchlets straight, rigid and often spinescent
  • Leaves alternate
  • Staminode 1
  • Stamen filaments arising at base of corolla tube
b
  • Branchlets usually somewhat curved, not rigid or spinescent
  • Leaves opposite and decussate
  • Staminodes 0
  • Stamen filaments arising in throat and lower down in corolla tube
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 4, rarely 2
  • Anthers synthecate
  • Mainly dryland herbs or undershrubs
b
  • Stamens 4, or 2
  • Anther thecae 2, distinct or confluent
  • Mainly water plants or in a habitat of unusual moisture conditions
Backtrack a
  • Posterior filaments not decurrent down corolla tube
b
  • Posterior filaments decurrent down corolla tube, often to base, sometimes very briefly
Backtrack a
  • Bract adnate halfway up calyx tube
b
  • Bract or floral leaf not or scarcely adnate to calyx tube (at most adhering to part or all of pedicel and sometimes extreme base of calyx)
Backtrack a
  • Posterior stamens included, arising halfway up tube or higher, anterior stamens either included or anthers just visible in mouth
b
  • One or both pairs of stamens exserted at anthesis (caution - > 0 both pairs deeply included in 2 species of Sutera), arising near base of tube
Backtrack a
  • Inside of corolla tube either glabrous or with longitudinal bands of clavate hairs, these sometimes coalescing, sometimes extending from throat onto bases of corolla lobes
  • Seeds patterned with transversely elongated pits arranged like a chequer board
b
  • Clavate hairs, when present, confined to orange/yellow patch at base of posterior lip
  • Seeds sinuously wrinkled in longitudinal bands
Backtrack a
  • Stigma very short (up to 2 mm), often minutely bifid, stigmatic surface ± terminal, either jelly-like or composed of minute papillae, these either terminal or also extending very briefly downwards
b
  • Stigma lingulate (tip occasionally minutely bifid), often ± equalling or longer than style, flattened, with 2 marginal bands of stigmatic papillae
Backtrack a
  • Leaves usually opposite, bases decurrent, forming ridges or narrow wings down stem
b
  • Leaves either alternate, at least on upper part of stem, or opposite and then not decurrent
Backtrack a
  • Corolla tube scarcely expanded at apex
  • Anterior anthers shortly exserted
  • Seeds with 6-8 longitudinal ribs, testa reticulate in furrows between ribs
b
  • Corolla tube abruptly expanded at apex
  • At most tips of anterior anthers visible in mouth or very shortly exserted
  • Seeds not ribbed, testa reticulate (2 species also with transversely elongated pits)
Backtrack a
  • Bract either adnate to pedicel (or part of pedicel) only, or to pedicel and base of calyx tube (never more than lower third)
b
  • Bract adnate at least halfway up calyx tube, rarely less
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescence capitate, nodding in flower, erect in fruit
b
  • Inflorescence either capitate or extended, always erect
Backtrack a
  • Floral bracts roughly as long as broad, sharply differentiated from leaves
b
  • Floral bracts longer than broad, often leaf-like
Backtrack a
  • Capsule beaked
  • Orange patches, if present on corolla limb, then located on all lobes forming radial pattern
b
  • Capsule not beaked
  • Orange/yellow patches present on corolla limb but only on posterior lip
Backtrack a
  • Corolla with an orange/yellow patch at base of posterior lip extending down back of tube
  • Seeds pallid or greyish, sinuously wrinkled in longitudinal bands
b
  • Orange/yellow patch on corolla confined to posterior lip
  • Seeds black, coarsely reticulate
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 2 in each locule, one pointing upwards, one downwards
  • Inflorescence a corymb
b
  • Ovules at least 4 in each locule and never diametrically opposed
  • Inflorescence a spike or raceme, sometimes condensed into a head, sometimes panicled
Backtrack a
  • Calyx strongly 5-ribbed, plicate in flower, distinctly bilabiate, posterior lip 3-toothed, anterior lip ± 2-toothed
  • Stamens 4 or 2
  • Staminodes usually absent
  • Flowers ± sessile
b
  • Calyx not strongly ribbed, rarely plicate and then 2 stamens and 2 staminodes, distinctly bilabiate or not, lobing various, often deep, sometimes right to base
  • Stamens 4 or 2
  • Staminodes present or absent
  • Flowers pedicellate
Backtrack a
  • Hairs on stems (and elsewhere) always patent, gland-tipped
  • Testa translucent, loosely enveloping endosperm
  • Seed 3-winged or 3-angled
b
  • Hairs on stems eglandular or mixed with glandular hairs, but some eglandular hairs always present, particularly near base of stem and there nearly always ± retrorse, patent eglandular hairs usually present on margins of bracts
  • Testa ± opaque, tightly investing endosperm
  • Seed never winged
Backtrack a
  • Calyx mostly lobed halfway or more to base
  • Upper lip of corolla 2-lobed, lower 3-lobed
b
  • Calyx lobes much shorter than tube, one corolla lobe isolated, the other 4 closely associated
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 4, only somewhat didynamous, or only 2 (lower pair) perfect and other pair reduced to staminodes or absent
b
  • Stamens 4, didynamous, or only upper pair perfect
Backtrack a
  • Small, woody subshrubs
  • Stems slightly ribbed but not winged
b
  • Marsh or aquatic herbs
  • If stems present, broadly 4-winged
Backtrack a
  • Flowers sessile
  • Stamens 2, anther thecae unequal
  • Capsule unilocular
b
  • Flowers stalked
  • Stamens 4, anther thecae equal
  • Capsule bilocular, at least in basal part
Backtrack a
  • All stamens and staminodes arising in corolla tube, anterior pair without appendages
b
  • All stamens and staminodes arising at top of corolla tube or in throat, anterior ones usually with appendages at base, rarely simple (Lindernia conferta)
Backtrack a
  • Calyx tubular, 5-toothed
  • Leaves entire or denticulate
b
  • Calyx 5-partite or deeply 5-lobed, rarely dentate and then aerial leaves pinnatisect to lacerate
Backtrack a
  • Capsule shortly beaked and reflexed at maturity
b
  • Capsule neither beaked nor reflexed
Backtrack a
  • Calyx lobes distinctly unequal
  • Anther thecae not stipitate (shortly stalked)
b
  • Calyx lobes ± equal (or posterior lobes somewhat larger)
  • Anther thecae usually stipitate
Backtrack a
  • Stamens 4 (2 in cleistogamous flowers)
  • Style bent at right angles
  • Leaves not crowded towards base of stem
b
  • Stamens 2
  • Style straight
  • Leaves crowded towards base of stem
Backtrack a
  • Basal leaves bifurcate through incomplete lateral fusion
  • Flowers subtended by 2 decussate pairs of floating bracts/leaves
  • Aquatic plants
b
  • Leaves and flowers not as above
  • Plants aquatic or terrestrial
Backtrack a
  • Leaf venation pinnate
  • Seeds with thickening of some epidermis cell walls
  • Ovary with hairs at apex and ovary locules with unicellular hairs inside
b
  • Leaf venation palmate (some Lindernia species have narrow leaves and venation is obscure)
  • Seeds with thin-walled epidermis
  • Ovary and ovary locules not as above
Backtrack a
  • Nectary present
  • Stamens usually 2 plus 2 staminodes, rarely 4 fertile
b
  • Nectary absent
  • Stamens 4 fertile
Backtrack a
  • Corolla lower lip with hairs having a multicellular base and club-shaped end cell
  • Endosperm alveolate and aulacospermous (furrowed/ribbed)
  • Plants nonrosulate
  • Roots whitish
b
  • Corolla lower lip without such hairs
  • Endosperm alveolate and bothrospermous (not furrowed/ribbed)
  • Plants rosulate
  • Roots often red, orange or yellow