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- Group 1Lycophytes, Monilophytes
- Group 2Gymnosperms
- Group 3Monocots
- Group 4Woody angiosperms with opposite or whorled leaves
- Group 5Woody angiosperms with alternate leaves
- Group 6Herbaceous angiosperms with inferior ovaries
- Group 7Herbaceous angiosperms with superior ovaries and zygomorphic flowers
- Group 8Herbaceous angiosperms with superior ovaries, actinomorphic flowers, and 2 or more distinct carpels
- Group 9Herbaceous angiosperms with superior ovaries, actinomorphic flowers, connate petals, and a solitary carpel or 2 or more connate carpels
- Group 10Herbaceous angiosperms with superior ovaries, actinomorphic flowers, distinct petals or the petals lacking, and 2 or more connate carpels
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- Dichotomous Key
- Caprifoliaceae
Caprifoliaceae
See list of 15 genera in this family-
1a. Plants herbaceous or suffrutescent; flowers with 3 or 4 stamens (with 5 stamens in Triosteum)
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2a. Flowers and fruits sessile in the axils of leaves [Fig. 551]; stamens 5 per flower; fruit an orange-red or orange-yellow drupe
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2b. Flowers and fruits borne on a peduncle [Figs. 544,545,546]; stamens 3 or 4 per flower; fruit an achene or cypsela (sometimes with sterile locules and therefore the fruits asymmetrical)
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3a. Flowers borne in a capitulum-like cyme [Figs. 543,544,549]; corolla 4-lobed (5-lobed in Scabiosa); ovary and fruit partially enclosed in a gamophyllous, tubular involucel that may be expanded apically
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4a. Stem, and often the involucral bracts and abaxial leaf midrib, with prickles [Fig. 543]; receptacular bracts awn-tipped
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4b. Stem, bracts, and leaves without prickles; receptacular bracts absent or present and pointed at the apex, but without awn-tips
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5a. Calyx-teeth or -setae (6–) 8–16 (–24); receptacle pubescent, without scales
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5b. Calyx-teeth or -setae 4 or 5 or absent altogether; receptacle glabrous, with scales
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6a. Involucral bracts ± ovate, rigid, in more than 3 series; marginal flowers of cyme enlarged and falsely radiate
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6b. Involucral bracts narrow-lanceolate to lanceolate, herbaceous, in 1–2 (–3) series; marginal flowers of cyme enlarged or not
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7a. Corolla 5-lobed; marginal flowers of cyme enlarged and falsely radiate; stem leaves once or twice pinnately lobed with deep sinuses (i.e., appearing pinnately compound)
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7b. Corolla 4-lobed; marginal flowers of cyme not notably enlarged [Fig. 549]; stem leaves simple
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8a. Calyx-setae 4 or 5; involucel 4-angled and pubescent
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8b. Calyx-setae absent; involucel 8-angled and glabrous
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3b. Flowers borne separately in an open inflorescence [Figs. 545,552]; corolla 5-lobed; ovary and fruit not enclosed in an involucel
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9b. Stems upright; corolla 1.5–7 mm long; androecium with 3 stamens; flowers neither nodding nor paired [Fig. 545]
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10a. Stem leaves pinnately divided [Fig. 552]; calyx composed of 5–20 narrow segments, these inconspicuous at anthesis but unrolling and forming a plumose, pappus-like crown in fruit; plants perennial
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10b. Stem leaves simple; calyx obsolete or minute; plants annual
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1b. Plants definitely woody; flowers with 5 stamens (with 4 stamens in Kolkwitzia)
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11a. Stamens 4 per flower; pedicels and ovary densely bristly pubescent; fruit a bristly achene
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11b. Stamens 5 per flower; pedicels and ovary glabrous or pubescent, but not bristly pubescent; fruit a capsule, berry, or drupe
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12a. Leaf blades regularly serrate; fruit a capsule
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13a. Corolla 12–20 mm long, zygomorphic, yellow, turning red in age; capsules glabrous; seeds not winged; petioles glabrous to sparsely pubescent
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13b. Corolla 25–30 mm long, nearly actinomorphic, dark red when open (sometimes white or pink); capsules pubescent; seeds winged; petioles ± densely pubescent
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12b. Leaf blades entire or with a few, irregular, tooth-like lobes; fruit fleshy
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14a. Corolla 10–50 mm long; ovary with 2 or 3 locules, each locule bearing several ovules; fruit red, blue, or black; leaf blades strictly entire; leaf scars with 3 vascular bundles
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14b. Corolla 2–8 mm long; ovary 4-locular, 2 of the locules with several abortive ovules, the other 2 locules with a solitary, fertile ovule; fruit white (red in one rare introduction); leaves entire or with irregular, tooth-like lobes; leaf scars with 1 vascular bundle
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Show photos of: Each photo represents one genus in this family.