Flowers with a clearly discernable perianth (petals and/or sepals, or tepals) in one or more whorls, (the perianth may be small but is clearly discernable using a hand lens)
Flowers without a perianth, or perianth if present very small and not clearly discernable
Either one or both perianth whorls fused into a cap or slipper-like structure
Perianth segments not fused into a cap or slipper-like structure
Flowers strongly zygomorphic, slipper-like
Flowers radially symmetric, not slipper-like
Leaves invested with peltate scales
Leaves glabrous or, if indumentum present, not of peltate scales
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaf base sheathing
Leaf base not sheathing
Leaves exstipulate
Leaves stipulate
Tendrils present
Tendrils absent
Gynophore present; leaves usually alternate
Gynophore absent; leaves opposite
Perianth segments more than 6 (counting sepals and petals if both present) or calyx cuplike and unlobed, with 5 or more petals
Perianth segments 6 or fewer (counting sepals and petals if both present, but not counting the bracts, scales or plumes of the pappus in Asteraceae)
Corolla segments (or perianth segments) quite free from one another
Corolla segments (or perianth segments) united with each other at least in part
All or most flowers unisexual
Most flowers bisexual
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior
Floating aquatics; leaves whorled, much divided
Land plants; leaves alternate, opposite, or absent
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Climbers or ramblers
Non-climbers, not spreading
Climbers; leaves opposite
Climbers (or plants spreading over the ground); leaves alternate
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Petals 4
Petals 5
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens 3-5 in male flowers
Stamens usually 8 in male flowers
Stamens 5 in male flowers
Stamens more than 5 in male flowers
Stamens usually 8; style 1; stigma entire or lobed
Stamens 10; styles or stigmas more than 1
Ovary entire; stigmas glabrous
Ovary lobed; stigmas plumose
Leaves opposite
Leaves alternate, clustered, or absent
Flowers polygamous; trees usually with yellow sap
Flowers strictly unisexual; shrubs or trees
Ovary 3-locular
Ovary 4-5-locular
Climbers with tendrils
Tendrils absent
Twiners or lianes
Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes scrambling
Stipules absent; disc absent; petals smaller than sepals, entire, sometimes absent
Stipules present; disc present; petals as long as or longer than sepals, emarginate
Latex present
Latex absent
Pachycaul small trees; male flowers tubular; stigmas 5; fruits large, many-seeded berries
Herbs, shrubs or trees, not pachycaul; male flowers not tubular; stigmas 3; fruits small, few-seeded capsules, drupes or few-seeded berries
Styles more than 3
Styles 1-3 or stigmas sessile
Styles 3, distinct, simple or branched
Style 1 (may be branched above) or absent (stigma sessile)
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Style 1 with 2 or more stigmas
Style and stigma 1 (may be lobed) or stigma sessile
Male flowers with staminodes
Male flowers without staminodes
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary more than 1-locular
Petals present
Petals absent
Fruit a succulent drupe; leaves succulent; seeds non-endospermic
Fruit dry; leaves not succulent though often thick; seeds endospermic
Carpels dry, falling entire; stamens fused into a column
Carpels dry, dehiscent; stamens free or solitary
Calyx segments free
Calyx segments united or calyx minute
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary more than 1-locular
Ovary stipitate
Ovary sessile
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Flowers in axillary cymose inflorescences, rarely solitary; sepals connate at base; staminal filaments subulate
Flowers in terminal and subterminal racemes; sepals free at base; stamens subsessile or filaments short, thick
Climber with tendrils
Non-climbers
Herbs or undershrubs
Trees
Petals 5
Petals 0, 2 or 4
Style 1
Styles 2 or more
Leaves cordate, palmately veined, thin-textured, toothed
Leaves rounded at base, pinnately veined, thick-textured, entire
Gynoecium apocarpous (the carpels and styles quite free from one another)
Gynoecium syncarpous (the carpels and/or styles clearly united) or carpel 1
Flowers perigynous
Flowers hypogynous
Leaves alternate or radical
Leaves opposite
Sepals 4; stamens 4 or 8
Sepals 5; stamens 10-numerous
Stamens 10; carpels embedded in a spiny, burr-like calyx at flowering, more so in fruit
Stamens usually >10; carpels not embedded in a spiny calyx in flower and fruit
Perianth segments numerous; carpels numerous
Sepals 4 or 5; petals 4 or 5; carpels 4
Stamens numerous
Stamens 10 or fewer
Leaves peltate
Leaves not peltate
Carpels embedded in receptacle
Carpels not embedded in receptacle
Style 1 with 3-5 stigmas
Styles (or stigmas when styles much reduced) as many as carpels
Climbers
Non-climbers
Perianth of tepals; perianth segments 10-14
Perianth of distinct sepals and petals
Sepals 3; petals 6
Sepals 4 or 5; petals 3-5
Perianth segments all petaloid
One or more whorls of perianth sepaloid
Leaves with peltate indumentum; perianth spiral
Indumentum, if present, not peltate
Perianth in 3 whorls of 3 tepals
Sepals 5; petals 5
Leaves bipinnate; trees
Leaves simple, entire to incised
Herbs; leaves usually much incised
Trees, shrubs, or undershrubs; leaves entire to distinctly incised
Style 1; stigmas 1 or more
Styles (or stigmas when styles much reduced) free from one another, as many as there are carpels
Leaves peltate
Leaves not peltate
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaves alternate
Leaves opposite
Stigma simple
Stigmas 3 or more
Flowers 4-merous
Flowers 5-merous
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaves opposite
Leaves alternate, radical, clustered, or absent
Sepals 4; petals 4
Sepals 5; petals 5
Petals sessile or with short claws; leaves fleshy
Petals with long claws; leaves not fleshy
Flowers 3-merous (usually sepals 6, petals 6, carpels 6 or 3)
Flowers 4- or 5-merous
Flowers 4-merous
Flowers 5-merous
Leaves fleshy; seeds lacking endosperm
Leaves not fleshy; seeds endospermic
Stamens united into one or more groups
Stamens free
Carpels 2
Carpels 3
Leaves not expanded at time of flowering
Leaves present at time of flowering
Leaves lobed or much dissected
Leaves entire
Carpels more than 5
Carpels 5 or fewer
Leaves fleshy
Leaves not fleshy
Leaf base sheathing
Leaf base not sheathing
Carpels usually 2 or 3
Carpels 5
Carpels and sepals entirely free; flowers clearly hypogynous
Carpels and sepals fused for c. 1/4 of their length; flowers somewhat perigynous
Leaves stipulate; petals white
Leaves exstipulate; petals yellow
Petals 2-4
Petals 5 or more, or whole perianth petaloid or sepaloid
Petals 2
Petals 3 or 4
Petals 3
Petals 4
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Sepals 5 or 6
Sepals 4, rarely 2 or 3
Sepals 5
Sepals 6
Ovary 1- or 2-locular
Ovary 3-5-locular
Ovary adnate to one side of calyx tube
Ovary free
Fruit indehiscent, globose
Fruit dehiscent, a legume or capsule
Fruit a legume
Fruit a capsule
Ovary usually 3-locular
Ovary 4- or 5-locular
Style 1; ovary 3-locular
Styles usually 2 or more (if style 1, then ovary 1-locular)
Ovary 4-locular
Ovary 5-locular
Ovary open at top, with sessile stigmas
Ovary not open at top
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior
Leaves radical or alternate
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Styles more than 1, quite free from one another
Style 1, with 1 or more stigmas, or stigma sessile
Stamens 2-4
Stamens 6 or more
Stamens 2 or 3
Stamens 4 or 5
Stamens 3
Stamens 2
Leaves simple, entire or much divided
Leaves compound
Stamens opposite petals
Stamens alternating with petals
Placentation basal or free-central
Placentation parietal
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Plants without tendrils
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Annual or perennial herbs
Shrubs or trees
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves quite entire
Leaves with short, pointed lobes
Flowers in axillary cymose inflorescences, rarely solitary; sepals connate at base; staminal filaments subulate
Flowers in terminal and subterminal racemes; sepals free at base; stamens subsessile or filaments short, thick
Stamens 6-8
Stamens 10 or more
Stamens 6
Stamens 7 or 8
Stamens tetradynamous; leaves simple (may be deeply divided)
Stamens not tetradynamous; leaves simple or compound
Leaves apparently cuneate and 2-lobed, in connate pairs in upper stem
Leaves palmately dissected, alternate
Annual or perennial herbs
Shrubs or trees
Stamens united
Stamens free
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves dissected
Leaves entire or absent
Petals glabrous
Petals densely hairy inside
Leaves 3-foliolate or palmate
Leaves pinnate
Ovules numerous in each loculus
Ovules 1 or 2 in each loculus
Annual or perennial herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovules 1 in each loculus
Ovules 2 in each loculus
Ovules 1 in each loculus
Ovules 2 in each loculus
Flowers in heads or spikes; heads solitary or in racemes
Flowers not in heads or spikes
Ovary borne on long stalk (gynophore)
Ovary sessile
Annual or perennial herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary more than 1-locular
Anthers opening by terminal pores; fruit a drupe or capsule
Anthers opening by longitudinal slits; fruit dry
Leaves irregularly divided into 3-several narrow-linear segments; fruit a globose, unwinged capsule
Leaves divided into 2 leaflets, or pinnate with the pinnae not narrow-linear; fruit breaking into cocci, or a winged capsule
Leaves large, palmately lobed
Leaves otherwise
Stamens 2 or 4
Stamens 5 or more
Stamens 2
Stamens 4
Flowers in clusters, racemes, or panicles
Flowers solitary in leaf axils
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas 4
Stamens perigynous
Stamens hypogynous
Anthers opening by pores; anther-connective with sickle-shaped appendages
Anthers opening longitudinally; connective without appendages
Styles 4
Style 1
Trees, shrubs or climbers; leaves simple or scale-like
Annual herb; leaves 2-lobed
Stamens 5-8
Stamens 10 or numerous
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves 2-lobed
Leaves entire, or with more than 2 lobes
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Ovary half-inferior; margins of petals fringed with long hairs
Ovary wholly superior; petals not fringed
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Perianth hypogynous
Perianth perigynous
Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4
Leaves in pairs, opposite
Fruits not winged; subshrubs, shrubs, or trees
Fruits winged; subshrubs
Leaves with 2 or more conspicuous longitudinal veins besides midrib
Midrib only conspicuous longitudinal vein
Leaves with revolute margins; style 1, with 3 branches
Leaf margins not revolute; styles 2 or 4
Stamens united
Stamens free
Leaves gland-dotted, usually with several leaflets
Leaves not gland-dotted, with only 2 leaflets
Flowers hypogynous, polygamous
Flowers perigynous
Stipules absent
Stipules present
Style and stigma 1
Styles more than 1
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens numerous
Stamens 10 or fewer
Leaves alternate or radical
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Styles several, free
Style 1, with 1 or more stigmas
Stigmas 2 or 4
Stigma 1
Stigmas 4
Stigmas 2
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Herbs (rarely soft-wooded shrubs)
Woody trees or shrubs
Stamens twice as many as petals; indumentum if present of simple hairs
Stamens as many as petals; indumentum of T-shaped hairs
Styles several, free
Style 1, with 1 or more stigmas
Shrubs; flowers in large corymbs, the marginal ones sterile and with an enlarged, showy calyx
Herbs, rarely shrubs; flowers not in large corymbs, without differentiated marginal ones
Petals fringed with long hairs
Petals not fringed
Stamens 4
Stamens more than 4, usually 8
Leaves with 2 or more longitudinal veins besides midrib
Midrib the only longitudinal vein
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 4-locular
Petals 5
Petals more than 5, or whole perianth petaloid or sepaloid, sometimes in 1 whorl
Calyx rudimentary
Calyx present
Sepals 2 or 3
Sepals 4 or more
Sepals 2
Sepals 3
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic
Twiners
Non-twiners
Shrubs or trees
Herbs
Stamens 5 or fewer; perianth often scarious
Stamens usually more than 5; perianth not scarious; leaves (and often stems) fleshy
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Leaf venation palmate
Leaf venation not palmate
Stamens 5
Stamens 8 or more
Stamens 8
Stamens numerous
Sepals 4
Sepals 5 or more, or calyx cup-like with indistinct lobes, or entire in bud
Stamens 8-10, free or united
Stamens numerous, united
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior or semi-inferior
Style 1 with simple stigma, or stigma sessile
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Leaves opposite or verticillate (rarely absent at flowering in some introduced deciduous species)
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Flowers hypogynous
Flowers perigynous or epigynous
Leaves simple
Leaves compound
Leaves 2-lobed, ±succulent with obscure venation
Leaves not 2-lobed, with at least midrib apparent
Leaves with 2 or more conspicuous longitudinal veins besides midrib
Midrib only conspicuous longitudinal vein, side-veins if present branching from the midrib (pinnate)
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens numerous
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers perigynous
Flowers not perigynous
Stamens 3
Stamens 5 or more
Stamens 5
Stamens usually 10
Ovary half-inferior
Ovary quite superior
Petals with narrow, pointed lobes
Petals entire
Petals clawed; stamens unequal, usually united at base
Petals sessile, stamens equal or unequal, free or united at base
Petals shorter than sepals
Petals longer than sepals
Stamens 5, united; anthers connate around ovary
Stamens 10
Ovary 1-locular; ovules 2 or more
Ovary 2- or 3-locular; 1 ovule in each loculus
Flowers perigynous
Flowers hypogynous
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2 or more-locular
Stamens 5
Stamens more than 5
Stamens united
Stamens free
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Stamens 1-5
Stamens 6 or more
Stamen 1
Stamens 2-5
Leaves deeply notched and palmately veined
Leaves entire and pinnately veined
Stamens 2-4
Stamens 5
Leaves simple
Leaves pinnate or bipinnate
Leaf venation well-marked and palmate
Leaf venation inconspicuous, or leaves absent
Stipules present; calyx oblique, of 5 segments; ovary 4- or 5-locular; fruit a capsule
Stipules absent; calyx not oblique, of 5 free sepals; ovary 1-locular; fruit a legume
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves bifid; venation palmate
Leaves not bifid
Herbs
Shrubs, trees or woody climbers
Twiners
Plants ±erect, not twining
Sap milky
Sap not milky
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers zygomorphic
Small shrubs; flowers zygomorphic
Shrubs, trees or woody climbers; flowers actinomorphic or nearly so
Climbers
Non-climbers, ±erect
Twiners
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Stamens opposite petals or tepals
Stamens alternate with petals or tepals
Each stamen ±enclosed by small hood-shaped petal
Stamens not enclosed by petals
Fruit dehiscent (a capsule, follicle, samara or schizocarp), usually many-seeded (1 seed in Waltheria); ovules 2 per carpel
Fruit a 1-seeded drupe; ovule 1 per carpel
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Base of calyx covered by several imbricate sepaloid bracteoles
Bracteoles absent or not covering base of calyx
Sepals free
Sepals united
Ovary 3- or 5-locular
Ovary 1- or 2-locular
Ovary 3-locular
Ovary 5-locular
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2-several per loculus
Ovary 1- or 2-locular; ovules few to many per loculus
Ovary 1-locular; ovules 2
Ovules 1 per ovary
Ovules 2 or more per ovary
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Fruit 1-seeded
Fruit with 2-numerous seeds
Ovary subtended by nectar-secreting disc
Ovary not subtended by nectar-secreting disc
Ovary 1-2-locular
Ovary 4-5-locular
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Non-climbers or, if climbing, tendrils not leaf-opposed or tendrils absent
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens 5, staminodes 5
Stamens 5, staminodes absent
Herbs; leaves 2-foliolate or pinnate; ovary with axile placentas; fruit usually with 2 or more seeds
Trees or woody climbers
Trees; leaves pinnate; ovary with 3 parietal placentas; fruit a long 3-angled capsule
Woody climbers; leaves imparipinnate; ovary with 2 collateral ovules; fruit 1-seeded
Stamens free
Stamens united
Ovary 1-locular; leaves bipinnate
Ovary 3-5-locular; leaves pinnate
Leaves exstipulate
Leaves stipulate
Leaves pinnate
Leaves bi- or tripinnate
Stamens 10 or more
Stamens 6-9 (rarely 5-10)
Stamens 10
Stamens numerous
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic or nearly so
Posterior petal enclosed by the remainder in bud, or absent
Posterior petal enclosing the remainder in bud
Stamens united
Stamens free
Climbers
Non-climbers
Leaves 1-3-pinnate
Leaves simple
Ovary 5-locular; leaves pinnate, bipinnate or tripinnate
Ovary 1-locular; leaves bipinnate
Staminal tube long and narrow, surrounding style
Staminal tube short, open
Ovary free; stipules persistent
Ovary adnate to one side of throat of calyx; stipules caducous
Leaves simple or unifoliolate
Leaves compound
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Style inserted near base of ovary, hairy
Style terminal
Ovary and back of petals covered with scales; flowers in heads or clusters at end of branchlets
Not as above
Flowers perigynous; ovary enclosed in hypanthium; stamens borne on hypanthium, sometimes near base
Flowers hypogynous; ovary and stamens not as above
Ovary usually stipitate; ovules several; sepals united
Ovary sessile; ovule 1 or 2 per locule
Locules 5; stipules present
Fertile locule 1 or 2; stipules absent
Ovary locule 1
Ovary locules 2
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves bipinnate
Leaves pinnate
Leaflets 2; venation palmate
Leaflets more than 2 or, if 2, venation pinnate
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Anthers often unequal, dehiscing by terminal pores; ovules more than 1
Anthers usually equal, dehiscing by lateral slits; ovule 1
Ovary 1- or 3-locular, with 1 ovule (rarely 2) per loculus
Ovary 4- or 5-locular, with 2 ovules per loculus
Trees or large shrubs; fruit not angular
Small shrubs; fruit prominently angular
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Flowers hypogynous
Flowers perigynous or epigynous
Leaves simple, reduced to phyllodes, or absent
Leaves compound or highly divided
Stamens united into discrete groups
Stamens free or only slightly united at base
Flowers small, in globular heads or obloid or cylindrical spikes; stamens much exserted
Flowers not as above; stamens usually not exserted
Flowers hypogynous
Flowers perigynous
Leaves fleshy, entire; shrubs
Leaves not fleshy, entire or divided; shrubs trees or climbers
Small trees; leaf lamina palmately divided into 5 or 7 lobes
Shrubs, trees or climbers; leaf margins entire, pinnately toothed or lobed
Calyx caducous
Calyx not caducous
Anthers dehiscing by terminal pores or slits
Anthers dehiscing longitudinally
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Ovary 1-locular
Stigmas undulate on a shortly cone-shaped extension of the ovary
Stigmas not as above
Petals yellow, large
Petals not yellow, small
Twining liane; flowers single, rarely paired; stipules absent
Shrubs or trees; flowers in spikes, racemes or panicles; stipules present, often minute
Ovary adnate to one side of throat of calyx
Ovary free or completely adnate to calyx
Stamens inserted with petals at rim of hypanthium; ovules 1 or 2 in the ovary
Stamens inserted on hypanthium below rim (sometimes almost at base); ovules usually numerous
Leaves palmate
Leaves pinnate or bipinnate
Petals valvate
Petals imbricate
Fruit a legume
Fruit a globose capsule opening loculicidally at the apex
Stamens 9, united
Stamens free
Leaves simple
Leaves compound
Style arising from base of ovary
Style terminal
Fruit a legume
Fruit not a legume
Lianes or scandent shrubs; stamens nor enclosed in a keeled petal
Trees or non-scandent shrubs
Stamens enclosed in a keeled petal
Stamens not enclosed in keeled petal
Ovary 1-locular, usually with more than 2 ovules
Ovary 2- or more-locular, with 1 or 2 ovules per loculus
Disc present; stamens inserted within disc
Disc absent
Trees
Herbs or shrubs
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens indefinite
Styles or stigmas 5
Styles or stigmas less than 5
Leaves opposite
Leaves verticillate
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Styles 5, free
Style 1, with 5 stigmas
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2-5-locular
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 3- or more-locular
Floating aquatic plants without roots
Plants not aquatic
Leaves palmately lobed
Leaves otherwise
Styles free
Styles united; stigmas 2 or more
Climbers or twiners
Non-climbers, non-twiners
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Mostly herbs; stems usually swollen at nodes
Shrubs or trees; nodes not swollen
Petals much more than 2 mm long, distinctly clawed
Petals scarcely 2 mm long, sessile or nearly so
Herbs, non-climbers, non-twiners
Shrubs, trees, climbers or twiners
Stamens 3
Stamens 5 or more
Stamens 10
Stamens 5 or 6
Stamens opposite to and enclosed in petals
Stamens opposite sepals
Petals clawed, the claws cohering in an angular tube
Petals sessile or if clawed, the claws free
Petals sessile; stamens 5
Petals clawed; stamens usually more than 5
Leaves opposite and trifoliate with sessile leaflets (appearing like whorls of six leaves)
Leaves not as above
Juice resinous; stipules absent
Juice not resinous; stipules present
Stamens united, often forming a conspicuous staminal tube
Stamens free or arising from margin of a small disc
Styles 2 or more, free
Style 1, with 2 or more stigmas
Stamens 8
Stamens 5, 10, or numerous
Climbers
Non-climbers
Leaves often dentate or lobed, with stellate hairs
Leaves entire, glabrous
Stamens 4 or 5
Stamens 8 or 10
Stamens 10; woody trees or shrubs
Stamens 8; soft-stemmed, small shrubs or herbs
Petals attached to base of staminal tube; staminal tube usually long; stamens usually indefinite (rarely 10 or fewer); stigmas 3-5; shrubs
Not as above
Style branches (or stigmas) 2 or 3
Style branches (or stigmas) 5
Stamens numerous
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens 5 (sometimes with 5 staminodes as well)
Stamens 10 or more (staminodes if present 5 or less)
Stamens 5 usually with alternating staminodes; herbs or shrubs; leaves often with stellate hairs
Stamens 5; staminodes 5; glabrous herbs; leaves entire
Stamens 10, usually 3 or 4 without anthers
Stamens 10 or indefinite; staminodes sometimes present; leaves often with stellate hairs
Stamens 1-10
Stamens numerous
Stamens 5-10
Stamens 1-3
Stamens 5
Stamens 6-10
Climbers with axillary tendrils
Non-climbers, or climbers without axillary tendrils
Corona present within corolla
No corona present
Styles 2 or more, free
Style 1, with 2 or more stigmas
Stamens opposite petals
Stamens alternating with petals
Styles less than 5
Styles 5
Herbs, or shrubs with a single style
Shrubs with 5 free or coherent styles
Leaves with conspicuous stalked glandular hairs, especially on the adaxial (upper) surface
Leaves without glandular hairs, or if present, inconspicuous, sessile and confined to the abaxial (lower) surface only
Leaves small, 1-2 mm long, scale-like, appressed to stem
Leaves larger than 2 mm, with a ±distinct lamina; spreading
Staminodes present; fruit a capsule
Staminodes absent; fruit a drupe
Leaves small, appressed to stem
Leaves not appressed to stem
Stamens opposite petals
Stamens alternating with petals
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Stamens 5; staminodes 5
Stamens 5; staminodes absent
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Leaves peltate
Leaves not peltate
Stamens 8, 6 of them attached to base of corolla
Stamens all hypogynous or perigynous
Stamens 7-10; if 10, some without anthers
Stamens 10, all with anthers
Shrubs or trees; styles several, free
Herbs or soft-wooded shrubs
Style 1, with 2 or more stigmas
Styles 2, free
Flowers hypogynous
Flowers epigynous
Flowers perigynous
Flowers hypogynous
Carnivorous herbs; leaves pitcher-traps
Non-carnivorous trees, shrubs or climbers with normal leaves
Sepals imbricate
Sepals valvate or united
Carpels clearly united into an unlobed to shallowly lobed ovary
Carpels deeply lobed so as to appear free or almost so (but sharing a common style)
Petals deeply incised
Petals entire
Stigmas undulate on a shortly cone-shaped extension of the ovary
Stigmas not as above
Leaves alternate or radical
Leaves opposite
Styles or sessile stigmas, free
Style 1, with 2 or more stigmas
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Stamens 5
Stamens 10
Styles 2; leaflets 2, occasionally 1
Styles more than 2, or if 2 the leaflets more than 2
Stamens 3; staminodes 2-5; style petaloid
Stamens 5 or more; style not petaloid
Stamens 5, with or without an additional 5 staminodes
Stamens more than 5 (if numerous, some often staminodal)
Stamens 5; staminodes absent
Stamens 5, alternating with 5 usually scale-like staminodes
Stamens 6-9; stigmas not plumose
Stamens 10-numerous; stigmas plumose or not
Stamens 10; staminodes absent; stigmas plumose
Stamens numerous, some often staminodal; stigmas not plumose
Leaves with 3 leaflets
Leaves with more than 3 leaflets
Trees
Herbs or small shrubs
Herbs; style simple with 1-5 sessile stigmas
Herbs or small shrubs; style with 5 short stigmatic branches
Stamens 5
Stamens more than 5
Stamens opposite petals
Stamens alternating with petals
Parasitic shrubs (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens free from petals
Stamens attached to petals at their bases
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Herbs, non-climbing, non-twining
Shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing or twining
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas 2
Flowers in umbels or heads; leaves all divided or entire, or the lowermlst divided and the uppermost entire
Flowers in contracted cymes; lower rosette leaves entire, stems leaves divided
Flowers not in umbels
Flowers in umbels (these sometimes arranged into compound umbels or panicles)
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Indumentum of simple or glandular hairs
Indumentum of stellate hairs
Leaves palmately 3- or 5-lobed; styles 2
Leaves not palmate
Leaves silvery beneath
Leaves not silvery beneath
Leaves entire
Leaves toothed
Flowers in subumbellate clusters
Flowers in elongated spikes
Fruit a schizocarp, separating into 2 flattened mericarps when mature
Fruit a berry or drupe
Petals valvate in bud
Petals imbricate in bud
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens numerous
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens 10, alternating with staminodes
Stamens 10 or fewer; staminodes absent
Ovary 1-locular; ovules pendulous
Ovary 2- or more-locular, sometimes 1-locular and then ovules axile or rarely parietal
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves opposite
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Stamens 2 or 3 opposite each petal
Stamens indefinite, not regularly opposite petals
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Style and stigma 1
Stamens 6, attached to petals
Stamens 10 or more, free from petals
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Stamens indefinite
Stamens 10
Flowers and fruits spiny, burr-like
Flowers and fruits not spiny and burr-like
Stamens indefinite
Stamens 10 or fewer
Herbs
Shrubs (sometimes climbing) or trees
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves with several conspicuous longitudinal veins
Midrib the only conspicuous longitudinal vein
Stamens indefinite
Stamens usually 10, rarely to 15
Style 1; stigmas 1 or 2
Styles 2-5
Leaves unequal, one of each pair much larger than other; anthers with conspicuous appendages
Leaves of each pair equal; anthers without appendages
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Flowers bracteolate
Flowers ebracteolate
Flowers with 1 or more long spurs
Flowers lacking spurs
Sepals 2
Sepals more than 2, or whole perianth petaloid or sepaloid
Style short or absent; stigmas usually confluent
Styles several, free, or style 1 with several free stigmas
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior
Aquatic herbs with floating or submerged leaves
Herbs (not aquatic), shrubs, or trees
Leaves alternate
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Climbers
Non-climbers
Tendril climbers
Not tendril climbers
Branches spiny
Branches not spiny
One perfect stamen (much longer than the others) and usually 4 or more imperfect stamens
Perfect stamens 5 or more
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Flowers perigynous
Flowers hypogynous
Stamens hypogynous or inserted low in hypanthium
Stamens inserted on rim of hypanthium
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovary open at top, with sessile stigmas
Ovary closed; style present
Stamens 6-9
Stamens 10 or numerous
Plants spiny
Plants without spines
Flowers very reduced, in catkins
Flowers not reduced, in racemes
Bracteoles present, merging into sepals
Bracteoles absent or small
Stamens 6
Stamens 10
Leaves compound, with 3 leaflets (each pair looking like a whorl of 6 leaves)
Leaves simple
Terminal flowers in inflorescence bisexual, lower flowers usually male; perianth of spirally-arranged tepals grading into opposite bracteoles outside; ovary 1(2)-locular
All flowers bisexual; perianth of distinct sepals and petals in two whorls; ovary 3-15-locular
Ovary 10-15-locular
Ovary 3-6-locular
Leaves with 5-7 conspicuous longitudinal veins
Midrib the only conspicuous longitudinal vein
Flowers hypogynous, lacking a hypanthium
Flowers epigynous or perigynous, with a distinct hypanthium
Stamens inserted on the hypanthium; anthers opening longitudinally
Stamens at base of hypanthium; anthers opening by terminal pores
Aquatic herbs
Herbs (not aquatic), shrubs, or trees
Leaves absent, their function taken over by fleshy photosynthetic stems
Leaves present
Leaves alternate or clustered
Leaves opposite
Branches spiny
Branches without spines
Plants fleshy, leafless
Plants woody, with leaves
Plants parasitic (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Leaves fleshy
Leaves not fleshy
Leaves palmate
Leaves simple
Stamens (plus staminodes if present) indefinite
Stamens less than 10
Style 1; stigma 1
Stigmas indefinite, sessile on flat surface of ovary
Stigma 1, sessile
Distinct style or styles present
Styles or stigmas 3-5
Style 1; stigmas 2
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Leaves fleshy; stigmas 5
Leaves not fleshy; stigmas 1 or 2
Petals absent
Petals present
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Leaves with 5-7 conspicuous longitudinal veins
Midrib the only conspicuous longitudinal vein
Sepals and petals each numerous
Sepals and petals each less than 10
Stamens 20 or more
Stamens less than 20
Ovary 1-locular, with c. 10 ovules
Ovary 2-5-locular, with 1 or 2 ovules per loculus
Flowers unisexual
Flowers mostly bisexual
Leaves opposite
Leaves alternate
Ovary inferior
Ovary superior
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Fruit a berry
Fruit of 1-4 nutlets
Perianth segments in 1 whorl
Perianth segments in 2 whorls
Ovary inferior
Ovary superior
Stamens 6 or more in regular series around a disc-like axis; perianth shallow, cup shaped, entire to slightly lobed
Stamens 1-many, not arranged as above; sepals evidently lobed
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Sepals 4; petals 4
Sepals and petals each 5 or more
Climbers
Non-climbers
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior
Stamens usually 10 in male flowers
Stamens 3-5 in male flowers
Fruit a capsule
Fruit a nut or drupe
Placentation parietal
Placentation axile
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior or half-inferior
Sepals 2; petals 5, pink; stems and leaves succulent
Without the combination of 2 sepals, 5 pink stamens and succulent leaves and stems
Fertile stamens 2-4 (sometimes with additional staminodes)
Fertile stamens 5 or more (sometimes with additional staminodes)
Fertile stamens 3 or 4
Fertile stamens 2
Fertile stamens 3
Fertile stamens 4 (sometimes with additional staminodes)
Ovary apocarpous
Ovary syncarpous or carpel 1
Flowers actinomorphic or nearly so
Flowers zygomorphic
Leaves opposite or verticillate at least at base, or radical
Leaves alternate or absent in mature plants
Leaves radical
Leaves cauline
Sepals 4, free; petals 4, united
Sepals 5, free; petals 5, united
Marsh or aquatic plants; leaves palmately paralle-veined
Land plants; leaves pinnately veined
Ovary divided into (usually 4) separate segments
Ovary entire or lobed
Style terminal
Style gynobasic, rarely terminal
Sepals 4
Sepals 5 or more, or calyx 2-lipped or truncate
Ovary 1-locular, with 2 parietal placentas
Ovary 2- or 4-locular
Ovary 4-locular
Ovary 2-locular
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Shrubs or trees
Herbs
Staminodes absent (except in female flowers of dioecious species)
Staminode present in addition to fertile stamens (flowers bisexual)
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Leaves in whorls, usually of 3
Leaves opposite
Ovary half-inferior
Ovary quite superior
Capsule circumscissile
Capsule septicidal
Corolla 4-lobed
Corolla 5-lobed
Mangroves
Non-mangroves
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Seeds winged
Seeds unwinged
Bracteoles often large, ±enclosing calyx; seeds seated on distinct hooks which persist after seed dispersal; in dried specimens all green parts with cystoliths (raised white streaks or dots) visible under l0x magnification
Bracteoles absent or not enclosing calyx; seeds not seated on hooks; cystoliths absent
Placentas parietal
Placentas axile, or ovules solitary
Ovary 4-locular, with 1 ovule per loculus
Ovary 2-locular
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Trees; ovary with numerous ovules per loculus
Herbs or small shrubs; ovary with one to several ovules per loculus
Bracteoles absent
Bracteoles present
Leaves alternate in upper parts
Leaves all opposite or whorled
Sepals free for more than half their length
Sepals fused for more than half their length (may be deeply split on one side)
Leaves bipinnate
Leaves not bipinnate, or absent in mature plants
Corolla lobes 3
Corolla lobes 4 or 5
Corolla lobes 4
Corolla lobes 5
Stamens alternating with corolla lobes
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Prostrate or erect plants, not twining
Twining plants
Prostrate annuals
Erect perennials
Leaves absent
Leaves present
Ovary 1-locular with several ovules
Ovary 2-locular with 1 ovule per loculus
Leaves absent
Leaves present
Twining parasite
Intricately branched, spinescent, non-parasitic shrub
Leaves with viscid hairs
Leaves glabrous or hairs, if present, not viscid
Flowers usually actinomorphic (rarely slightly zygomorphic); all stamens fertile; seeds endospermic
Flowers distinctly or slightly zygomorphic; at least one stamen reduced to a vestigial, infertile staminode; seeds non-endospermic
Corolla tube much longer than the lobes
Corolla tube as long as or shorter than the lobes
Flowers in elongate, little-branched racemes or spikes; at least some anthers transverse
Flowers in cymes, panicles or single, not in elongate racemes or spikes; anthers longitudinal, basifixed
Ovary unilocular with 2 parietal placentas; fruits with two prominent, claw-like, terminal horns
Ovary with 2, 4, 6 or 8 locules; fruits smooth and beaked or spiny but without claw-like terminal horns
Corolla tubular, the tube longer than the lobes; stamens included
Corolla totate, the tube shorter than the lobes; stamens exserted
Anthers connivent around the style
Anthers not connivent
Fruit separating into two mericarps
Fruit a capsule or berry
Corolla tube much longer than the lobes
Corolla tube as long as or shorter than the lobes
Leaves varying in type on one plant
Leaves all of one type, either simple, compound or reduced to scales
Leaves mostly in whorls of 3
Leaves opposite, the upper ones sometimes becoming alternate
Waterplants
Landplants
Leaves very variable, simple or with 3-5 leaflets; ovary 2-locular with 2 ovules per loculus
Upper leaves simple, lower leaves compound or highly dissected; ovary 2- or 4-locular with 1-many ovules per loculus
Waterplants
Landplants
Leaves all simple or reduced to scales
Leaves all compound
Leaves reduced to scales; plants without chlorophyll
Leaves not reduced to scales; plants green
Leaves all radical or all alternate
Leaves at least in part opposite or verticillate
Leaves radical
Leaves all alternate
Calyx of 3 outer and 2 inner sepals, all free; petals 3, united
Calyx of 5 free or united sepals in 1 whorl; petals 5, united
Ovary 4-locular
Ovary 2-locular
Herbs (sometimes climbing)
Shrubs or small trees
Corolla actinomorphic or nearly so, usually spreading
Corolla 2-lipped
Calyx not surrounding the flower; corolla with 4-lobed upper lip, lower lip lacking
Calyx surrounding the flower, even when divided to base; corolla always lobed on lower side
Stigmas 2; fruit a capsule or berry
Stigma 1; fruit a drupe
Lower leaves opposite; upper leaves alternate
Leaves all opposite or verticillate
Ovary 4-locular
Ovary 2-locular
Calyx spathe-like, not surrounding the flower; corolla with 4-lobed upper lip, lower lip lacking
Calyx not spathe-like, tubular at base or divided, surrounding the flower; corolla lobed on lower side
Bracteoles present
Bracteoles absent
Corolla closed at mouth by palate (bumps) on lower side; base of tube spurred or swollen on lower side
Corolla mouth open, with or without palate; base of tube straight
Ovary divided into 4 nearly separate segments at maturity
Ovary simple or lobed
Ovary 4- or 8-locular
Ovary 1- or 2-locular
Ovary 8-locular with 1 ovule per loculus
Ovary 4-locular with 1 ovule per loculus
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Ovary 1-locular; ovules numerous
Ovary 2-locular; ovules 1-numerous
Seeds seated on distinct hooks which persist after seed dispersal; in dried specimens (except Acanthus) all green parts with cystoliths (raised white streaks or dots) visible under l0x magnification
Seeds not seated on hooks; cystoliths absent
Ovules 1 or 2 per loculus; undershrubs, shrubs or woody vines, rarely trees
Ovules 2 or more per loculus; herbs, shrubs or trees
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Herbs or small shrubs; ovules 2 or more per loculus; seeds winged or unwinged
Small or large trees; ovules numerous; seeds with papery wings
Bracteoles present
Bracteoles absent
Sepals fused for more than half their length (may be deeply split on one side)
Sepals free for more than half their length
Leaves rosetted; bracteoles alternate, borne on pedicel well below calyx; anther cells contiguous at apex
Leaves cauline; bracteoles opposite, borne immediately below calyx or at very base of pedicel; anther cells separate or contiguous
Sepals free for more than half their length
Sepals fused for more than half their length
Lowermost pair of anthers spurred; capsule septifragal
Lowermost pair of anthers not spurred; capsule septicidal
Calyx equally 4-toothed
Calyx 5-toothed, or unequally (3)4-toothed
Upper lobes of corolla porrect; filaments of the anterior (lower) stamen pair spurred; anthers 2-celled; capsule septicidal
Upper lobes of corolla reflexed, or more or less rotate; anterior stamen filaments not spurred; anthers 2- or 1-celled; capsule septifragal, loculicidal or rupturing from base
Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4, ovate to obovate; flowers yellow; stamens long-exserted
Leaves opposite, broadly ovate-cordate; flowers mauve; stamens included
Climbers, usually woody
Shrubs or trees
Staminode present or absent; seeds with papery wings
Staminode absent; seeds unwinged
Ovary divided into (usually 4) free or nearly free segments
Ovary entire or slightly lobed
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers zygomorphic (sometimes only slightly so)
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Sepals 5
Sepals 4
Herbs to soft-wooded shrubs; fruit a many-seeded capsule
Trees, shrubs or climbers; fruit a drupe, berry or samara; ovules 1 or 2 per carpel
Corolla lobes 4
Corolla lobes 5 or more
Herbs to soft-wooded shrubs; fruit a many-seeded capsule
Trees, shrubs or climbers; fruit a drupe, berry or samara; ovules 1 or 2 per carpel
Corolla lobes more than 5
Corolla lobes 5
Herbs
Shrubs, undershrubs or climbers
Bracteoles present
Bracteoles absent
Climbers
Shrubs or undershrubs
Flowers in long terminal spikes
Flowers not in spikes
Style deeply divided into 2 branches
Style undivided or minutely notched at top
Corolla lobes 5
Corolla lobes 4
Herbs to soft-wooded shrubs; fruit a many-seeded capsule
Trees, shrubs or climbers; fruit a drupe, berry or samara; ovules 1 or 2 per carpel
Bracteoles often enclosing calyx; seeds seated on distinct hooks which persist after seed dispersal; in dried specimens (except Acanthus) all green parts with cystoliths (raised white streaks or dots) visible under l0x magnification
Bracteoles absent or small; seeds not seated on hooks; cystoliths absent
Calyx divided into 2 lobes or segments
Calyx divided into more than 2 lobes or segments
Leaves opposite
Leaves, if present, alternate or radical
Leaves radical or alternate
Leaves opposite
Ovary 1-locular; placentation parietal
Ovary 2-locular; placentation axile
Leaves with viscid hairs
Leaves glabrous or hairs, if present, not viscid
Annual or perennial herbs
Shrubs or subshrubs
Ovary unilocular with 2 parietal placentas; fruits with two prominent, claw-like, terminal horns
Ovary 2-locular; fruits without claw-like terminal horns
Corolla slipper-shaped, the lower lip greatly recurved above and much larger than upper
Corolla not slipper-shaped
Bracteoles present
Bracteoles absent
Bracteoles present; leaves simple; indumentum of branched hairs or peltate scales, usually dense, rarely (Cyanostegia) absent; stamens 2-8
Bracteoles absent; leaves simple or compound; indumentum various but not of branched hairs or peltate scales; stamens 4
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Seeds flattened, 2 or 4, or up to 20 per capsule, seated on distinct hooks which persist after seed dispersal; in dried specimens (except Acanthus) all green parts with cystoliths (raised white streaks or dots) visible under 10x magnification
Seeds not flattened, 1-numerous, not seated on distinct hooks; cystoliths lacking
Trees or shrubs
Herbs
Bracteoles present
Bracteoles absent
Anthers 1-celled
Anthers 2-celled
Fertile anthers with 2 separate parallel cells, not spurred. Capsule loculicidal
Fertile anthers with 2 confluent divergent cells; anterior (lower) anthers spurred. Capsule septicidal
Stamens 5 (one sometimes reduced to a staminode)
Stamens more than 5
Latex present
Latex absent
Leaves opposite, verticillate or absent
Leaves alternate
Twiners
Non-twiners
Fruits winged
Fruits not winged
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic
Anthers connivent around or above stigma
Anthers free
Stamens alternating with lobes or angles of corolla
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Non-pachycaul shrubs or trees with entire leaves
Pachycaul shrubs or trees with deeply palmately-divided leaves
Leafless parasites
Leafy plants
Gynoecium apocarpous or divided into 2 or more free segments
Gynoecium syncarpous, the ovary entire or lobed, or carpel 1
Leaves opposite, verticillate or absent
Leaves alternate or radical
Perianth segments (calyx plus corolla) 10 or fewer
Perianth segments c. 15
Inflorescence a monochasial cyme, uncoiling as the flowers open
Inflorescence not as above
Plants slender, creeping perennials, rooting at nodes
Plants ±erect
Leaves alternate, in alternate pairs, or clustered
Leaves opposite or whorled
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Leaves palmate
Leaves pinnate
Tendril climbers
Not tendril climbers but sometimes twiners
Anthers cohering in a tube around the style
Anthers not cohering
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Corolla lobes 3
Corolla lobes 4-7
Lowermost petal keeled and enclosing the 5-8 stamens; stamens with distinct filaments, the anthers not forming a cap over the ovary
Lowermost petal not keeled or enclosing the 5 stamens; stamens very short with flattened filaments, the anthers forming a cap over the ovary
Style with indusium (pollen cup surrounding stigma)
No indusium present
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers only slightly zygomorphic; seeds numerous in a berry or capsule
Flowers distinctly zygomorphic
Seeds 1 or 2 in 2 or 4 distinct nutlets
Seeds many in explosively dehiscent capsules
Stamens completely free from petals
Stamens attached to petals, sometimes only slightly so at base
Stigmas 3-5
Stigmas 1 or 2
Ovary 3-5-locular; fruit of 3-5 nutlets
Ovary of 5 carpels but unilocular; fruit a single nut
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Stamens alternating with corolla lobes
Nectar-secreting disc conspicuous, embedding base of ovary
Nectar-secreting disc absent
Ovary 1-locular with several ovules
Ovary 2- or more-locular with 1 ovule per loculus
Herbs
Trees, shrubs, climbers, or twiners
Leaves with glandular hairs; corolla segments only united in short ring at the base
Leaves not as above; corolla segments cohering to form a tube, but free at the base
Calyx covered at base with usually numerous imbricate sepaloid bracteoles
Bracteoles absent, or not covering base of calyx
Ovules 1 or 2 in ovary
Ovules >2 in ovary
Stamens almost free from but usually detached with petals
Stamens distinctly epipetalous, though sometimes attached near the base of corolla tube
Inflorescence a monochasial cyme
Inflorescence not a monochasial cyme
Styles 2, free
Style 1, with 1 or more stigmas
Fruit a capsule or berry
Fruit a drupe or divided into nutlets
Style 1
Styles 2-5
Stigmas 3-8
Stigmas 1 or 2, or stigma sessile
Stigmas 5-8
Stigmas 3 or 4
Stigmas 5
Stigmas 6-8
Stigmas 3
Stigmas 4
Usually annuals, with slender creeping or trailing stems; ovary 2-locular
Tall shrubs or trees; ovary 4-locular
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Stamens alternating with corolla lobes
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovary 1-locular, with central placenta
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Herbs, growing in marshes or in water
Herbs (not aquatic), shrubs or trees, sometimes climbers
Base of calyx ±covered by imbricate bracts and bracteoles; bracteoles sometimes only 2
Bracteoles absent, or not covering base of calyx
Climbers, twiners, or prostrate plants
Plants ±erect
Anthers connivent in cone around style, dehiscing by pores or slits; ovary 2-locular, usually with many ovules
Anthers not connivent; ovary 1- or 2-locular; ovules 2 or 4 per loculus
Herbs (sometimes coarse), usually annual or biennial
Shrubs or small trees
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 or more per loculus
Flowers in elongate, little-branched racemes or spikes; at least some anthers transverse
Flowers in cymes, panicles or single, not in elongate racemes or spikes; anthers longitudinal, basifixed
Ovary 1-3-locular
Ovary 4- or 5-locular
Ovary 3-locular
Ovary 2-locular
Ovules more than 2 per loculus
Ovules 1 or 2 per locule
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Ovary usually 5-locular
Ovary 4-locular
Fruit a drupe or nut; ovules 1 per loculus
Fruit a berry or capsule; ovules usually more than 1 per loculus
Styles 5, free
Styles 2, free
Each of the 2 styles divided into 2 branches
Each style simple
Ovary 2-locular, with 2 ovules per loculus
Ovary 2-locular, with numerous ovules
Stems and leaves with bristly hairs; usually dryland plants
Stems and leaves glabrous; marsh plant
Leaves verticillate
Leaves opposite
Floating herbs
Shrubs, trees or lianes
Corolla yellow, the tube broadly funnel-shaped; style dichotomously twice-divided at apex
Corolla various colours, the tube usually salver-form; style undivided or once-divided at apex
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers zygomorphic
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Style 1 with 5-many branches, or styles 5
Style 1 with 1-4 stigmas or branches
Styles or style branches 5
Style 1, apex divided into many minute stigmatic branches
Style 1 with 3 or 4 branches
Style 1 with 1 or 2 stigmas
Style with 4 branches
Style with 3 branches
Herbs
Climbers
Flowers purple; style branches arising at the same level
Flowers yellow; style dichotomously twice-divided
Stamens free from corolla
Stamens epipetalous
Inflorescence a monochasial cyme
Inflorescence not a monochasial cyme
Anthers cohering about style
Anthers quite free
Herbs
Shrubs
Leaves opposite
Leaves mostly alternate
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Stamens alternating with corolla lobes
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or 4-locular
Stipules small, scarious
Stipules absent
Plants (including the inflorescence) densely covered with cottony or woolly hairs
Not as above
Leaves all opposite, usually stipulate
Leaves on non-flowering parts alternate, exstipulate
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Ovary 1-locular; leaves with viscid hairs
Ovary 2-5-locular
Staminal filaments short, flattened, the anthers forming a cap over the ovary; fruit an explosively dehiscent, many-seeded capsule
Staminal filaments not short, if flattened then anthers not forming a cap over the ovary; fruit indehiscent or comprising 2 or 4 indehiscent nutlets
Latex present
Latex absent
Non-pachycaul shrubs or trees with entire leaves
Pachycaul shrubs or trees with deeply palmately-divided leaves
Leaves pinnatisect or compound
Leaves simple or reduced to phyllodes
Leaves pinnatisect
Leaves compound
Leaves bipinnate
Leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Style 1; ovary 1-locular
Styles 3-5; ovary 3-5-locular
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Style 1
Styles as many as carpels
Perfect stamens alternating with staminodes (sometimes scale-like)
Stamens all perfect
Leaves linear, parallel-veined, not sclerophyllous
Leaves not linear and parallel-veined, or if so then leaves small and sclerophyllous
Leaves many, 3-ranked, sheathing at base with closed sheaths
Leaves few, spiral or distichous, sheathing at base with open sheaths
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens more than 10
Style 1, the apex divided into many minute stigmatic branches
Styles or stigmas 5 or fewer, apex not as above
Stamens united
Stamens free
Stamens free from corolla, hypogynous
Stamens epipetalous
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas 2 or more
Ovary of 1 carpel, 1-locular; style and stigma 1
Ovary syncarpous, mostly 3-5-locular; styles or stigmas 2 or more
Pedicel with a pair of bracts
Pedicel lacking bracts
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Petals 4
Petals 5 or more
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Stamens epipetalous
Stamens free from petals
Herbs with sympodial branching; flowers small, with an open throat filled with horizontal hairs which obscure the included stamens
Herbs, shrubs or trees; if herbs then branching not sympodial and flowers without horizontal hairs in the throat and/or with stamens exserted
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2-5-locular
Petals 5
Petals more than 5
Stamen 1-3
Stamens 4 or 5
Corolla rotate, actinomorphic; style short, the stigma 3-5-lobed
Corolla tubular or campanulate, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; style long, the stigma lobed or capitate
Stamens 4
Stamens 5
Flowers in heads surrounded by involucre of bracts
Flowers not in heads
Herbs
Shrubs
Corolla rotate, actinomorphic; style short, the stigma 3-5-lobed
Corolla tubular or campanulate, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; style long, the stigma lobed or capitate
Plants parasitic (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Stamens free from petals
Stamens epipetalous
Style expanded into an indusium
Style without indusium
Anthers connate, forming a tube around the style
Anthers free from each other
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Corolla rotate, actinomorphic; style short, the stigma 3-5-lobed
Corolla tubular or campanulate, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; style long, the stigma lobed or capitate
Styles or stigmas 3 or 5
Style 1; stigmas 1 or 2
Plants parasitic (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Plants parasitic (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Stamens 1-4
Stamens 5 or more
Fertile stamen 1, sometimes petaloid (petaloid staminodes may also be present)
Fertile stamens 2-4, not petaloid
Stamens 2; gynandrous
Stamens 3 or 4
Stamens 3
Stamens 4
Stamens 5
Stamens more than 5
Style expanded into an indusium
Style without indusium
Flowers zygomorphic, corolla tube usually split down one side
Flowers actinomorphic
Prostrate plants or climbers; tendrils large
Non-climbers; tendrils absent
Stamens alternating with corolla lobes
Stamens opposite corolla lobes
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Aquatic or marshland herbs
Terrestrial shrubs
Stems ±succulent, hollow; flowers in dense spikes
Stems not succulent, solid; flowers racemose or axillary
Fruit a capsule
Fruit a berry
Herbs
Trees or climbers
Trees or climbers; stigma 1
Trees; stigmas 3
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Stamens 6
Stamens 10 or more
Domatia numerous; young leaves with simple hairs; ovary 1-locular
Domation absent; young leaves with T-shaped hairs; ovary 1-5-locular
Stamens 10
Stamens numerous
Leaves, if present, caducous
Leaves persistent
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Flowers unisexual
Flowers mostly bisexual
Leafless stem parasite embedded in host; only the flowers emergent
Not an embedded parasite (though sometimes leafless)
Leaves or scales in whorls of 3 or more
Leaves or scales alternate, opposite, all basal, or absent
Shrubs or trees
Aquatic herbs
Ovary inferior
Ovary superior
Latex present
Latex absent
Separate male and female flowers inside pear-shaped receptacle which opens by narrow aperture at top
Not as above
Leaves stipulate; ovary 1-locular with 1 ovule
Leaves exstipulate; ovary 2- or more-locular
Perianth segments 2 or 3
Perianth segments 4 or more, or perianth obscurely lobed or truncate
Perianth segments 2
Perianth segments 3
Ovary superior
Ovary inferior
Terrestrial or aquatic herbs with narrow, strap-like leaves
Terrestrial shrubs, herbs or climbers with leaves not narrow and straplike
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Climbers
Non-climbers
Ovary 2- or 3-locular; styles 2 or 3
Ovary 1-locular; styles 2
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Giant pachycaul herbs (bananas) with large, sheathing leaves; flowers unisexual, in clusters subtended by large bracts, the inflorescences pendent
Herbs or shrubs, not pachycaul; flowers unisexual or bisexual, not pendent and subtended by large bracts
Flowers minute, in heads, surrounded by an involucre of bracts; style 1 with bifid stigma
Flowers not in heads, or if in heads, lacking an involucre of bracts; styles 2 (± fused at base)
Leaves symmetric at base
Leaves distinctly asymmetric at base
Ovary inferior
Ovary superior
Parasitic shrubs (mistletoes)
Herbs
Waterplants
Terrestrial (alpine) herbs
Succulent root parasites without chlorophyll, 5-10 cm high with scale-like leaves
Herbs, shrubs, lianas or trees, not parasitic
Palms (sometimes lianoid); leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Herbs, trees, shrubs or lianas; leaves undivided
Terrestrial or aquatic herbs with narrow, strap-like leaves
Terrestrial herbs, shrubs, trees or climbers; leaves not narrow and strap-like
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Gynoecium apocarpous (comprising several free carpels)
Gynoecium syncarpous (comprising several fused carpels) or carpel 1
Style or stigma 1
Styles or style branches 2 or more
Stigma penicillate
Stigma not penicillate
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Leaves with 7-20 primary veins on each side of midrib
Midrib the only prominent vein, if any
Ovary 2- or 3-locular
Ovary 1-locular, with 1 ovule
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Perianth segments 4
Perianth segments 5 or more, or perianth obscurely lobed or truncate
Plants parasitic on roots or stems
Plants not parasitic
Leafless succulents, parasitic on roots
Shrubs parasitic on stems (mistletoes)
Ovary or gynoecium superior
Ovary inferior
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Styles 4, connate
Styles free
Leaves alternate
Leaves opposite
Leaves simple
Leaves compound
Leaf terminating in a tendril or pitcher provided with a lid
Leaf not terminating in a tendril or pitcher, or leaves absent
Styles or stigmas penicillate
Neither styles nor stigmas penicillate
Style 1
Styles 2
Styles 1 or 2
Styles 3-6
Styles 2
Style 1
Fruit a samara; ovary stipitate
Fruit a drupe; ovary sessile
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves alternate
Leaves opposite
Leaves with stinging hairs
Leaves without stinging hairs, or leaves absent
Stamens 2-4 in male flowers
Stamens 6 or more in male flowers
Stamens 2 in male flowers
Stamens usually 4 in male flowers
Leaves not expanded at time of flowering; stigma sessile
Leaves present at time of flowering
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Stamens 6 in male flowers
Stamens 10 or numerous in male flowers
Ovary glabrous
Ovary with hooked bristles
Flowers distinctly tubular, often aggregated into distinct heads surrounded by bracts
Flowers not as above
Leaves stipulate
Leaves exstipulate
Placentation parietal
Placentation axile
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, stipulate or not; petals absent; seeds often carunculate
Leaves alternate, stipulate (the stipules sometimes small); petals present or absent; seeds ecarunculate
Disc of male flowers inside the stamen whorl, composed of numerous glands; stigmas of female flowers sessile on the ovary; rainforest tree restricted to NE Qld
Disc of male flowers, if present, outside the stamen whorl, annular or divided; female flowers with distinct styles; herbs, shrubs or trees, widespread
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves simple, distinctly asymmetric, palmately veined
Leaves simple to finely divided, not distinctly asymmetric, veinless, 1-veined or pinnately veined when simple
Fruit a nut
Fruit a capsule
Ovary or gynoecium superior
Ovary inferior
Gynoecium apocarpous
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Palms; leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Herbs, trees or shrubs, not palm-like
Achlorophyllous, saprophytic herbs with leaves scale-like or absent
Plant not an achlorophyllous, sparophytic herb; leaves present
Terrestrial or aquatic herbs with narrow, strap-like leaves
Terrestrial shrubs, herbs or climbers with leaves not narrow and straplike
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Leaves opposite
Leaves alternate
Plants bisexual or monoecious; anthers dehiscing by flap-like valves
Plants monoecious or dioecious; anthers opening by longitudinal slits
Perianth segments 6
Perianth segments 5
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Ovules 1 per carpel
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Leaves or leaf-scales alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves or leaf-scales opposite
Climbers
Non-climbers
Leaves pinnately compound
Leaves simple
Leaves with 3-7 convergent primary veins and prominently reticulate secondary venation
Leaves without convergent primary veins and prominently retciculate secondary venation
Styles 3, free
Styles connate or united; stigmas 3
Stamens 2-5 in male flowers; plants monoecious
Stamens c. 8 in male flowers; plants usually dioecious
Perianth segments 5, or perianth obscurely lobed or truncate
Perianth segments 6
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Perianth shallow cup-shaped, scarcely lobed; stamens ±sessile
Perianth clearly lobed or of free parts; stamens with filaments
Styles or stigmas 8 or more
Styles or stigmas 1-3 (if style 2 or 3, stigmas sometimes 4 or 6, i.e. style bifid)
Style and stigma 1 (stigma may be lobed)
Styles or stigmas usually 2 or 3
Ovary 3- or more-locular
Ovary 1-locular
Style terminal; ovule 1
Style gynobasic; ovules 2
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leaves alternate, stipulate (the stipules sometimes small); petals present or absent; seeds ecarunculate
Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, stipulate or not; petals absent; seeds often carunculate
Ovary 2- or 3-locular
Ovary 1-locular with 1 ovule
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, stipulate or not; petals absent; seeds often carunculate
Leaves alternate, stipulate (the stipules sometimes small); petals present or absent; seeds ecarunculate
Disc of male flowers inside the stamen whorl, composed of numerous glands; stigmas of female flowers sessile on the ovary; rainforest tree restricted to NE Qld
Disc of male flowers, if present, outside the stamen whorl, annular or divided; female flowers with distinct styles; herbs, shrubs or trees, widespread
Leaf base sheathing
Leaf base not sheathing
Leaves exstipulate
Leaves stipulate
Fruit a samara; ovary stipitate
Fruit a drupe; ovary sessile
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves 3-foliolate
Leaves pinnate
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves equitant with a sheathing base and vertically-flattened blade
Leaves not equitant, terete or flattened at right angles to the stem
Leaves with a well-defined petiole; venation pinnate-parallel with many cross-veins; fruit a fleshy, thick-walled, 1-3-seeded drupe
Leaves without a well-defined petiole; venation parallel, without prominent cross-veins; fruit a berry, capsule or dry and indehiscent
Plants covered in an indumentum of silvery-white scales; plants of alpine and cool-temperate forest habitats
Plants glabrous or hairy, but not covered in silvery-white scales; plants from a wide variety of habitats including arid and semi-arid lowlands
Leaves 2 or 3; rootstock a corm; inflorescences ebracteate
Leaves many; rootstock rhizomes or crowns, with or without root tubers but not cormaceous; inflorescences bracteate
Palms, with a crown of pinnate leaves from an unbranched trunk
Trees or shrubs, not palm-like, if with pinnate leaves then not crowning an unbranched trunk
Perianth in 2 whorls each of 3 united segments
Perianth segments usually all free
Perianth segments in 1 series; style 1, entire or shortly lobed
Perianth segments usually in 2 series; styles usually 3, simple or divided
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, stipulate or not; petals absent; seeds often carunculate
Leaves alternate, stipulate (the stipules sometimes small); petals present or absent; seeds ecarunculate
Disc of male flowers inside the stamen whorl, composed of numerous glands; stigmas of female flowers sessile on the ovary; rainforest tree restricted to NE Qld
Disc of male flowers, if present, outside the stamen whorl, annular or divided; female flowers with distinct styles; herbs, shrubs or trees, widespread
Styles 2 or more
Style 1, with 1 or 2 stigmas
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Woody climbers
Shrubs or trees
Stamens 2 in male flowers
Stamens more than 2
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Erect herbs or shrubs, not twining
Twining herbs with elongate stems
Giant pachycaul herbs (bananas) with large, sheathing leaves; flowers unisexual, in clusters subtended by large bracts, the inflorescences pendent
Trees, shrubs, climbers or herbs, not pachycaul
Twiners; leaves either cordate to hastate at base with palmate venation, or palmately compound
Trees, shrubs or herbs, if twining then leaves neither cordate, hastate or palmately compound
Aquatics with submerged and/or floating leaves
Terrestrial plants, if in water then leaves emergent
Style and stigma 1, or stigma sessile
Styles and stigmas 2-8
Styles or stigmas 2
Styles or stigmas 3-8
Fruit indehiscent, 1-seeded (a cypsela)
Fruit 2-locular, breaking at maturity into 2 unicarpellate units (a schizocarp)
Fruit a nut
Fruit a capsule
Trees with butressed trunks; leaves symmetrically cordate at base
Herbs to soft-wooded shrubs; leaves asymetrically truncate to cordate at base
Latex present
Latex absent
Ovary inferior
Ovary superior
Perianth small, insignificant or absent
Perianth ±showy, petaloid
Perianth strongly zygomorphic
Perianth ±actinomorphic
Flowers unisexual; ovary 3-locular
Flowers bisexual; ovary 2-many-locular
Ovary or gynoecium superior
Ovary inferior or half-inferior
Gynoecium apocarpous (at least partially so)
Gynoecium syncarpous or carpel 1
Perianth segments 1-4
Perianth segments 5 or 6
Perianth segments 1-3
Perianth segments 4
Trees (or palms) or climbers
Herbs or waterplants
Palms; leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Shrubs with undivided leaves without parallel veins
Palms; leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Herbs, sometimes submerged
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Climbers
Non-climbers
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Leaves radical
Leaves alternate
Submerged aquatics with submerged or floating leaves
Land plants, if growing in water then emergent
Perianth segments united
Perianth segments free
Herbs, sometimes robust
Trees, shrubs or climbers
Pitcher-plant with insect-trapping leaves
Leaves not pitcher-shaped
Waterplants with submerged and/or floating leaves
Land plants (often growing in damp places but not truly aquatic, if in standing water then with emergent leaves)
Floating leaves peltate or sagittate; submerged leaves if present finely divided; perianth petaloid
Floating leaves not peltate or sagittate; submerged leaves if present strap-like; perianth greenish or coloured
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Leaves alternate
Leaves radical
Flowers in an elongate raceme or spike
Flowers single, or in branched panicles
Perianth regularly 3-merous, with 3 outer sepaloid and 3 inner petaloid tepals
Perianth not regularly 3-merous, with 5 or 6 petaloid tepals in a single series or whorled, sometimes spurred
Leaves alternate
Leaves opposite or whorled
Palms; leaves usually compound, if simple then large and linear with parallel veins
Trees, shrubs or climbers, with simple leaves
Climbers with leaves peltate or cordate and palminerved at base
Trees or shrubs, if climbing then without peltate to cordate, palminerved leaves
Flowers unisexual, in many-flowered racemes
Flowers bisexual, not in many-flowered racemes
Stamens numerous, spirally arranged
Stamens determinate, as many as or twice as many as the perianth parts, whorled
Climber with twining petioles
Trees or shrubs, if scrambling or climbing then without twining petioles
Anthers opening from the base upwards by distinct flap-like valves
Anthers opening by longitudinal slits
Perianth tubular (the parts rarely +/- free); indumentum stellate; leaves simple; stipules absent
Perianth not tubular; indumentum absent or simple; leaves often compound; stipules usually present, large
Perianth segments 1-3
Perianth segments 4-6
Perianth segment 1
Perianth segments 2 or 3
Perianth segments 2
Perianth segments 3
Stamens 5 or fewer
Stamens numerous
Herbs with basal, linear leaves and yellow, petaloid flowers; stamen 1
Herbs or shrubs; leaves not basal; flowers not petaloid; stamens 1-5
Herbs or small shrubs
Trees
Leaves alternate or in a basal rosette or absent
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Palms; leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Plants not palms; herbs, trees or shrubs; leaves simple
Leaves linear; flowers in globular or elongate heads at the end of unbranched scapes, with three petaloid, bright yellow, fugacious tepals
Leaves usually not linear, or if so then flowers not in globular heads on unbranched scapes with yellow, fugacious tepals
Leaves absent
Leaves alternate
Styles 2 or 3
Style 1
Tendrils present
Tendrils absent
Stigma 1
Stigmas 3
Moss-like plants growing on rocks in fast-flowing streams
Plants not moss-like, or if so then terrestrial and growing in soil
Perianth segments 5 or 6
Perianth segments 4
Perianth segments 5
Perianth segments 6
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Stamens 5 or fewer
Stamens more than 5
Style and stigma 1 (stigma may be lobed)
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Non-climbers, or climbers without leaf-opposed tendrils
Leaves compound
Leaves simple or absent
Flowers in clusters of 2-4, surrounded by conspicuous coloured bracts
Flowers not as above
Stamens 3 or fewer, with or without staminodes
Stamens 5, all with anthers
Stamens 2 or 3, with or without anthers, united at base into a short cup
Stamens 3; staminodes 5
Herbs or undershrubs
Shrubs or trees
Stamens opposite perianth segments
Stamens alternate with perianth segments
Ovary surrounded by nectar-secreting disc
Ovary not surrounded by nectar-secreting disc
Twiners or climbers
Not climbers or twiners
Tendril climbers
Twiners, without tendrils
Tendrils axillary
Tendrils terminating inflorescence
Perianth segments free; styles 3
Perianth segments united; style 1, with 2 short stigmas
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Ovary 3-5-locular, with several ovules in each loculus
Ovary 1-locular, with 1-several ovules
Flowers hypogynous; calyx free, divided to base or nearly so
Flowers perigynous; calyx entirely or partly adnate to ovary, or free but with a distinct tube
Leaves with ochrea
Leaves without ochrea
Flowers with 1 bract and usually 1 or 2 bracteoles
Flowers without bracts or bracteoles
Stamens opposite perianth segments
Stamens alternating with perianth segments
Perianth segments united; shrubs, usually small
Perianth segments free; tall shrubs or trees
Leaves simple
Leaves pinnately compound
Stamens 5; staminodes 5; ovary 5-locular
Stamens 5; ovary 2- or 3-locular
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Style 1
Styles 2 or more, free
Stigma large, peltate or mop-like
Stigma not as above
Flowers in clusters of 3-5, surrounded by 3 large coloured bracteoles
Flowers not surrounded by conspicuous bracteoles
Climbers, shrubs or trees
Herbs, non-climbers
Climbers
Shrubs or trees
Perianth segments united
Perianth segments free
Leaves absent; stems flat and green
Leaves present
Stamens 10 or fewer; stigmas 2 or 3
Stamens indefinite; stigma 1
Flowers small, in heads or spikes; stamens exserted
Flowers not in heads or spikes; stamens usually not exserted
Seeds endospermic; stipules present, often caducous
Seeds non-endospermic; stipules absent
Stamens indefinite
Stamens 10 or fewer
Flowers hypogynous
Flowers perigynous
Styles 2 or 3
Styles 5 or more
Styles 2
Styles 3
Ovary 1-locular; ovule 1
Ovary 3-locular; ovules several per loculus
Flowers perigynous; calyx entirely or partly adnate to ovary, or free but with a distinct tube
Flowers hypogynous; calyx free, divided to base or nearly so
Leaves alternate and/or radical or apparently absent
Leaves opposite or in whorls or pseudo-whorls
Styles 5
Styles c. 8
Leaves bipinnate
Leaves pinnate
Stigmas 2
Stigma 1
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Style and stigma 1
Styles or style-branches more than 1
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Stamens free from perianth
Stamens adnate to perianth
Perianth segments free
Perianth segments united
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary usually with 5 or more locules
Opposite leaves unequal in size
Opposite leaves equal in size
Stamens 10
Stamens less than 10
Stamen 1
Stamens 2 or more
Stamens 2-5
Stamens more than 5
Stamens adnate to perianth
Stamens free from perianth
Ovules more than 1
Ovule 1
Placentation free-central
Placentation axile
Perianth segments scarious
Perianth segments herbaceous
Flowers perigynous; stamens borne on calyx tube
Flowers hypogynous
Shrubs or trees
Herbs
Ovary 1-locular; leaves opposite or verticillate
Ovary 3-5-locular; leaves alternate, often clustered in axils so as to appear verticillate
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Sepals 2, often caducous; petals 4
Perianth in 1 series, or if in 2 series usually of 3 + 3 segments
Palms; leaves divided or, if undivided, then large and lanceolate with parallel veins
Herbs, shrubs, trees or climbers, not palm-like; leaves mostly simple
Herbs (sometimes robust and tree-like or climbing); leaf veins parallel or convergent (sometimes with reticulate venation between the parallel ones)
Trees, shrubs, climbers or herbs; leaf veins pinnate or palmate
Stamens 3 (rarely 2)
Stamens 6 (rarely 5)
Inner perianth segments clearly united, the outer segments free
All perianth segments free, or united at base into a single whorl
The two perianth whorls different in texture and/or colour
Perianth segments all similar in texture and colour
Inner perianth segments fringed
Inner perianth segments not fringed
Submerged, freshwater, moss-like aquatic
Terrestrial plants, not moss-like
Perianth segments sepaloid
Perianth segments petaloid
Scapes 1-flowered, the flower subtended by two opposite, scarious spathes; tepals dark purple-brown
Scapes several-flowered, not 2-spatheate; tepals pale-coloured to bright purple but not dark purple-brown
Flowers in a lax umbel
Flowers in spikes, heads or contracted racemes (sometimes hidden by large bracts)
Plants climbing by coiled leaf-tip tendrils
Leaf-tips not coiled, or if so then plants not climbing by them
Corolla c. 3 mm long
Corolla > 10 mm long
Plant a greyish, apparently rootless epiphyte with numerous slender, contorted, greyish, pendent stems
Plants not epiphytic; leaves green; stems not pendent
The two perianth whorls clearly different in texture and/or colour
Perianth segments all +/- similar in texture and colour
Much-branched leafy climbers
Rosetted or scrambling plants
Inflorescence spicate; glandular hairs present
Flowers solitary or inflorescence cymose; if spicate no glandular hairs
Inner perianth segments fringed
Inner perianth segments not fringed
Inner 2 or 3 perianth parts substantially larger than outer
Inner 3 perianth parts subequal to or shorter than outer
Perianth segments petaloid
Perianth segments sepaloid
Aquatic plants, floating or rooted
Land plants
Inflorescence a tall, unbranched woody spike
Inflorescence not a tall, unbranched woody spike
Leaves distichous, well-spaced, not sheathing at the base
Leaves more or less sheathing at the base, all basal, in whorls at the ends of branchlets, or spiral (rarely distichous)
Inner tepals fringed, outer entire; fruit a capsule
Inner tepals not fringed; fruit a berry or capsule
Styles or style-branches 3-4
Style 1, capitate or the stigma shortly lobed, or absent (the stigmas sessile)
Flowers pendent; styles separate, not forming a style basally; fruit a berry
Flowers erect; styles convergent basally to form a style; fruit a capsule
Leaves with distinct reticulate secondary veins between the parallel primary veins; style short or absent; seeds brown
Leaves without distinct reticulate secondary veins between the parallel veins; style filamentous; seeds black
Leaves with a conspicuous midrib
True leaves reduced to scales; leaf-like cladodes without a conspicuous midrib
Plants often with woody stems; leaves robust, leathery or fleshy, tough
Plants without woody stems; leaves not leathery, fleshy or tough
Leaves coarsely pickly-toothed
Leaves not coarsely prickly-toothed, at most denticulate
Flowers pendent in short racemes, each subtended by a bract and bracteole; perianths tubular for most of their length, red with yellow lobes (rarely all yellow)
Inflorescences various; flowers tubular or not, yellow, blue, violet or white, if red or yellow and pendent then the flowers subtended by a bract only
Ovary 3-locular with 1 ovule per loculus, or 1-locular with 3 ovules
Ovary 3-locular with 2-many ovules per loculus
Flowers red, purple or blue
Flowers white, pale pink or greenish
Flowers clustered at the ends of branchlets in sessile or shortly pedunculate heads, or at the ends of slender, filiform scapes
Flowers in distinct, spherical heads at the ends of robust scapes
Stems absent or short and contracted; leaves all or mostly basal or appearing basal, or reduced to scales, or few and reducing upwards into bracts
Leaves distinctly cauline
Perianth white, cream, yellow, red, pink or greenish
Perianth blue, purple or violet
Flower single
Flowers several in an inflorescence
Flower sessile or nearly so amongst the leaf rosette
Flower at the end of an elongate scape
Tepals free
Tepals fused into a distinct tube at base
Scape bractless except for a scarious, split spathe below the flower
Scape with leaf-like bracts; no scarious, split spathe below the flower
Flowers in an umbel at the end of an unbranched scape
Flowers in panicles or racemes
Tepals fused at least half way
Tepals free or fused at the very base
Bracts subtending the umbel several, often herbaceous
Bracts subtending the umbel 2 or 1, often scarious and spatheate
Leaves 3-ranked; leaf-sheaths closed at base
Leaves not distinctly 3-ranked; leaf-sheaths open
Tepals distinctly 1-nerved
Tepals with 3 or more nerves, or nerveless
Tepals spirally twisted after flowering
Tepals not spirally twisted after flowering
Ovules 1 or 2 per locule
Ovules 4-18 per locule
Flowers sessile
Flowers pedicellate
Inflorescence an umbel or a single, spatheate flower
Inflorescence a raceme, corymb or panicle
Bulbous herbs
Rhizomatous herbs
Inflorescences axis unbranched (flowers in racemes, sometimes corymbose)
Inflorescence axis branched, or flowers in heads on a branched axis, or flowers solitary
Plant with a single, erect, unbranched, leafy stem to 2 m high from a bulb; tepals 10-15 cm long
Plants branched; tepals <20 mm long
Flowers bright purple or blue, in branched inflorescences; leaves usually flattened, not terete, not pungent
Flowers white or pale-coloured, sessile or pedicellate in a distinct head or umbel at the end of an unbranched, bracteate but leafless scape; leaves terete or nearly so, often pungent-pointed
Perianth either distinctly tubular at base or flowers long-pedicellate
Tepals free; flowers sessile or very shortly pedicellate
Style branched; stigmas 3; inflorescence branching (sometimes congested to a head)
Style 1, simple; inflorescence a tall woody spike
Stamens 5 or more
Stamens 3
Stamens 5 or 6, sometimes with staminodes
Stamens more than 6
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Plants without tendrils
Leaves large, compound
Leaves simple
Perianth segments united at least in part into a tube
Perianth segments free
Shrubs
Herbs
Stamens 5; land plants sometimes in moist places
Stamens 6; emergent waterplants
Leaves with ochrea
Leaves without ochrea
Ovules 1 per loculus
Ovules 2 per loculus
Leafless parasitic twiners
Non-twiners
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas 2 or 3
Flowers with 1 or more long spurs
Flowers lacking spurs
Ovary 1-locular
Ovary 2- or more-locular
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Perianth segments free
Perianth segments united
Climbers with leaf-opposed tendrils
Trees or shrubs
Style and stigma 1
Styles 2 or 3
Stamens 3-6
Stamens 9 or more
Flowers zygomorphic
Flowers actinomorphic
Styles 3-5; fruit a 3-5-valved capsule
Style 1, capitate or the stigma shortly lobed; fruit a berry or capsule
Tall, scrambling shrubs or climbers; perianth <10 mm long; fruit a berry
Erect herbs; perianth >100 mm long; fruit a capsule
Stamens 9, usually with 3 staminodes
Stamens 10 or indefinite
Leaves trifoliolate
Leaves not trifoliolate
Herbs
Shrubs or small trees
Carpels 2
Carpels 4-15
Leaves alternate, radical, or absent
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Stamens (excluding staminodes) 1-3
Stamens 4 or more
Stamen 1
Stamens 2 or 3
Stamens 3 (with or without additional staminodes)
Stamens 2
Stamens 3; staminodes absent
Stamens 3; staminode 1
Leaves simple or absent
Leaves compound
Leaves radical or absent
Leaves alternate
Herbs; perianth segments free
Shrubs; perianth segments united
Floating aquatics
Rooted land plants
Herbs; flowers strongly zygomorphic
Shrubs or herbs; flowers not strongly zygomorphic
Stamens 4 or 5
Stamens 6 or more
Stamens 5
Stamens 4
Climbers
Herbs, shrubs or trees, not climbing
Plants climbing by leaf-opposed tendrils
Plants without tendrils
Flowers actinomorphic
Flowers zygomorphic
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Stamens adnate to perianth segments
Stamens not adnate to perianth segments
Fruit an achene
Fruit a legume
Leaves with stinging hairs
Leaves without stinging hairs
Stamens distinctly adnate to perianth segments
Stamens adhering to base of perianth, or free from it
Stamens same number as and opposite perianth segments and often sessile on them
Stamens same number as and alternate with perianth segments, or twice as many, on short filaments
Flowers in axillary spikes
Flowers not in spikes
Underside of leaves white with close-set hairs
Leaves glabrous or with scattered hairs
Perianth segments united into 4-lobed floral tube
Perianth segments not united
Perianth petaloid
Perianth sepaloid
Stamens same number as and opposite perianth segments
Stamens same number as and alternate with perianth segments or more numerous
Flowers ebracteate, in terminal racemes
Flowers bracteate, in clusters, cymes, or heads
Stamens 6
Stamens more than 6
Fruit a berry
Fruit an achene
Leaves simple
Leaves compound
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Sepals 2, valvate, completely enclosing bud; ovules several in each loculus
Sepals not as above; ovule 1 in each loculus
Stamens 10 or fewer
Stamens indefinite
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Shrubs or trees
Herbs
Stamens 4 or fewer
Stamens 5 or more
Herbs, either aquatic or growing in wet places; leaves radical, floating or absent; sepals 2; petals united; corolla 2-lipped
Plants not as above
Leaves with ochrea
Leaves without ochrea
Herbs or shrubs; leaves covered with mealy scales
Trees
Stamens 5-10
Stamens numerous
Style 1; stigmas usually 2
Styles more than 1
Trees with irritant hairs; stipules reniform; fruit a large drupe
Herbs without irritant hairs; stipules sheath-like; fruit a small nut
Ovary 3- to 5-locular
Ovary 1-locular
Style and stigma 1
Styles or stigmas more than 1
Stamens 2, 3 or 5
Stamens 4 or 8
Stamens 3 or 5
Stamens 2
Stamens free from perianth, united into a cup at base
Stamens adnate to perianth
Annual herbs, frequently in moist situations
Small shrubs
Stamens 8
Stamens 4
Leaves with stinging hairs
Leaves without stinging hairs
Stamens distinctly adnate to perianth
Stamens free from perianth or attached at the very base of the perianth segments
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Flowers with distinct corolla and (truncate) calyx
Flowers without calyx and corolla, with single whorl of tepals only
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Stamen 1
Stamens 4 or more
Stamens 4
Stamens more than 4
Stamens alternating with the perianth lobes
Stamens opposite the perianth lobes
Styles 2
Styles 4
Stamens indefinite
Stamens 8
Leaves with usually prominent stipules
Leaves estipulate (though with minute colleters at each side of the nodes)
Plants parasitic (mistletoes)
Plants not parasitic
Leaves alternate, radical, equitant or absent
Leaves opposite or verticillate
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted, or leaves absent
Stamens 10
Stamens indefinite
Perianth actinomorphic or nearly so
Perianth distinctly zygomorphic
Perianth comprising a straight or sigmoid tube inflated at the base and expanded to a spreading lobe
Perianth of 3-6 segments that are free or joined into a tube at base
Perianth segments 4
Perianth segments 3, 5 or 6
Stamens 2 or 4
Stamens 5 or more
Stamens 2
Stamens 4
Flowers not in umbels or heads
Flowers in umbels or heads
Flowers in umbels
Flowers in heads surrounded by involucral bracts
Stamens 5
Stamens 6 or more
Stamens 5
Stamens 1,3 or 6 or more
Anthers united around style
Anthers free
Herbs
Shrubs or trees
Styles 2, free
Style 1, with 1 or 2 stigmas
Stamens opposite perianth segments
Stamens alternating with perianth segments
Leaves simple and entire
Leaves compound or dissected
Leaves compound or dissected
Leaves simple, undivided
Perianth 3-merous, blackish; flowers in a large head surrounded by bracts and with long, pendulous appendages
Perianth 5-merous, greenish to whitish; flowers in panicles, if in heads surrounded by bracts then without long, pendulous appendages
Trees
Herbs (sometimes robust), climbers or shrubs
Perianth segments 4 or 5; leaves often succulent
Perianth segments 2, 3 or 6; leaves rarely succulent
One perianth part distinctly different from the others, forming a labellum; stamens fused with the gynoecium to form a column
Perianth parts either all +/- similar, or in two series with the parts in each series similar; stamens free from the gynoecium
Leafless, saprophytic herbs, flowering at or near ground level; inner three tepals fused into a hood-like mitre
Plants not saprophytic, if +/- leafless then flowering well above the ground; all tepals free or fused
Submerged aquatics with submerged or floating leaves
Land plants
Climber
Not climbers
Stamens 3
Stamens 6
Perianth segments united at base
Perianth segments free
Anthers with transverse dehiscence
Anthers with longitudinal dehiscence
Ovules 1 or 2 per loculus
Ovules usually several per loculus
Leaves very tough, the margins spiny-serrate; flowers in a dense, cone-like inflorescence usually surmounted by a tuft of sterile, leafy bracts; fruit a yellow to red sessile synangium (pineapple)
Leaves, inflorescence and fruit not as above
Perianth densely hairy outside, the hairs often branched or plumose
Perianth more or less glabrous outside
Very robust herbs with large (>2 m), tough, often thickened, sometimes toothed herbs
Leaves soft, pliable, usually thick-textured (sometimes slightly fleshy), without toothed margins
Leaves with a hard, persistent, spiny apex; inflorescence paniculate
Leaves without a spiny apex, fragile, often eroded; inflorescence a head or compoiund raceme
Flowers yellow or yellowish-green, at least inside
Flowers white, pink or purple
Basal leaf solitary (with one or a few others grading to bracts on the scape)
Basal leaves several, with or without other leaves in the scapes
Bulbous plants; flowers in umbels or solitary, enclosed in bud by 1 or 2 large, often scarious, spathe-like bracts
Cormous or rhizomatous plants; flowers solitary or in cymose racemes or panicles, the flower-buds not enclosed by spathe-like bracts
Styles 3, free
Style 1
Plants shortly rhizomatous
Plants with a corm or bulb
Plants bulbous; flowers in umbels
Plants cormous; flowers in simple or branched racemes
Flowers in a capitulum (daisy-head) surrounded by short involucral bracts; stamens 5, connate around the 2-branched style
Flowers not in a capitulum, solitary, clustered, in branched inflorescences or heads; stamens not connate around a 2-branched style
Stigma enclosed within a pollen-presenting indusium
Stigmas not enclosed within an indusium
Perianth 5-merous; style surmounted by an indusium
Perianth not 5-merous; style not surmounted by an indusium
Perianth comprising a straight or sigmoid tube inflated at the base and expanded to a spreading lobe
Perianth of 3-6 segments that are free or joined into a tube at base
Leaves with pinnate primary veins
Leaves with parallel or convergent primary veins (middle vein sometimes stronger than others), or venation obscure, or leaves scale-like
Ligule present at junction of leaf-sheath and lamina
Leaves eligulate
Leaves 2-ranked
Leaves more than 2-ranked
Pulvinus present at junction of petiole (or leaf-sheath) and blade
Pulvinus absent
Fertile stamen 1
Fertile stamens 5
Flowers subtended by one or more firm, rigid, closely inrolled bracts held more or less at right angles to the stem; stamens tightly clasped within two arrowhead-like inner perianth segments
Flowers in a spike subtended by distichous, well-spaced, boat-shaped bracts; stamens not tightly clasped by arrowhead-like perianth segments
Stamens 3 (one sometimes infertile)
Stamens 6
Plant a colourless saprophyte
Plant chlorophyllous
Perianth densely hairy outside, the hairs often branched or plumose
Perianth more or less glabrous outside
Leaves cauline
Leaves all basal
Inflorescence an umbel
Inflorescence a raceme
Leaves gland-dotted
Leaves not gland-dotted
Perianth segments 3 or 4
Perianth segments 5 or 6
Perianth segments 3
Perianth segments 4
Stamens 2-5
Stamens 8 or more
Stamens 2
Stamens 4 or 5
Stamens 4 or 5; anthers fused together (syngenesious)
Stamens 4; anthers not syngenesious
Aquatic herbs
Plants not aquatic
Leaves in whorls of 4-8
Leaves opposite
Stamens opposite perianth segments
Stamens alternating with perianth segments
Stipules present, often interpetiolar
Stipules absent
Stamens 8
Stamens numerous
Leaves simple
Leaves compound or unifoliolate
Perianth segments 5
Perianth segments 6
Stamen 1-3
Stamens 5 or more
Corolla rotate, actinomorphic; style short, the stigma 3-5-lobed
Corolla tubular or campanulate, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; style long, the stigma lobed or capitate
Stamens indefinite
Stamens 5
Anthers syngenesious
Anthers free
Anthers opposite perianth segments
Anthers alternating with perianth segments
Leaves compound
Leaves simple
Fertile stamen 1 (petaloid staminodes may be present)
Fertile stamens 3 or more
Stamens 3
Stamens 10 or more
Stamens 10
Stamens numerous
Leaves present
Leaves absent, reduced to scales, or indistinct
Marine or brackish aquatics (sea-grasses), with submerged leaves and flowering underwater
Plants terrestrial or occurring in fresh water, sometimes in brackish water but then with floating leaves and flowering above the water surface
Leaves ligulate
Leaves eligulate
Leaf blade and sheath shed leaving a circular scar
Leaf blade shed but sheath persistent and fibrous
Leaves with 7 or more longitudinal veins
Leaves with 1-5 longitudinal veins
Leaves 1-3 per shoot
Leaves 4 or more per shoot
Carpel solitary; stigmas 2, filiform
Carpels 4-8; stigma 1, peltate
Moss-like plants growing on rocks in fast-flowing streams
Plants not moss-like, or if so then terrestrial and growing in soil
Aquatic plants with submerged and/or floating leaves
Terrestrial plants, or aquatics with emergent leaves
Flowers enclosed within an elongate spathe, often with an elongate hypanthium
Flowers not enclosed within a spathe, without a hypanthium
Flowers in distinct spikelets
Flowers in spikes, racemes or heads
Flowers in heads
Flowers in spikes (sometimes forked) or racemes
Tiny annuals usually less than 5 cm high; flowerheads not whitish
Annuals to perennials, usually more than 5 cm high; flowerheads whitish
Leaves wsith a well-developed sheathing base, with free or fused stipules often forming an ochrea
Leaves without a well-differentiated basal sheath, exstipulate
Ovules 2 or more per carpel
Ovules 1 per carpel
Tepals, stamens and carpels each 4
Tepals, stamens and/or carpels more or less than 4
Leaves linear, grass- or sedge-like (may be thickened and tough); herbs (sometimes rubust and tree-like)
Leaves not linear or, if sometimes linear, then shrubs with fleshy leaves
Flowers in distinct spikelets, the florets subtended by and hidden within glumes
Flowers not in spikelets
Individual flowers each subtended by two specialised bracts (lemma and palea)
Individual flowers each subtended by a single bract, or surrounded by several unspecialised bracts
Leaves with closed sheaths; anthers basifixed, 2-celled
Leaves with open sheaths; anthers dorsifixed, 1-celled
Robust lianes or prop-rooted trees with leaves in distinct spirals
Annual or perennial herbs, or (Xanthorrhoea) robust and woody but then leaves not distinctly spiralled
Flowers in elongate racemes or spikes
Flowers in heads, either single or arranged in panicles
Spikes branched
Spikes unbranched
Flowers distant on a slender inflorescence axis
Flowers densely packed on a robust inflorescence axis
Marsh plants; flowers thread-like, unisexual, in 2-part spikes (the lower part female, the upper part male); fruits indehiscent, wind-dispersed, light and fluffy, shed as the spike disintegrates
Dryland plants; flowers not thread-like, bisexual; fruits capsular, persistent on the spike
Flowerheads monoecious, arranged in branched inflorescences
Flowerheads bisexual, solitary and terminal on unbranched scapes
Tiny annuals usually less than 5 cm high; flowerheads not whitish
Annuals to perennials, usually more than 5 cm high; flowerheads whitish
Leaves palmately compound or lobed
Leaves simple, or pinnately compound or lobed
Robust herbs or climbers; flowers in elongate spikes or catkins
Deciduous trees; flowers and fruits forming globular heads
Herbs of moist places, sometimes aquatic, with opposite, entire leaves; flowers axillary, males comprising a single anther, females comprising a naked ovary
Shrubs or trees, or if herbaceous then not as above
Winter-deciduous trees; flowers in catkins, small cymes, or globular heads
Evergreen shrubs, trees or herbs, not winter-deciduous; flowers not in catkins
Male and female flowers 1-3 together in very short catkins; fruits hidden within a lobed, hardened cupule
Male and/or female flowers in elongate catkins or globular heads with many flowers; fruits not hidden within a cupule (a scaly cupule cupping the nut base in Quercus)
Male flowers in elongate catkins, the female flowers solitary or a few together; fruits large (acorns) cupped at base by a scaly cupule
Both male and female flowers in elongate catkins or globular heads; fruits small, not cupped at base by a scaly cupule
Leaves simple
Leaves pinnately compound
Flowers in globular heads; leaves with palmate primary venation
Flowers in elongate catkins; leaves with pinnate primary venation
Fruit a capsule splitting to release minute seeds with fine hairs
Fruits indehiscent, papery-winged or nut-like
Latex present
Latex absent
Styles or stigmas 3 or more
Style or stigma 1
Flowers mostly unisexual
Flowers mostly bisexual
Climbers or twiners
Non-climbers
Leaves opposite
Leaves alternate
Plants monoecious
Plants dioecious
Herbs or undershrubs; flowers in heads
Trees; flowers otherwise
Trees with distichous leaves; fruit a nut surrounded by a hardened cupule
Trees, shrubs or herbs; leaves usually not distichouse; fruit a capsule, drupe or berry, not surrounded by a hardened cupule
Ovules 2 per loculus
Ovule 1 per loculus
Ovary 3-carpellate; styles or stigmas 3
Ovary 2-carpellate; styles 2
Male flowers in catkins; female flowers with involucre of bracts but no perianth
Male flowers solitary or in open spikes; perianth shallow cup-shaped, inconspicuous
Stamens 10 or fewer, usually 2 or 3
Stamens indefinite
Ovary inferior; fruit a capsule; perianth deciduous as a cap
Ovary superior; fruit a legume; perianth not deciduous as a cap
Moss-like plants growing on rocks in fast-flowing streams
Plants not moss-like, or if so then terrestrial and growing in soil
Rush- or sedge-like plants with flowers in spikelets
Trees, shrubs or herbs, not rush- or sedge-like; flowers not in spikelets
Leaves with closed sheaths
Leaves with open sheaths
Spikes unisexual (plants mostly dioecious); stamens 3
Spikes bisexual (male and female flowers in successive rings); stamens 4-6
Free-floating aquatic herbs
Terrestrial trees, shrubs or herbs
Fleshy, achlorophyllous, fungus-like herbs
Trees or shrubs, not fleshy and achlorophyllous
Trees; branchlets jointed, with whorls or scale-leaves at each joint
Trees, shrubs or herbs without jointed branchlets