Lupinus
Fabaceae subfam. faboideae
bluebonnet, lupine
erect to decumbent or prostrate, branched or unbranched, usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous.
alternate, usually palmately compound, rarely 3-foliolate or unifoliolate, usually cauline, sometimes crowded near base or basal;
stipules present, setaceous, adnate to petiole;
petiolate;
leaflets (1 or 3)4–11(–17), stipels absent, blade margins entire, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.
pinnate, palmate, unifoliolate, or 3-foliolate, rarely 2 or 4-foliolate, not bipinnate.
3–100+-flowered, terminal, racemes, erect, rarely axillary and reduced to 1 or 2 flowers, flowers spirally arranged or whorled;
bracts present, persistent or deciduous.
papilionaceous, chasmogamous;
calyx bilabiate, lobes connate, entire or toothed, usually with appendages (often inconspicuous) between lobes;
corolla usually blue to purple, sometimes white, yellow, pink or rose;
banner with central groove, sides reflexed;
wings connivent at tips, corrugated;
keel usually attenuate;
stamens 10, monadelphous;
anthers basifixed, dimorphic, alternately long on short filaments, short on long filaments;
style brushy.
usually papilionaceous, rarely nonpapilionaceous (in Amorpha, Parryella, sometimes Clitoria), bilateral, rarely asymmetrical, or radial;
sepals connate at least basally;
petals 5(or 6), rarely only 1 (banner) present or 0;
stamens (1–9)10(+), filaments connate, or adaxial filament ± distinct, rarely all filaments distinct, usually heteromorphic, anthers basifixed or dorsifixed;
pollen in monads.
legumes, sessile, straight, laterally compressed, usually oblong, splitting along both margins, valves usually twisted after dehiscence, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous.
legumes, dehiscent or indehiscent, or loments, drupes, or samaroid.
usually deciduous, usually petiolate.
(1 or)2–12, usually smooth, rarely ridged or tuberculate, spheric, lentiform, or angulate.
with complex hilar valve, hilum elongate, pleurogram absent;
embryo usually curved, rarely straight.
nectaries absent on petiole and rachis, sometimes stipular, stipellar, or bracteal, rarely on sepals.
lateral, free, or absent.
= 6.
= 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Lupinus
Fabaceae subfam. faboideae
North America; Mexico; South America; Europe (Mediterranean); Africa [Introduced in Asia (China), s Africa, Atlantic Islands (Iceland), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
nearly worldwide
Species ca. 270 (88 in the flora).
Most species of Lupinus occur in western North America and western South America. C. P. Smith (1944, 1938–1953) assigned North American lupines to subg. Lupinus and subg. Platycarpos S. Watson based on cotyledon structure (sessile versus petiolate) and 22 groups based on life span, flower arrangement, keel ciliation, and banner and wing pubescence, as well as some vegetative features.
The taxonomy of Lupinus is complicated. Thousands of names have been coined for lupines; circumscription is difficult, made problematic by the vast number of species recognized, then lumped and split in various ways by different taxonomists. Some authors (for example, D. B. Dunn 1955, 1959) discussed widespread hybridization in the genus. Some studies have indicated that gene flow and introgression through outcrossing in perennial species does occur (A. Liston et al. 1995). Perennial species have shown a preponderance of interbreeding groups that have resulted in gradients of characters.
Self-pollination is known to occur in annual species of Lupinus, which has resulted in the establishment of localized variants that have been recognized as distinct species. For example, L. affinis, L. guadalupensis, and L. spectabilis could easily be regarded as localized variants of L. nanus.
Phylogenetic analyses of molecular data for Lupinus included 50 North American species (C. S. Drummond et al. 2012). The species were assigned to three infrageneric lineages. One lineage included two species from Florida that have unifoliate leaves and 2n = 52. The second lineage included two 2n = 36 annual species from Texas that corresponds to group Subcarnosi sensu Smith. The third lineage included 44 species of western North American annuals and perennials having 2n = 48. This lineage comprised two sister clades: one clade of seven species with sessile cotyledons that corresponds to subg. Platycarpos, and a second clade of 37 species with petiolate cotyledons. Within the second clade, annual species are sister to the derived perennials (24 species) which have colonized and diversified in montane habitats. While these studies provide insight into the evolution and biogeography of Lupinus, they have not resulted in a phylogenetic classification, and have not clarified relationships among the western North American taxa.
Many species of Lupinus contain alkaloids, especially in their seeds, fruits, and young leaves, that are toxic to livestock, especially sheep (G. Boschin and D. Resta 2013). These include L. arboreus, L. latifolius, and L. leucophyllus (M. Wink et al. 1995).
Lupinus albus Linnaeus and L. luteus Linnaeus, both European species that are sometimes cultivated, were each collected once as waifs in Florida. Lupinus angustifolius Linnaeus, another European species that is sometimes cultivated, has been collected as a waif in British Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, and South Carolina.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Genera ca. 503, species ca. 14,000 (111 genera, 1162 species in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves appearing simple, unifoliolate. | → 2 |
2. Stipules 9–15 mm (occurring only on very new growth, abortive or early deciduous). | L. westianus |
2. Stipules 20–150 mm. | → 3 |
3. Banner spot white to cream, corollas light to deep blue, limb centrally white at base. | L. diffusus |
3. Banner spot maroon, corollas lilac to reddish purple or pink. | L. villosus |
1. Leaves palmately compound. | → 4 |
4. Herbs annual. | → 5 |
5. Cotyledons sessile, connate into a persistent disc or cup (if deciduous, leaving a circular scar); legumes usually ovoid, sometimes oblong; seeds 1 or 2(–6), usually tuberculate, ridged, or wrinkled, sometimes smooth. | → 6 |
6. Flowers in crowded or widely spaced whorls; bracts reflexed; upper keel margins ciliate near claw. | → 7 |
7. Stems hard, rigid; lower keel margins as densely ciliate as upper; leaflets usually pubescent adaxially, rarely glabrous; seeds dark brown, tuberculate. | L. luteolus |
7. Stems hollow at least near base; lower keel margins not as densely ciliate as upper or glabrous; leaflets glabrous adaxially; seeds usually mottled, ridged or smooth. | L. microcarpus |
6. Flowers usually spirally arranged or 1 or 2 (except L. malacophyllus crowded with proximal ones whorled becoming spirally arranged distally); bracts straight; keel margins glabrous. | → 8 |
8. Leaves basal; herbage usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent when young, rarely at anthesis; pedicels 3–5 mm. | L. odoratus |
8. Leaves cauline (often crowded near base); herbage sparsely pubescent to canescent or pilose; pedicles 0.5–3(–4) mm. | → 9 |
9. Racemes (1 or)2-flowered, axillary; free blades of stipules reduced, ca. 1 mm; leaflets 2–7 mm. | L. uncialis |
9. Racemes several–many-flowered, terminal; free blades of stipules well developed; leaflets 7–30 mm. | → 10 |
10. Herbage canescent, hairs 0.6–1 mm; legumes undulate, sides with short inflated hairs becoming scaly when dry. | L. shockleyi |
10. Herbage hairs appressed or spreading, more than 1 mm; legumes not obviously undulate, thinly pilose to coarsely hirsute. | → 11 |
11. Adaxial calyx lobe more than 1/2 as long as abaxial. | L. kingii |
11. Adaxial calyx lobe less than 1/2 as long as abaxial. | → 12 |
12. Proximalmost flowers whorled, becoming spirally arranged distally; w Nevada. | L. malacophyllus |
12. All flowers spirally arranged; Kansas westward to California (L. pusillus extending into Alberta and Saskatchewan). | → 13 |
13. Pedicels 0.3–1.5 mm; racemes dense; seeds smooth. | L. brevicaulis |
13. Pedicels to 3 mm; racemes usually elongate; seeds wrinkled or ridged. | → 14 |
14. Leaves crowded near base; legumes ovoid, adaxial margin not constricted between seeds. | L. flavoculatus |
14. Leaves well distributed along stems; legumes oblong, adaxial margin constricted between seeds. | L. pusillus |
5. Cotyledons petiolate, usually withering and deciduous; legumes oblong; seeds usually more than 2, smooth. | → 15 |
15. Lower (and often upper) keel margins ciliate near claw, glabrous near apex. | → 16 |
16. Flowers distinctly whorled; corollas usually blue-purple, rarely white, lavender, or pink. | L. succulentus |
16. Flowers spirally arranged; corollas yellow, white, pink to magenta, or blue to purple. | → 17 |
17. Racemes shorter than peduncles; banners yellow, wings usually pink, rarely white, keel petals white. | L. stiversii |
17. Racemes longer than peduncles; corollas usually yellow, white, dark pink, blue, or magenta, rarely pinkish. | → 18 |
18. Corollas golden yellow or white; pedicels becoming recurved. | L. citrinus |
18. Corollas usually blue or dark pink to magenta, rarely pinkish; pedicels not recurved. | → 19 |
19. Herbage with appressed, stiff, stinging hairs; leaflets 10–20 mm wide. | L. hirsutissimus |
19. Herbage without appressed, stiff, stinging hairs; leaflets 1.5–10 mm wide. | → 20 |
20. Petioles flat, leafletlike; keel stout, blunt, upper margins ciliate from claw to middle. | L. truncatus |
20. Petioles not flat or leafletlike; keel pointed, upper margins usually glabrous (except L. sparsiflorus often ciliate near claw). | → 21 |
21. Pedicels 5–9 mm; bracts 10–15 mm, longer than buds. | L. benthamii |
21. Pedicels 2–4 mm; bracts 3–8 mm, shorter than to slightly longer than buds. | → 22 |
22. Leaflets 5–10 mm wide, glabrous adaxially; corollas dark pink to magenta. | L. arizonicus |
22. Leaflets 2–4 mm wide, pubescent adaxially at least near margins; corollas usually blue, rarely pinkish. | L. sparsiflorus |
15. Lower and upper keel margins glabrous near claw, upper margins ciliate near apex, or glabrous. | → 23 |
23. Flowers spirally arranged; keel margins glabrous. | → 24 |
24. Primary peduncles and lateral branches decumbent; coastal dunes in San Luis Obispo County, California. | L. nipomensis |
24. Primary peduncles erect, lateral branches sometimes tufted or spreading; Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah. | → 25 |
25. Pubescence of stems and petioles spreading; leaflets pubescent; Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah. | L. concinnus |
25. Pubescence of stems and petioles mostly appressed or ascending; leaflets sparsely pubescent or glabrous adaxially; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. | → 26 |
26. Racemes 18–45 cm; trans-Pecos Texas. | L. havardii |
26. Racemes 2–12 cm; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, c, e, s Texas. | → 27 |
27. Wing petals inflated; corollas pale blue-violet; calyx hairs becoming yellowish gray or brown on dried material; legumes yellowish gray- or brown-villous; Texas. | L. subcarnosus |
27. Wing petals flat; corollas usually dark blue, rarely white; calyx hairs silvery; legumes white silky-villous; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. | L. texensis |
23. Flowers whorled at some or all nodes; upper keel margins usually ciliate near apex (except L. pachylobus glabrous). | → 28 |
28. Banners longer than wide; pedicels 1–3.5 mm. | → 29 |
29. Legumes usually less than 0.6 cm wide; upper keel margins usually ciliate near apex; Arizona, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington. | L. bicolor |
29. Legumes 0.6–0.9 cm wide; upper keel margins glabrous; California, Washington. | L. pachylobus |
28. Banners wider than or equaling length; pedicels 2.5–8 mm. | → 30 |
30. Upper keel margins with a tooth near middle. | L. affinis |
30. Upper keel margins without a tooth. | → 31 |
31. Legumes less than 0.7 cm wide. | L. nanus |
31. Legumes 0.8–1 cm wide. | → 32 |
32. Pedicels 4–5 mm; herbage sparsely pubescent; San Clemente Island, California. | L. guadalupensis |
32. Pedicels 6–8 mm; herbage densely hairy; central Sierra Nevada foothills, California. | L. spectabilis |
4. Herbs or shrubs, usually perennial, rarely biennial. | → 33 |
33. Rhizomes present, patch forming; east of Rocky Mountains. | L. perennis |
33. Rhizomes usually not present, or if present (L. formosus) then west of Rocky Mountains. | → 34 |
34. Upper keel margins ciliate near claw or only from claw to middle (glabrous middle to tip). | → 35 |
35. Herbs annual, sometimes persisting, fleshy; racemes 15–25 cm; legumes. | → 3 |
3. 5–5 cm; plants of open or disturbed areas, roadbanks. | L. succulentus |
35. Herbs perennial, not fleshy; racemes 16–60 cm; legumes 2–4.5 cm; plants of moist areas, open woodlands. | L. latifolius |
34. Upper keel margins usually glabrous or ciliate throughout, or ciliate from middle to tip. | → 36 |
36. Calyx spur 1–3 mm. | → 37 |
37. Wings with dense hair patch outside near tip; leaflets strigose adaxially. | L. arbustus |
37. Wings glabrous; leaflets glabrous or hairy (but not strigose) adaxially. | L. argenteus |
36. Calyx not spurred or bulge or spur 0–1 mm. | → 38 |
38. Banners usually hairy abaxially (except usually glabrous in L. pratensis and L. sulphureus, best seen in bud). | → 39 |
39. Upper keel margins ± glabrous. | → 40 |
40. Subshrubs or shrubs, matted, 2–4 dm. | L. albifrons |
40. Shrubs or herbs, not matted, (2–)4–20 dm. | → 41 |
41. Shrubs; plants of coastal strands, dunes. | L. chamissonis |
41. Perennial herbs; plants of volcanic or dry soils, pine forests, Great Basin or riparian scrub, coniferous forests. | → 42 |
42. Adaxial surface of leaflets glabrous or pubescent and green. | → 43 |
43. Corollas usually pale yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes white; bracts ± persistent. | L. angustiflorus |
43. Corollas usually purple, sometimes pink or white; bracts deciduous. | L. apertus |
42. Adaxial surface of leaflets tomentose, pubescent, or villous, hairs silvery. | → 44 |
44. Corollas usually yellow; herbs 2–5 dm. | L. dalesiae |
44. Corollas creamy yellow to pale yellow, or lavender to blue; herbs 5–9 dm. | → 45 |
45. Corollas lavender to blue; stem hairs short-silky; elevation 1500–3000 m. | L. elatus |
45. Corollas creamy yellow to pale yellow; stems long-villous; elevation 2500–4000 m. | L. padrecrowleyi |
39. Upper keel margins usually ciliate. | → 46 |
46. Subshrubs or shrubs. | → 47 |
47. Raceme rachises deciduous, 8–30 cm; petioles 2–4 cm; chaparral, foothill woodlands, cismontane California; 0–1500 m. | L. albifrons |
47. Raceme rachises persistent, 10–70 cm; petioles 4–10 cm; deserts, transmontane California; (700–)1200–2700 m. | L. excubitus |
46. Perennial herbs (sometimes subshrubs in L. breweri). | → 48 |
48. Leaflets 10–30 mm wide. | → 49 |
49. Corollas yellow; San Gabriel Mountains, California. | L. peirsonii |
49. Corollas usually ± purple to violet or light blue, rarely pink or pale yellow; British Columbia to San Luis Obispo County, California, eastward to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. | → 50 |
50. Bracts persistent; British Columbia to Klamath Ranges and Modoc Plateau, California, eastward to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. | L. leucophyllus |
50. Bracts deciduous; Inner North Coast Ranges and Santa Lucia Mountains, California. | → 51 |
51. Peduncles 13–20 cm; leaflets long spreading-hairy; corollas light blue, pink, or pale yellow; Santa Lucia Mountains, California. | L. cervinus |
51. Peduncles 8–15 cm; leaflets densely silky; corollas purple to violet; Inner North Coast Ranges, California. | L. sericatus |
48. Leaflets 2–10(–17) mm wide. | → 52 |
52. Herbs to 2 dm. | → 53 |
53. Flowers in dense, crowded whorls; elevation 2000–3500 m. | L. breweri |
53. Flowers in few, separated whorls; elevation 1500–3000 m. | L. lapidicola |
52. Herbs or subshrubs 1–10(–15) dm. | → 54 |
54. Basal and cauline leaves present at flowering. | → 55 |
55. Bracts persistent; leaflets 30–80(–130) mm, pubescent adaxially. | → 56 |
56. Leaflets silvery. | L. leucophyllus |
56. Leaflets green. | L. pratensis |
55. Bracts deciduous or tardily deciduous; leaflets 10–35(–60) mm, glabrous or pubescent adaxially. | → 57 |
57. Corollas pale sulfur yellow, blue, or white. | L. sulphureus |
57. Corollas usually deep purple to light blue, sometimes violet, pink, or white, banner patch yellow to cream or absent. | → 58 |
58. Flowers (6–)9–12(–14) mm; herbs 2.5–4 dm; stems erect or ascending, clustered; proximal petioles (5–)7–9(–15) cm; leaflet hairs silky hairy, not tomentose or woolly. | L. argenteus |
58. Flowers 10–16 mm; herbs 2–3.5 dm; stems prostrate to matted; petioles 5–12 cm; leaflet hairs ± spreading, dense, tomentose to woolly. | L. grayi |
54. Basal leaves absent at flowering or, when present, then petioles less than 3 times as long as leaflets. | → 59 |
59. Banners not much reflexed-recurved beyond midpoint, this less than 3 mm proximal to apex; pedicels 1–2.5 mm. | L. argenteus |
59. Banners well reflexed-recurved at or proximal to midpoint, this 3.5–6 mm proximal to apex; pedicels 2–8 mm. | → 60 |
60. Herbs 1.5–3 dm; leaves cauline; leaflets 20–50 mm, silvery-silky adaxially. | L. obtusilobus |
60. Herbs 2–10 dm; leaves cauline and sometimes clustered at base; leaflets 15–60(–90) mm, silky-villous or tomentose to woolly adaxially. | → 61 |
61. Leaflets tomentose to woolly, hairs ± spreading, dense; flowers 10–15 mm; corollas bluish to purple; banner glabrous or hairy abaxially. | L. ludovicianus |
61. Leaflets usually silky; flowers 8–14(–18) mm; corollas pale purple to bright blue, sometimes yellowish or whitish; banner silky-hairy abaxially. | L. sericeus |
38. Banner usually glabrous abaxially (hairy in some varieties of L. albifrons, L. argenteus). | → 62 |
62. Subshrubs or shrubs. | → 63 |
63. Petioles greater than 3 cm; plants usually inland in California, Oregon. | → 64 |
64. Subshrubs or shrubs; stems decumbent to prostrate-ascending. | L. albifrons |
64. Shrubs; stems erect. | L. longifolius |
63. Petioles often 3 cm or less, rarely to 6 cm; plants of coastal bluffs, dunes, beaches in British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington. | → 65 |
65. Shrubs, usually 5–20 dm; stems ascending or erect; immediate coast and more inland. | L. arboreus |
65. Subshrubs, 2–5 dm; stems prostrate to decumbent; immediate coast. | L. littoralis |
62. Perennial herbs, rarely woody at base. | → 66 |
66. Leaflets glabrous or sparsely hairy adaxially, appearing green. | → 67 |
67. Upper keel margins glabrous. | → 68 |
68. Corollas pale or bright yellow to orange-yellow; California. | → 69 |
69. Bracts 2–7 mm; herbs 4–6 dm; corollas bright yellow to orange-yellow. | L. croceus |
69. Bracts 7–14 mm; herbs 6–9 dm; corollas pale yellow. | L. elmeri |
68. Corollas blue to purple, violet, lavender, pink, or white (may fade pale yellow to white in L. tracyi); widely distributed, including California. | → 70 |
70. Leaves basal and cauline. | → 71 |
71. Banners distinctly ruffled, markedly concave on lateral face; keel margins glabrous. | L. oreganus |
71. Banners smooth, not ruffled; keel margins ciliate. | L. polyphyllus |
70. Leaves cauline. | → 72 |
72. Flowers (11–)15–21 mm; Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. | L. nootkatensis |
72. Flowers 8–10(–12) mm; California and Oregon. | L. tracyi |
67. Upper keel margins ciliate (sometimes sparsely so in L. onustus). | → 73 |
73. Herbs greater than 3.5 dm; leaves all cauline, no leaves clustered at base. | → 74 |
74. Leaflets long-villous abaxially, glabrous or glabrate adaxially; petioles 2–10 cm; flowers (11–)15–21 mm; Alaska, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland), Nova Scotia. | L. nootkatensis |
74. Leaflets glabrous or partly glabrate; petioles 3–5 cm; flowers 12–16 mm; California to British Columbia 12–16 mm; California to British Columbia. | L. rivularis |
73. Herbs less than 3.5 dm; leaves basal and cauline, or cauline and clustered near base. | → 75 |
75. Herbs rhizomatous (from slender, underground rootstock); flowers 8–11 mm, bracts 3–4 mm; leaflets silky-hairy abaxially; California, s Oregon. | L. onustus |
75. Herbs not rhizomatous; flowers 9–20 mm; bracts (3–)4–14 mm; leaflets hairy abaxially but not silky-hairy; Alaska to Nunavut, southward to California, eastward to New Mexico. | → 76 |
76. Caudices subterranean; divisions rhizomelike; Colorado, n New Mexico, Utah. | L. polyphyllus |
76. Caudices superficial; divisions closely tufted; Alaska to Nunavut, southward to California, eastward to Colorado. | → 77 |
77. Largest leaflets 35–110 mm. | L. polyphyllus |
77. Largest leaflets 10–40(–50) mm. | → 78 |
78. Herbs 1–4 dm; Alaska and Canada. | L. arcticus |
78. Herbs (2–)3–6.5 dm; Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington. | L. polyphyllus |
66. Leaflets hairy, appearing greenish gray to silver adaxially. | → 79 |
79. Bracts usually persistent; racemes usually dense (except L. covillei loose, spirally arranged, sometimes whorled). | → 80 |
80. Leaflets 5–40 mm. | L. lepidus |
80. Leaflets (30–)40–110(–130) mm. | → 81 |
81. Leaves all cauline, leaflets villous, hairs greater than 1 mm; racemes loose (flowers whorled or spirally arranged); corollas light blue. | L. covillei |
81. Leaves basal and cauline, leaflets strigose, hairs less than 1 mm; racemes dense; corollas violet to dark blue. | L. pratensis |
79. Bracts usually ± deciduous (except L. covillei and L. kuschei); racemes ± open (spirally arranged or whorled). | → 82 |
82. Upper keel margins usually glabrous, sometimes ciliate. | → 83 |
83. Herbs or subshrubs, 0.5–2 dm; flowers 4–11 mm; keel ± straight. | → 84 |
84. Petioles 1–3(–4) cm; stems prostrate, forming mats; stipules 2–5 mm; pedicels 1–3(–4) mm; plants of subalpine to alpine montane forests; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. breweri |
84. Petioles (2–)3–6(–8) cm; stems forming robust, dense tufts; stipules 6–11 mm; pedicels (2–)4–5 mm; plants of pumice gravel flats; California (Mono County). | L. duranii |
83. Herbs, (1.5–)2–15 dm; flowers (8–)9–18 mm; keel usually upcurved. | → 85 |
85. Stipules usually leaflike, lanceolate, green. | L. fulcratus |
85. Stipules not leaflike, setaceous, green to silvery. | → 86 |
86. Corollas usually yellow to orange-yellow, rarely lavender or violet. | → 87 |
87. Flowers 9–12 mm; corollas pale yellowish to lavender or violet; California, Oregon. | L. adsurgens |
87. Flowers 12–15 mm; corollas bright yellow to orange-yellow; California. | L. croceus |
86. Corollas usually blue, lavender, violet, purple, pink, rarely white or yellowish. | → 88 |
88. Leaves basal and cauline; plants of moist or wet places. | → 89 |
89. Flowers 10–13 mm; plants of sand dunes, roadsides, sandy woods; s Alaska to n British Columbia. | L. kuschei |
89. Flowers 9–15 mm; plants of moist to wet places; California. | L. polyphyllus |
88. Leaves cauline; plants of dry places. | → 90 |
90. Banners narrow, wings narrow, not covering keel tip. | L. albicaulis |
90. Banners ovate, wings wide, covering keel tip. | → 91 |
91. Leaflet blades green, sparsely to densely hairy. | → 92 |
92. Flowers 9–12 mm; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. andersonii |
92. Flowers 13–16 mm; California. | L. hyacinthinus |
91. Leaflet blades gray-hairy to silvery-silky. | → 93 |
93. Herbs rhizomatous; plants usually of valleys, grasslands; elevation 0–1500 m. | L. formosus |
93. Herbs not rhizomatous; plants of mountains, forests; 500–3500 m. | → 94 |
94. Corollas white with banner patch turning tawny; seeds 7–11 mm; California (Anthony Peak, Mendocino County). | L. antoninus |
94. Corollas pale yellowish to lavender or violet and banner patch yellow to white, or lavender to blue and banner patch pale yellowish; seeds 4–6 mm; California, Oregon. | → 95 |
95. Leaflet blade adaxial surfaces appressed hairy to ± silky to dull green; bracts 2–8 mm; flowers 9–12 mm; corollas pale yellow to lavender or violet; California, Oregon. | L. adsurgens |
95. Leaflets blade adaxial surfaces densely silver-silky to woolly; bracts 6–11 mm; flowers 10–14 mm; corollas lavender to blue; California. | L. elatus |
82. Upper keel margins ciliate. | → 96 |
96. Herbs 0.1–3.5(–5) dm; stems usually ± prostrate to decumbent, rarely ascending. | → 97 |
97. Corollas pink; California (Humboldt and Trinity counties). | L. constancei |
97. Corollas purple, ± violet, lavender, rose, light blue, yellow, or white; Arizona, British Columbia, California. | → 98 |
98. Leaves cauline. | → 99 |
99. Leaflets 5–9; stems not weak; British Columbia to California. | L. littoralis |
99. Leaflets 3–5; stems weak; California (Marin, Monterey, Sonoma counties). | L. tidestromii |
98. Leaves usually basal (if cauline, then clustered near base). | → 100 |
100. Racemes 2–7 cm; banners ± pubescent adaxially. | L. lapidicola |
100. Racemes 10–23 cm; banners glabrous adaxially. | → 101 |
101. Racemes 10–16 cm; flowers 10–16 mm; leaflets tomentose-woolly; California. | L. grayi |
101. Racemes 6–23 cm; flowers 7–13 mm; leaflets villous-hirsute with long, spreading hairs; Arizona. | L. huachucanus |
96. Herbs (1–)2–15 dm; stems usually erect, ascending, or spreading, rarely decumbent. | → 102 |
102. Leaflets densely tomentose or woolly. | → 103 |
103. Stem hairs less than 1 mm, not sharp or stiff; petioles 5–12 cm; flowers 10–15 mm; California (San Louis Obispo County). | L. ludovicianus |
103. Some stem hairs 1–3 mm, sharp, stiff; petioles 6–30 cm; flowers 10–18 mm; California. | L. magnificus |
102. Leaflets sometimes densely hairy but not woolly. | → 104 |
104. Leaves clustered at or near base. | → 105 |
105. Corollas yellow. | L. peirsonii |
105. Corollas light blue, pink, pale yellow, purple, or violet. | → 106 |
106. Peduncles 13–20 cm; corollas light blue, pink, or pale yellow (often drying straw-colored). | L. cervinus |
106. Peduncles 8–15 cm; corollas purple to violet. | L. sericatus |
104. Some leaves cauline, spread along stems. | → 107 |
107. Flowers 5–8 mm. | L. argenteus |
107. Flowers 8–18 mm. | → 108 |
108. Leaflets 10–50 mm. | → 109 |
109. Herbs 1–4 dm; flowers 10–12 mm; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. nevadensis |
109. Herbs 4–10 dm; flowers 12–15 mm; British Columbia to Alberta, southward to California, eastward to Utah and New Mexico. | → 110 |
110. Legumes 2 cm wide; Arizona, New Mexico. | L. neomexicanus |
110. Legumes 0.7–1 cm wide; British Columbia to Alberta, southward to California, ne Nevada, s Utah. | L. polyphyllus |
108. Leaflets 30–120(–150) mm. | → 111 |
111. Corollas usually bright yellow, rarely pale purple. | L. sabineanus |
111. Corollas blue. | → 112 |
112. Herbs strigose to shaggy-pubescent; leaves yellow-green, leaflets 5–11 mm wide; proximal petioles 5–10 cm; bracts 7–15 mm, persistent; California. | L. covillei |
112. Herbs puberulent or hairy; leaves green; bracts 4–10 mm, semideciduous; California, New Mexico. | → 113 |
113. Leaflets 2–5 mm wide; proximal petioles (3–)5–14 cm; California (Rock Creek to Yosemite National Park). | L. gracilentus |
113. Leaflets 5–13 mm wide; proximal petioles 5–7 cm; New Mexico (Sacramento and White mountains). | L. sierrae-blancae |
Key to Genera of Subfamily Faboideae
1. Trees, shrubs (sometimes suffrutescent), or woody vines. | → 2 |
2. Leaves palmately foliolate or appearing so, or all or mostly unifoliolate, or reduced to phyllodes. | → 3 |
3. Leaves reduced to spinelike phyllodes; corollas yellow; fruits legumes, partly enclosed by persistent calyx, densely villous. | Ulex |
3. Leaves not reduced to spinelike phyllodes; corollas white, creamy white, pink, reddish to blue-purple, orange-yellow, or yellow; fruits legumes or loments, usually visible, glabrous, glabrate, or pubescent. | → 4 |
4. Leaves all unifoliolate, often reduced or deciduous and absent. | → 5 |
5. Shrubs or small trees with erect or scandent stems; leaflet blades 25–80 mm, elliptic or ovate; corollas white, creamy white, or yellowish, sometimes pinkish; fruits indehiscent; Florida. | Dalbergia |
5. Trees or shrubs with erect stems; leaflet blades 2–35 mm, sometimes early deciduous; corollas white, yellow, pink to reddish purple, or blue to violet-purple; fruits dehiscent or indehiscent; sw, w United States. | → 6 |
6. Stems green, rushlike, unarmed; corollas yellow; fruits dehiscent with twisting valves; introduced, w United States. | Spartium |
6. Stems brownish green, branched, armed; corollas pinkish, blue, or purplish, sometimes white; fruits indehiscent; desert Southwest. | → 7 |
7. Fruits legumes, enclosed in calyx or exserted, plump to compressed, gland-dotted; seeds usually 1; corollas blue to purple or violet, sometimes white; stems gland-dotted. | Psorothamnus |
7. Fruits loments, exserted, terete, moniliform (constricted between seeds), not gland-dotted, glabrous; seeds (1 or)2–8(–10); corollas pinkish to reddish purple; stems not gland-dotted. | Alhagi |
4. Leaves palmate or appearing palmate, sometimes unifoliolate (sometimes mixed with pinnate leaves). | → 8 |
8. Leaves unifoliolate (sometimes mixed with pinnate leaves), or appearing palmate. | → 9 |
9. Leaves unifoliolate or odd-pinnate; stipules subspinescent; stems broomlike, green; inflorescences mostly solitary flowers in axils of distal unifoliolate leaves; legume valves elastically dehiscent; trans- Pecos Texas. | Genistidium |
9. Leaves appearing palmate; stipules and leaf rachis spinescent or spine-tipped; stems not broomlike, brownish; inflorescences 1–4(or 5)-flowered, flowers solitary or in fascicles; legume valves twisting in dehiscence; Alaska, B.C., Alberta, Quebec, c, e United States. | Caragana |
8. Leaflets 1–11(–17). | → 10 |
10. Leaves (1–)5–11(–17)-foliolate; stipules adnate to petiole; keel attenuate; stamens monadelphous. | Lupinus |
10. Leaves 1–5-foliolate; stipules usually not adnate to petiole or absent; keel not attenuate; stamens distinct or monadelphous. | → 11 |
11. Stamens distinct; corollas reddish purple; shrubs with thorn-tipped stems; rarely fruiting; California native. | Pickeringia |
11. Stamens monadelphous; corollas white or yellow; shrubs or trees, unarmed; introduced widely. | → 12 |
12. Trees or large shrubs; inflorescences axillary, pendulous racemes; leaves palmately trifoliolate; corollas yellow; legumes pendulous, constricted between seeds; introduced, British Columbia, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, Washington. | Laburnum |
12. Shrubs; inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemes or glomerules or flowers solitary, or clustered on short axillary shoots; distal leaves often reduced and unifoliolate; corollas yellow or white; legumes pendulous or erect, not constricted between seeds; introduced widely. | → 13 |
13. Calyx cylindric, 8–9 mm; corollas white; twigs erect becoming pendent. | Cytisus |
13. Calyx campanulate, 3–7(–15) mm; corollas yellow or white; twigs erect or ascending, sometimes becoming pendent. | → 14 |
14. Corollas white; styles incurved; calyx bilabiate, adaxial lip 2-lobed; stems nearly leafless. | Retama |
14. Corollas yellow or white; styles abruptly incurved; calyx bilabiate or barely or scarcely lobed; stems generally leafy; seeds with appendage. | → 15 |
15. Styles abruptly curved near middle; calyx lobes connate most of their length, shallowly lobed; leaves not caducous; corollas yellow or white; legumes laterally compressed or inflated, explosively dehiscent. | Cytisus |
15. Styles abruptly incurved distally; calyx abaxial lip 3-lobed, adaxial lip 2-lobed; leaves often caducous; corollas yellow; legumes inflated, not explosively dehiscent. | Genista |
2. Leaves pinnate, not reduced, rarely unifoliolate; leaflets 3–61(–96+). | → 16 |
16. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, usually not unifoliolate or reduced to spines. | → 17 |
17. Vines trailing, twining and high climbing, or creeping; inflorescences pseudoracemes. | → 18 |
18. Calyx 5.5–7.5 mm; leaflet margins entire, not lobed or sinuate; stipules 2.5–3 mm; legumes indehiscent; lianas to 5 m. | Lackeya |
18. Calyx 6–18 mm; leaflet margins usually lobed, toothed, or sinuate, sometimes entire; stipules 5–16(–25) mm; legumes dehiscent; vines 2–30 m. | → 19 |
19. Herbaceous vines, 2–5(–10) m; stipules linear-lanceolate, 5–11 mm; inflorescence bracts setaceous; introduced, Florida. | Pachyrhizus |
19. Woody or coarsely herbaceous vines, climbing and creeping, to 30 m; stipules peltate, 8–16(–25) mm; inflorescence bracts ovate to lanceolate; introduced widely. | Pueraria |
17. Shrubs, suffrutescent subshrubs, or trees, not creeping; inflorescences pseudoracemes or racemes. | → 20 |
20. Fruits indehiscent; seeds 1. | → 21 |
21. Shrubs; stems and leaves not gland-dotted; fruits loments with 1 article, elliptic to suborbicular, pubescent, without swordlike beak; inflorescences pseudoracemes (each cluster 2–4-flowered), rarely capitate; widespread. | Lespedeza |
21. Suffrutescent subshrubs; stems and leaves gland-dotted; fruits legumes, ovoid, with swordlike beak; inflorescences dense, headlike racemes; introduced, California. | Aspalthium |
20. Fruits dehiscent or indehiscent; seeds 1–12. | → 22 |
22. Shrubs or subshrubs; inflorescences axillary racemes, 8–60+-flowered, often appearing spicate; hairs biramous (2-branched); legumes not constricted between seeds. | Indigofera |
22. Trees or shrubs; inflorescences terminal or axillary racemes or pseudoracemes, 1–80[–100]-flowered; hairs not biramous; legumes depressed or constricted between seeds. | → 23 |
23. Shrubs, short-lived, unarmed; stipels setiform; leaflet blades gland-dotted abaxially; corollas yellow, orange, red, or purplish; legumes depressed between seeds; seeds white to cream and brown, purplish, or almost black, sometimes mottled. | Cajanus |
23. Trees or shrubs, armed with recurved prickles; stipels swollen, glandlike; leaflet blades not gland-dotted; corollas red; legumes regularly or irregularly constricted between seeds; seeds red to orange-red or orange, sometimes with black markings. | Erythrina |
16. Leaves odd- or even-pinnate, rarely subpinnate or unifoliolate, leaflets (1–)3–96+. | → 24 |
24. Flowers apetalous or corollas with banner only; surfaces gland-dotted; inflorescences terminal, racemes or spikes; seeds 1 or 2. | → 25 |
25. Corollas with banner only, blue, purple, or white. | Amorpha |
25. Corollas absent or only banner present, yellow. | → 26 |
26. Leaflet blades linear-filiform or oblong-elliptic; calyx tube not 10-ribbed; corolla absent; legumes prominently gland-dotted; seeds 1 or 2; sw United States (Colorado Plateau). | Parryella |
26. Leaflet blades suborbiculate to oblong-ovate; calyx tube 10-ribbed; corolla absent or vestigial banner present, yellow; legumes with scattered glands; seed 1; ne Arizona. | Errazurizia |
24. Flowers with corollas; surfaces glandular or not; inflorescences terminal or axillary, usually racemes, panicles, fascicles, or flowers solitary, rarely pseudoracemes, corymbs, or spikes; seeds 1–40. | → 27 |
27. Stamens distinct or connate proximally. | → 28 |
28. Legumes indehiscent; bracteoles present; corollas purple, blue-purple, lilac, lavender, yellow, pink, or white; seeds usually red, dull red, reddish brown, or black, rarely orange or yellow. | → 29 |
29. Leaflet blades not leathery; inflorescences racemes or panicles; calyx truncate; corollas usually white or yellow, rarely pink or purple; stamens 8; legumes fleshy, straight to curved, moniliform; seeds black. | Styphnolobium |
29. Leaflet blades leathery; inflorescences racemes; calyx with obvious lobes; corollas usually shades of purple, rarely white; stamens 10; legumes papery, leathery, or woody, torose to torulose, straight to slightly curved or subglobose to cylindric; seeds usually red or dull red to reddish brown, rarely orange or yellow. | Dermatophyllum |
28. Legumes dehiscent; bracteoles present or absent; corollas white, creamy white, or yellow; seeds light brown to yellow. | → 30 |
30. Leaflet blades densely villous, sericeous, or glabrescent adaxially (in S. tomentosa); stipules usually present, caducous; legumes not compressed, narrowly oblong-moniliform; coastal near beaches. | Sophora |
30. Leaflet blades glabrous adaxially; stipules absent; legumes compressed laterally, elliptic to linear or lanceolate, not moniliform; inland in forests. | → 31 |
31. Leaflets alternate; axillary buds enclosed in petiole base; inflorescences pendulous panicles; calyx tubular, slightly zygomorphic; legumes not winged along margin; seeds 5–8, reniform, brown. | Cladrastis |
31. Leaflets opposite or subopposite; axillary buds exposed; inflorescences erect racemes; calyx campanulate; legumes winged along one suture; seeds 1–3, ellipsoidal, yellow. | Maackia |
27. Stamens monadelphous, submonadelphous, diadelphous, or connate at least 1/2 their length. | → 32 |
32. Stamens monadelphous, submonadelphous, or connate 1/2 their length (vexillary stamen may be distinct at base or absent). | → 33 |
33. Trees, shrubs, or vines; stamens 9 or 10; seeds 1 or 3–8; Florida. | → 34 |
34. Woody or suffrutescent vines; leaves even-pinnate; seeds red, black, red and black, black and white, or whitish; stamens 9 (vexillary stamen absent); fruits legumes, curved, beaked, elastically dehiscent; seeds (1–)3–7. | Abrus |
34. Shrubs or trees; leaves odd-pinnate; seeds reddish brown to dark brown; stamens 10; fruits legumes or loments, straight, not beaked, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent; seeds 1 or 3–8. | → 35 |
35. Fruits loments, leathery, wings papery (10–20 mm wide); calyx with 5 short lobes; seeds 3–8; s Florida coastal hammocks | Piscidia |
35. Fruits legumes, woody or rigidly leathery, without wings; calyx truncate, lobes obsolete; seed 1; introduced in Florida, waste places and thickets. | Millettia |
33. Shrubs or subshrubs; stamens (4 or)5, 9, or 10; seeds 1(or 2); widespread, including Florida. | → 36 |
36. Flowers papilionaceous, petals all arising from receptacle (hypanthium rim), wings and keel not epistemonous; banner reflexed less than 90º; shrubs, subshrubs, or trees, armed or unarmed, sterile shoots sometimes sharp-tipped; deserts, sw United States. | Psorothamnus |
36. Flowers conventionally papilionaceous or not, only banner arising from receptacle (hypanthium rim), wings and keel epistemonous, arising laterally or terminally from stamen column; banner reflexed 90º; herbs, shrubs, or subshrubs, usually unarmed (rarely thorns present in Dalea); widespread. | → 37 |
37. Calyx ribs not anastomosing; leaflet blades with pale sinuous lines, single gland between petiolules; trichomes stiff, short, not spirally twisted; fruits loments, stipitate; se Arizona. | Marina |
37. Calyx ribs usually anastomosing, forming closed arches; leaflet blades without sinuous lines, 2 adaxial intrapetiolular glands and 2 abaxial postpetiolular glands often present between opposing leaflets; trichomes spirally twisted; fruits legumes, sessile; widespread. | Dalea |
32. Stamens diadelphous (vexillary stamen sometimes slightly proximally attached to others). | → 38 |
38. Leaves mostly even-pinnate, rarely odd-pinnate (or leaflets irregularly arranged). | → 39 |
39. Trees or shrubs, armed with spine-tipped, persistent leaf rachises, or sometimes with spinescent stipules. | → 40 |
40. Trees to 10 m; stipules 4–10 mm, spinescent; leaves even- or odd-pinnate, leaflets (8 or)9–21(–24); corollas whitish to purplish; styles with pollen brush surrounding distal 1/2; legumes stipitate-glandular; Arizona, California. | Olneya |
40. Shrubs 1–3 m; stipules 1–4 mm, sometimes spinescent; leaves even-pinnate, leaflets 2 or 4(–10); corollas purple to lilac or white; styles without pollen brush; legumes glabrous; introduced, Saskatchewan, California, Utah. | Halimodendron |
39. Shrubs, usually unarmed, sometimes weakly prickly or spiny. | → 41 |
41. Inflorescences fascicles or short racemes of 1–5 flowers. | → 42 |
42. Corollas mostly whitish, sometimes tinged pinkish; styles tufted with pollen brush; stipules 3–5 mm, subulate; legumes constricted between seeds; s Texas. | Coursetia |
42. Corollas yellow; styles without pollen brush; stipules 5–9 mm, sometimes spine-tipped; legumes not constricted between seeds; introduced widely. | Caragana |
41. Inflorescences longer racemes or panicles, with 1–40+ flowers. | → 43 |
43. Calyx lobes shorter than tube; corollas white, pale yellow to orange or red, with or without purple spots; styles with spreading hairs; leaflets folding closed at night; legumes not glandular, with spongy mesocarp, bladdery-inflated, sometimes winged. | Sesbania |
43. Calyx lobes equal to or longer than tube; corollas mostly whitish; styles with tufted or lateral pollen brush; leaflets not folding; legumes glandular, not spongy, inflated, or winged. | Coursetia |
38. Leaves odd-pinnate (sometimes irregularly so). | → 44 |
44. Inflorescences racemes, flowers fascicled or in viscid-glandular racemes; Arizona. | Coursetia |
44. Inflorescences racemes, panicles, corymbs, or solitary flowers, glandular or eglandular. | → 45 |
45. Corollas not typically papilionaceous, petals scarcely differentiated, subequal, white, sometimes becoming purple; stamens visible; inflorescences spikelike racemes; legumes indehiscent; seeds 1(or 2). | Eysenhardtia |
45. Corollas papilionaceous, white, creamy, yellow, pink to purple, azure, or rose; stamens generally hidden within keel; inflorescences racemes, panicles, corymbs, or solitary flowers; legumes dehiscent or indehiscent; seeds 1–10(–16). | → 46 |
46. Legumes sessile, laterally compressed, tardily dehiscent; trees or shrubs, often armed with spinescent stipules; corollas whitish or pinkish. | Robinia |
46. Legumes stipitate, inflated or compressed, dehiscent or indehiscent; trees, shrubs, or vines, unarmed; corollas yellow, white, creamy white, pink to purple, reddish purple, azure, or rose. | → 47 |
47. Legumes bladdery-inflated; corollas bright yellow, banner sometimes with red markings. | Colutea |
47. Legumes flattened, compressed, slightly inflated, plump, or cylindric, not bladdery-inflated; corollas yellow, white, creamy white, pink to purple, reddish purple, azure, or rose. | → 48 |
48. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary; leaflets (19–)23–59; corollas yellow; seeds 1 or 2; sw Texas. | Brongniartia |
48. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, racemes; leaflets 1–25; corollas yellowish, white, creamy white, pink to purple, reddish purple, azure, or rose; seeds 1–14; Arizona and se United States. | → 49 |
49. Racemes 4–7-flowered; peduncles and pedicels glandular-hirsute; calyx tubular; corollas usually yellowish; legumes oblong, slightly inflated; s Arizona. | Diphysa |
49. Racemes 10–100-flowered; peduncles and pedicels eglandular (except sometimes Wisteria pedicels with clavate glands); calyx campanulate; corollas yellowish, white, creamy white, pink to purple, reddish purple, azure, or rose; legumes linear, oblong to elliptic, oblanceolate, subreniform, or subglobose, plump, cylindric, compressed, or flattened; c, e, s United States. | → 50 |
50. Legumes narrowly ellipsoid to oblong, compressed, often winged, samaroid; seeds 1 or 2(–4); leaflets 3 or 5; trees; introduced, s Florida. | Dalbergia |
50. Legumes linear, ovoid, linear-oblong, oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or subglobose, not narrowly ellipsoid, not winged; seeds 1–10; leaflets (7 or)9–21(–25); trees or vines, rarely shrubs; c, s, e United States. | → 51 |
51. Legumes drupaceous, pendent, indehiscent; trees; introduced, Florida. | Andira |
51. Legumes not drupaceous, erect, dehiscent; trees or woody vines; c, s, e United States. | → 52 |
52. Twining woody vines; inflorescences terminal, pendent racemes; calyx obviously lobed; legumes flattened or cylindric, torulose; c, s, e United States. | Wisteria |
52. Trees; inflorescences axillary racemes; calyx lobes inconspicuous; legumes laterally compressed, linear, not torulose; introduced, Florida. | Gliricidia |
1. Herbs or herbaceous vines, stems annual, biennial, or perennial. | → 53 |
53. Leaves all or mostly unifoliolate (or leaflets obsolescent). | → 54 |
54. Stamens monadelphous. | → 55 |
55. Suffrutescent subshrubs, gland-dotted when young, sterile shoots usually sharp-tipped; inflorescences loosely 1–20+-flowered, with thornlike tip; corollas usually blue to blue-purple, rarely white, banner with yellow eye; legumes gland-dotted; seeds usually 1, rarely 2; sw deserts. | Psorothamnus |
55. Herbs, not gland-dotted when young, short shoots absent; inflorescences loose or not, 1–100-flowered, unarmed; corollas usually blue, pink, rose, yellow, or white, rarely orangish or lavender, banner spot white, cream, pink, maroon, or dark blue; legumes not gland-dotted; seeds 1–70; widespread. | → 56 |
56. Stems persistently green, photosynthetic, glabrous, rushlike; leaves unifoliolate or obsolescent; corollas yellow; legumes linear-oblong; seeds 6–18; introduced, California, Oregon, Texas, Washington. | Spartium |
56. Stems not persistently green and photosynthetic, glabrous or pubescent, not rushlike; leaves palmately compound or unifoliolate; corollas usually blue, pink, rose, yellow, or white, rarely orangish or lavender; legumes oblong, ovoid, ellipsoid, cylindric, or globose; seeds 1–70; widespread. | → 57 |
57. Leaflet blades 5–150 mm; corollas usually yellow, sometimes orangish, rarely white, blue, or lavender; legumes usually inflated; seeds 1–70, oblique-cordiform to oblong-reniform; widespread. | Crotalaria |
57. Leaflet blades (10–)20–270 mm; corollas pink, rose, or purple; legumes usually oblong, not inflated; seeds 2–7, spheric, lentiform or angulate; Florida. | Lupinus |
54. Stamens diadelphous (except Orbexilum sometimes monadelphous proximally). | → 58 |
58. Herbs, annual; leaves sessile; inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary; corollas pinkish; seeds 4-angled with vertical constriction; Arizona. | Sphinctospermum |
58. Herbs, annual, perennial, or suffrutescent, or vines; leaves petiolate; inflorescences axillary, terminal, or leaf-opposed, usually pseudoracemes, racemes, or spikes, rarely panicles; corollas purple, blue, pink, red, orange, or yellow; seeds reniform, oblong, subglobose, ovoid to ellipsoid, obovate, or 4-angled, without constriction; c, e, se United States. | → 59 |
59. Herbs, not gland-dotted; stems uncinulate-pubescent; corollas red to reddish blue, reddish violet, orange, orange-buff, pink, pinkish lavender, or white; fruits loments; seeds 2–8; introduced, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas. | Alysicarpus |
59. Herbs or vines, mostly gland-dotted; stems not uncinulate-pubescent; corollas yellow, yellow-orange, violet, purple, or purplish blue; fruits legumes; seeds 1 or 2; c, e, se United States. | → 60 |
60. Legumes dehiscent, not rugose; corollas yellow or yellow-orange; herbaceous vines; inflorescences usually axillary, rarely terminal, usually racemes, sometimes heads or clustered, 1–3-flowered; c, e, se United States. | Rhynchosia |
60. Legumes indehiscent, rugose; corollas violet, purple, or purplish blue; erect herbs; inflorescences terminal, spikes, 5–50-flowered; Florida, Georgia. | Orbexilum |
53. Leaves 3–96+-foliolate, distalmost leaves sometimes reduced and unifoliolate. | → 61 |
61. Herbs, sometimes subshrubs; leaves mostly palmately compound; leaflets (1–)3–11(–17), sometimes unifoliolate or pseudopalmate, rarely phyllodic. | → 62 |
62. Stamens distinct. | → 63 |
63. Legumes laterally compressed, valves papery, slowly dehiscent; ovaries short- stipitate; corollas yellow. | Thermopsis |
63. Legumes inflated, valves leathery, indehiscent; ovaries long-stipitate; corollas white, yellow, violet, or blue. | Baptisia |
62. Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous. | → 64 |
64. Stamens monadelphous. | → 65 |
65. Fruits bristly loments (with 2–15 segments); leaflets 2 or 4, blade surfaces sometimes punctate; corollas yellow or orange-yellow; inflorescences subtended by enlarged bracts; filaments equal. | Zornia |
65. Fruits legumes, not bristly; leaflets 1–11(–17), blade surfaces not punctate; corollas yellow, white, purple, or blue, sometimes orangish, lavender, or rose; inflorescence bracts present but not enlarged; filaments alternately long and short. | → 66 |
66. Legumes usually inflated; corollas yellow, sometimes orangish; leaflets 1 or 3; seeds 1–70, oblique-cordiform to oblong-reniform, becoming loose at maturity; aril sometimes conspicuous; mostly e United States. | Crotalaria |
66. Legumes laterally compressed; corollas blue to purple, sometimes white, yellow, pink, or rose; leaflets (1–)5–11(–17); seeds 2–12, spheric, lentiform, or angulate, not becoming loose; aril absent; mostly w North America. | Lupinus |
64. Stamens diadelphous. | → 67 |
67. Fruits spirally coiled. | Medicago |
67. Fruits straight or curved. | → 68 |
68. Herbs, especially leaves, calyx, and fruits, usually gland-dotted or glandular-pubescent. | → 69 |
69. Calyx not enlarging as fruit matures; leaves sometimes deciduous by anthesis except basally, leaflets (1 or)3–5. | Ladeania |
69. Calyx enlarging, often somewhat inflating with fruit maturation; leaves persistent, leaflets (1–)3–7(or 8). | → 70 |
70. Fruits rugose, glabrous, sometimes glandular-punctate, well exserted beyond the calyx; calyx campanulate in fruit. | Orbexilum |
70. Fruits not rugose, usually pubescent, included in calyx except for beak; calyx gibbous-campanulate in fruit. | Pediomelum |
68. Herbs not gland-dotted. | → 71 |
71. Fruits enclosed within calyx or corolla, or slightly exserted. | → 72 |
72. Hairs silvery, dolabriform (branched in middle); leaflet blade margins entire; herbs subacaulescent and tufted, or prostrate or cushion-forming; flowers in short racemes of 2–6(–10) flowers. | Astragalus |
72. Hairs not dolabriform; leaflet blade margins usually toothed or entire, rarely lobed; herbs caulescent or acaulescent, usually erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent to prostrate, rarely mat-forming; flowers in umbels, headlike racemes, or spikes, rarely solitary. | → 73 |
73. Stipules absent or glandular. | Acmispon |
73. Stipules conspicuous, not glandular. | Trifolium |
71. Fruits well exserted from calyx or corolla. | → 74 |
74. Stipules absent or glandular. | Acmispon |
74. Stipules conspicuous, not glandular. | → 75 |
75. Fruits elliptic or broadly ovate to ± globose, not reniform; leaflet blade margins entire throughout; inflorescences small, axillary clusters (pseudoracemes), with 1–4 flowers; corollas with pink-purple banner, white wings, keel apex purple. | Kummerowia |
75. Fruits falcate to reniform-incurved; leaflet blade margins partly serrate; inflorescences cylindrical heads with (5–)15–50 flowers; corollas yellow. | Medicago |
61. Vines, herbs, or subshrubs; leaves usually pinnate, rarely unifoliolate or phyllodic; leaflets (1 or)3–80(–96+). | → 76 |
76. Leaves mostly unifoliolate or 3-foliolate. | → 77 |
77. Herbs with separate foliose and flowering stems. | → 78 |
78. Corollas red; leaves alternate; fruits legumes; s United States. | Erythrina |
78. Corollas usually pink, rarely white; leaves usually 4–7-whorled, sometimes scattered on stems; fruits loments; North America, Great Plains, and eastward. | Hylodesmum |
77. Vines, herbs, or subshrubs without separate foliose and flowering stems. | → 79 |
79. Stamens monadelphous at anthesis (vexillary stamen becoming distinct in Hoita). | → 80 |
80. Wings and keel epistemonous, attached terminally or laterally to stamen tube. | → 81 |
81. Ovule 1; stems eglandular; leaflet blade surfaces with sinuous lines (lineolate); calyx ribs not anastomosing; trichomes stiff, short; California. | Marina |
81. Ovules 2; stems gland-dotted; leaflet blade surfaces not lineolate; calyx ribs anastomosing distally; trichomes flexuous, spirally twisting; widespread. | Dalea |
80. Wings and keel not epistemonous, attached below staminal tube. | → 82 |
82. Fruits indehiscent, not exserted from calyx, apiculate or beaked, eglandular or sparsely glandular; seed 1; Pacific States, British Columbia. | → 83 |
83. Corollas purple or purplish-tinged; calyx not enlarging in fruit, becoming papery; fruits with secondary internal wall of sclereids; California. | Hoita |
83. Corollas cream or yellow; calyx enlarging and concealing fruit, not becoming papery; fruits without secondary internal wall of sclereids; Pacific states, British Columbia. | Rupertia |
82. Fruits dehiscent or indehiscent, exserted from calyx, apiculate-beaked or not, eglandular; seeds 1–15; widespread. | → 84 |
84. Fruits loments, indehiscent. | → 85 |
85. Stipules amplexicaul, adnate to petioles for most of its length; inflorescences short spikes or solitary flowers, 1–15-flowered; bracts foliaceous, persistent; corollas yellow or orange-yellow. | Stylosanthes |
85. Stipules free from petioles; inflorescences simple or compound racemes or pseudoracemes, or long spikes, (1 or)2–51-flowered; bracts not foliaceous, persistent or deciduous; corollas usually pink, blue, shades of purple, or white, rarely yellow. | → 86 |
86. Stipels present, persistent; calyx lobes longer than tube; loments with (1 or)2–10 segments, stipitate or sessile. | Desmodium |
86. Stipels absent or early-deciduous; calyx lobes shorter than tube; loments with 2–5 segments, distinctly stipitate. | Hylodesmum |
84. Fruits legumes, dehiscent or indehiscent. | → 87 |
87. Herbs, thorns present or absent; stipules adnate to petiole; leaflet margins usually serrulate at least distally, rarely entire; inflorescences racemes, with 1–3 flowers; legumes usually not exceeding calyx. | Ononis |
87. Vines, trailing or climbing, or herbs, unarmed; stipules not adnate to petiole; leaflet margins entire or lobed; inflorescences pseudoracemes or panicles, with 8–50 flowers; legumes larger, well exceeding calyx. | → 88 |
88. Stipules caducous, deltate, or obsolete; ventral margin of fruit 3–5 ribbed; inflorescences panicles, with 8–50 flowers. | Canavalia |
88. Stipules present, conspicuous, peltate; ventral margin of fruit not ribbed; inflorescences pseudoracemes, with 15–40 flowers. | Pueraria |
79. Stamens usually diadelphous, rarely distinct (except becoming diadelphous in Pueraria as fruit expands). | → 89 |
89. Corollas large (20–60+ mm); banners much larger than wings and keel (more than 2 times); inflorescences 1 or 2(–4)-flowered, axillary pseudoracemes; flowers resupinate. | → 90 |
90. Calyx funnelform, lobes shorter than tube; wings extending beyond the keel; styles geniculate distally; fruits 6–11 mm wide, convex and depressed between seeds or flat. | Clitoria |
90. Calyx campanulate, lobes equal to or longer than tube; wings subequal to keel; styles incurved, broadly U-shaped; fruits 3–6 mm wide, flat with raised rib near margin. | Centrosema |
89. Corollas smaller, or if not, then banner not much larger than other petals; inflorescences 1–500+-flowered, axillary or terminal racemes, pseudoracemes, fascicles, panicles, umbels, heads, or flowers solitary; flowers not resupinate. | → 91 |
91. Leaflet margins usually at least partly dentate or serrate, lateral vein tips slightly exserted; fruits indehiscent (or breaking crosswise or irregularly), sometimes prickly and spirally coiled; seeds 1–few; corollas 2–27 mm. | → 92 |
92. Fruits spirally coiled, sometimes only falcate, with or without prickles. | Medicago |
92. Fruits not spirally coiled, without prickles. | → 93 |
93. Fruits included in marcescent corolla or slightly exserted, usually papery or membranous; flowers usually in umbellate racemes. | Trifolium |
93. Fruits exserted beyond corolla remnants, thickly leathery; flowers in slender or short racemes. | → 94 |
94. Stems usually erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent; inflorescences elongate, axillary racemes; seeds 1 or 2(or 3). | Melilotus |
94. Stems usually decumbent, procumbent, or prostrate, sometimes ascending or erect; inflorescences racemes or heads, sometimes umbellate, or flowers solitary; seeds 1–30. | → 95 |
95. Corollas 5.5–18 mm, banner without major veins; legumes linear to ovoid or rhomboid-obovoid; seeds oblong to ovoid. | Trigonella |
95. Corollas 2–4(–6) mm, banner with major basal vein; legumes terete, compressed, or flat; seeds mostly reniform. | Medicago |
91. Leaflet margins entire, rarely lobed, or if dentate, vein tips not exserted (sometimes exserted in a few teeth in Pachyrhizus); fruits dehiscent through sutures or indehiscent; seeds 1–25(–30); corollas often greater than 27 mm. | → 96 |
96. Keel incurved 90–180º or spirally coiled. | → 97 |
97. Stipules auriculate or peltate; corollas yellow, purple, or white; legumes resupinate by twisting of pedicel; seeds mostly with a white aril (protruding hilum). | Vigna |
97. Stipules not auriculate or peltate; corollas usually pink, purple, red, or orange, rarely yellow or white; legumes not resupinate; seeds usually without aril. | → 98 |
98. Hairs finely uncinate, minutely hooked; floral nodes not swollen; pedicels equal to or longer than calyx tube; keel beaked, apex laterally and tightly coiled 1.5–2 turns. | Phaseolus |
98. Hairs not uncinate, straight, loosely tangled, or glandular; floral nodes swollen; pedicels mostly shorter than calyx tube; keel incurved or rarely coiled but not laterally. | → 99 |
99. Wing petals oblong, not projected beyond distal bend of keel; hilum elongated 1/2 length of seed or longer. | → 100 |
100. Keel petals connate along upper margin without forming a gibbosity or hump proximal to the beak; banner with two prominent appendages on inner face; calyx 5-lobed; inflorescences pseudoracemes with 50–60+ flowers; bracts and bracteoles usually caducous; corollas greenish yellow to purple; introduced, Texas. | Oxyrhynchus |
100. Keel petals connate along upper margin where a gibbosity or hump forms proximal to the beak; banner without appendages on inner face; calyx with 4 acute-attenuate lobes; inflorescences pseudoracemes, on long peduncle, with 1–12(–22) flowers; secondary bracts and bracteoles persistent, bracteoles conspicuous, equal to or longer than the calyx tube; corollas pink; c, e United States. | Strophostyles |
99. Wing petals oblong, obovate, ovate, or spatulate, conspicuously projected beyond distal bend of keel; hilum not elongated. | → 101 |
101. Petals connate, keel beak hooked, tip of beak hidden by wing petals; corollas salmon-orange, red, or purple-black; one wing petal directed upward to adopt function of banner. | Macroptilium |
101. Petals distinct, keel beak widely curved, openly hooked, or sigmoidally curved, tip of keel not hidden by wing petals; corollas usually pink to purple, lilac, or white, rarely lavender; wings not directed upward. | → 102 |
102. Keel beak gradually twisted into a hook shape, with conspicuous interlocking marginal hairs, distalmost portion of keel beak folded back on itself; legumes short-beaked distally, mostly erect. | Ancistrotropis |
102. Keel beak sigmoid-curved or tightly coiled, not folded back distally. | → 103 |
103. Keel beak very tightly coiled distally, projected downward rather than laterally; inflorescences with 50 flowers; corollas usually light pink to purple, sometimes white becoming yellowish, wings with purple pattern; introduced, Florida. | Leptospron |
103. Keel beak distinctly sigmoid-curved (S-shaped); inflorescences with 2–10 flowers; corollas light to deep purple or deep lilac, wings without purple pattern; Florida. | Sigmoidotropis |
96. Keel incurved to ca. 90º, not coiled. | → 104 |
104. Leaflets evidently stipellate at maturity. | → 105 |
105. Fruits loments; inflorescence rachis mostly uncinate-pubescent. | Desmodium |
105. Fruits legumes; inflorescence rachis not uncinate-pubescent. | → 106 |
106. Stems usually twining or trailing, prostrate, or rarely ascending or erect; calyx tubular; keel and style slightly to strongly incurved; cleistogamous flowers (with reduced corollas and stamens) usually present along with purple or purplish blue chasmogamous flowers; sc, sw United States. | Cologania |
106. Stems ascending, erect, spreading, climbing to prostrate, twining, or procumbent; calyx usually campanulate, rarely 2-lipped or tubular; keel and style incurved or not; cleistogamous flowers usually absent (except Amphicarpaea) and chasmogamous present with corollas yellow to orange, shades of purple, pink, blue, or white; widespread. | → 107 |
107. Herbs, subshrubs, or vines, gland-dotted; legumes pubescent; corollas yellow or yellow-orange; seeds 1 or 2; sc, se United States. | Rhynchosia |
107. Herb, shrubs, lianas, or vines, not gland-dotted; legumes glabrous or pubescent; corollas usually violet, pink, blue, lavender, purple, greenish yellow, or white, rarely yellow; seeds 1–25; widespread. | → 108 |
108. Stipules persistent and conspicuous. | → 109 |
109. Herbs; stems erect, pilose-pubescent; inflorescences short racemes, flowers 5–8; corollas 4.5–7(–10) mm; seeds 2–4. | Glycine |
109. Vines; stems prostrate, twining, or creeping, glabrous or pubescent; inflorescences racemes or pseudoracemes, flowers 1–40; corollas 3.6–30 mm; seeds 1–25. | → 110 |
110. Calyx (6–)10–18 mm (including lobes); leaflet blades 8–20(–26) cm, margins usually 3-lobed; vines coarse, climbing or creeping, to 30 m. | Pueraria |
110. Calyx 1.3–8 mm; leaflet blades 1.3–5.6(–7.2) cm, margins usually entire, sometimes shallowly deeply incised or lobed; vines prostrate, climbing, or trailing, 1–3 m. | → 111 |
111. Bracteoles obsolescent or absent; flowers 6–24, distributed along axis; styles glabrous. | Amphicarpaea |
111. Bracteoles calyx-like, usually persistent to anthesis; flowers 1–4 distally congested on long peduncle or rachis much contracted; styles bearded. | → 112 |
112. Corollas 25–30 mm; stipules conspicuously retrorse-auriculate. | Vigna |
112. Corollas 3.6–15 mm; stipules entire, without retrorse lobe. | → 113 |
113. Corollas pale yellow with reddish veins; bracteoles minute or deciduous; legumes pendulous; Florida. | Vigna |
113. Corollas pink or pinkish, keel beak dark purple; bracteoles persistent; legumes held horizontally or somewhat drooping; widespread. | Strophostyles |
108. Stipules small, relatively inconspicuous, or obsolescent. | → 114 |
114. Corollas 30–65 mm; legumes often with stinging hairs, compressed between seeds; seeds 10–20 mm diam., with conspicuous lateral hilum; se United States. | Mucuna |
114. Corollas 6–15(–17) mm; legumes without stinging hairs, not compressed between seeds; seeds 3–13 mm, lateral hilum inconspicuous or absent; c, e, s, se, sw United States. | → 115 |
115. Styles glabrous; bracteoles generally caducous; herbs, from a woody taproot. | Galactia |
115. Styles bearded or with 2 lines of hairs; bracteoles present; vines (from a woody base) or herbs. | → 116 |
116. Vines (from a woody base); stems twining and climbing; pedicels longer than calyx tube; banners with 1 prominent appendage at base; styles with 2 lines of hairs; bracteoles lanceolate, persistent; legumes 3–5 cm, ventral suture not verrucose; seeds 4–7 mm, black or brown, hilum 2.5–3 mm with aril. | Dipogon |
116. Herbs; stems climbing or suberect; pedicels shorter than calyx tube; banners with 2 prominent appendages at base; styles bearded; bracteoles elliptic-rounded, subpersistent; legumes 5–10 cm, ventral suture verrucose; seeds 9–13 mm, white or reddish brown to black, hilum and large white aril extending more than 1/2 seed length. | Lablab |
104. Leaflet stipels absent or deciduous. | → 117 |
117. Fruits dehiscent, (1 or)2–numerous-seeded. | → 118 |
118. Fruits 6–15 cm; corollas 14–22 mm. | Pachyrhizus |
118. Fruits 1–4 cm; corollas 2.5–12(–14) mm. | → 119 |
119. Herbs, with pilose hairs; corollas salmon reddish, 5 mm; seeds 3–6. | Indigofera |
119. Herbs or vines, without pilose hairs; corollas yellow, orange-yellow, or green-yellow, (4–)6–12(–14) mm; seeds 1 or 2. | Rhynchosia |
117. Fruits indehiscent or irregularly dehiscent, either 1-seeded loments or legumes or several-seeded and -segmented loments. | → 120 |
120. Loments with (1 or)2–10 segments, with 1 seed per segment, splitting between indehiscent segments. | Desmodium |
120. Loments or legumes with a single segment, 1-seeded, indehiscent or irregularly dehiscent. | → 121 |
121. Bodies of fruits included in enlarged calyx except for projecting beak. | Pediomelum |
121. Bodies of fruits usually not included in calyx, subequal to calyx lobes or exserted above them. | → 122 |
122. Loment walls papery; bracteoles present; herbs or shrubs, not gland-dotted. | Lespedeza |
122. Legume walls thickly leathery; bracteoles absent; herbs, commonly gland-dotted. | Orbexilum |
76. Leaves mostly 3–96-foliolate (reduced leaves may have only 2 or 3 leaflets). | → 123 |
123. Leaves even-pinnate; herbs annual, perennial, or biennial. | → 124 |
124. Fruits geocarpic, ± indehiscent; stamens monadelphous, with 8 functional anthers and 2 sterile filaments. | Arachis |
124. Fruits borne above ground, dehiscent or indehiscent; stamens diadelphous, uniform. | → 125 |
125. Leaflets all 2 and/or 4 in number. | → 126 |
126. Styles terete, with a dense ring of hairs just proximal to stigma; corollas 2–8 mm (8–12 mm in V. ocalensis); leaflets usually both 2 and 4 150. | Vicia |
126. Styles abaxially compressed; corollas 10 mm or more; leaflets all either 2 or 4. | → 127 |
127. Leaflets 2, usually with several longitudinal veins in addition to midrib; inflorescence bracts absent. | Lathyrus |
127. Leaflets 4, without major longitudinal veins in addition to midrib; inflorescence bracts present, caducous. | Pisum |
125. Leaflets (0 or)2–30(–96+), if mostly 2 or 4, some leaves with more than 4 leaflets. | → 128 |
128. Tendrils absent, rachis slightly or evidently extended as a short bristle or mucronate tendril; legumes bladdery-inflated, terete, or flattened, dehiscent or indehiscent. | → 129 |
129. Calyx undulate-truncate or with 5 short lobes 1/4-1/3 as long as tube; stipules narrowly triangular, caducous; legumes terete, elliptic, or 4-angled, flat, inflated, or winged, glabrous; leaflets 10–96+, folding forward to close at night. | Sesbania |
129. Calyx 2 lipped with some or all lobes at least 1/2 as long as tube; stipules foliose, persistent; legumes linear, sparsely pubescent; leaflets 2–6, not folding. | Vicia |
128. Tendrils present on some or all leaves; legumes laterally compressed (-turgid), dehiscent. | → 130 |
130. Stipules foliaceous, usually larger than leaflets; leaflets 4 or 6; styles folded longitudinally, bearded laterally; stems not winged. | Pisum |
130. Stipules foliaceous or inconspicuous, not larger than leaflets; leaflets 2–30; styles not longitudinally folded, either laterally bearded or with apical tuft of hairs; stems angled or winged. | → 131 |
131. Calyx lobes 2–4 times longer than tube; herbs conspicuously pilose; flowers 10–15 mm, 1–3 at or near apex of axillary racemes; stems angled, not winged. | Lens |
131. Calyx lobes all or some less than 2 times as long as tube, usually shorter than tube; herbs glabrous or pubescent, rarely pilose; flowers 2–35 mm, mostly axillary; stems angled or winged. | → 132 |
132. Styles terete with a distal tuft of hairs (rarely absent) on abaxial side or encircling; stems angled. | Vicia |
132. Styles abaxially compressed, laterally to apically bearded on adaxial side; stems angled and/or winged. | Lathyrus |
123. Leaves odd-pinnate; herbs, subshrubs, or vines, usually perennial. | → 133 |
133. Flowers not papilionaceous, wing and keel petals epistemonous, arising from apex of the stamen tube or laterally from it, or wings and keel absent, corolla then consisting only of banner; herbs or shrubs often conspicuously gland-dotted. | → 134 |
134. Corollas consisting only of banner, keel and wings absent; suffrutescent herbs, mostly canescent. | Amorpha |
134. Corollas with 5 petals, epistemonous keel and wings either scarcely differentiated, ovate-oblong to lanceolate and arising from apex of stamen tube, or differentiated and arising laterally from stamen tube; herbs or shrubs, not canescent. | → 135 |
135. Ovules 1 and seed 1; inflorescences racemes; leaflet blades with sinuous lines; calyx ribs not anastomosing distally; sw United States. | Marina |
135. Ovules 2 and seeds 1 or 2; inflorescences spikes; leaflet blades without sinuous lines; calyx ribs anastomosing distally; widespread. | Dalea |
133. Flowers papilionaceous (-subpapilionaceous), wings and keel arising from receptacle, all petals present; herbs, shrubs, vines, or trees, glandular or eglandular. | → 136 |
136. Stamens distinct or proximally connate; corollas white, creamy white, yellow, or purple; perennial herbs. | Sophora |
136. Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous, usually basally connate; corollas white, yellow, pink to salmon, orange, shades of purple, blue, or red; usually annual or perennial herbs, vines, or subshrubs. | → 137 |
137. Subshrubs, armed, glandular nearly throughout; inflorescence rachis with thornlike tip in anthesis; Nevada. | Psorothamnus |
137. Herbs, subshrubs, or vines, usually unarmed (except Peteria armed, stipules and stipels spinescent and bracts spine-tipped), usually eglandular; inflorescence rachis without thornlike tip; widespread. | → 138 |
138. Fruits loments. | → 139 |
139. Inflorescences umbels. | → 140 |
140. Leaflets 11–25; corollas white, pink, purple, or bicolored; perennial herbs; introduced, widespread. | Securigera |
140. Leaflets 5–7; corollas yellow; shrubby herbs; introduced, California. | Coronilla |
139. Inflorescences fascicles, racemes, panicles, spikes, or heads, rarely solitary flowers. | → 141 |
141. Flowers sub-papilionaceous, wings much smaller than other petals; loments indehiscent, coarsely reticulate, winged, prickly edged; seed 1. | Onobrychis |
141. Flowers papilionaceous, wings not significantly smaller than other petals; loments dehiscent or indehiscent, not coarsely reticulate, not or moderately winged, not prickly edged (surfaces sometimes prickly in Hedysarum boreale); seeds 1–9. | → 142 |
142. Vines, twining; distal segment of loment sterile, flat, winglike (except N. wislizeni); sw United States. | Nissolia |
142. Herbs, not twining; distal segment of loment not produced into a wing; se United States or widespread. | → 143 |
143. Loments geocarpic, ± indehiscent; stamens monadelphous, with 8 functional anthers and 2 sterile filaments. | Arachis |
143. Loments not geocarpic, dehiscent or indehiscent; stamens monadelphous or diadelphous, 10, all functional. | → 144 |
144. Plants annual; inflorescences umbellate heads; loment segments oblong or elliptic-oblong; flowers with inconspicuous keel. | Ornithopus |
144. Plants annual or perennial; inflorescences racemes (sometimes subcapitate) or panicles, rarely solitary flowers; loment segments flattened, subglobose, subquadrate, or cylindric; flowers with conspicuous or inconspicuous keel. | → 145 |
145. Inflorescences terminal and axillary panicles; stipules petiolate. | Chapmannia |
145. Inflorescences axillary racemes; stipules sessile. | → 146 |
146. Stipules peltate; inflorescences with 1–5(–15) flowers; keel acute, included, bent, or curved; corollas yellowish; stems often with glandular hairs; se, sw United States to Missouri. | Aeschynomene |
146. Stipules ± connate-sheathing, lanceolate; inflorescences with 5–60 flowers; keel broadly truncate, much exceeding other petals; corollas usually pink, reddish, or purple, or yellow, rarely white; stems without glandular hairs; w, ne United States, Canada. | Hedysarum |
138. Fruits legumes. | → 147 |
147. Leaflet margins conspicuously dentate; legumes inflated and densely glandular- pubescent; seeds 1 or 2, ovoid-globular. | Cicer |
147. Leaflet margins entire; legumes inflated or not, glabrous or pubescent, not glandular; seeds 1–77(–84), globose to cuboid, oblong, ovoid, obovoid, reniform, ellipsoid, or terete. | → 148 |
148. Inflorescences headlike racemes or umbels; flowers subtended by a reduced lobed bract (prophyll); corollas usually yellow; terminal leaflet usually considerably longer than laterals; legumes included in calyx; seeds 1 or 2, globose to ovoid. | Anthyllis |
148. Inflorescences racemes or pseudoracemes or flowers solitary, rarely umbellate or fasciculate; flowers without prophylls; corollas purple to blue, pink, reddish, maroon, orange, yellow, cream, or white; terminal leaflets usually not considerably longer than laterals; legumes included in calyx or not; seeds 1–77(–84), globose to cuboid, oblong, ovoid, obovoid, reniform, ellipsoid, or terete. | → 149 |
149. Leaflets 3(or 5); vines, twining; corollas usually purple to pink-purple or bluish, rarely magenta; keel slightly incurved; sw United States. | Cologania |
149. Leaflets 1–45(–70); herbs, rarely vines or shrubs, not twining (except Apios); corollas purple to blue, pink, reddish, maroon, orange, yellow, cream, or white; keel straight to suberect (except incurved in Apios); widespread. | → 150 |
150. Banners 40–55 mm, much larger than other petals and arising from lower side of resupinate flower; leaflets 5 or 7, stipellate; stipules persistent, striate; inflorescences usually bearing a single resupinate flower. | Clitoria |
150. Banners 4–26 mm, nearly equal to or only moderately larger than other petals; leaflets 1–45(–70), stipellate or not; stipules persistent or deciduous, not striate; inflorescences without resupinate flowers. | → 151 |
151. Inflorescences umbels or solitary flowers; legumes narrowly oblong or linear, subterete to quadrate; leaflets 3–25. | → 152 |
152. Leaflets 3–19, proximal pair not in stipular position; stipules leafy and scarious; corollas yellow, cream, white, pink, purple, red, or lurid; w North America. | Hosackia |
152. Leaflets 5, proximal pair in stipular position, others palmately arranged; stipules glandlike; corollas yellow, usually marked with red; introduced, widespread. | Lotus |
151. Inflorescences racemes or pseudoracemes; legumes linear to oblong, cylindric, ellipsoid, ovoid, lanceoloid, or globose; leaflets 1–45(–70). | → 153 |
153. Stipules deeply sagittate-lobed, persistent; bracts subulate, persistent after anthesis; stamens monadelphous; legumes linear-cylindric, torulose. | Galega |
153. Stipules not sagittate, not lobed, persistent or deciduous; bracts when present usually deltate, lanceolate, linear, or setaceous, rarely subulate, persistent or caducous; stamens monadelphous or diadelphous; legumes linear to oblong, cylindric, ellipsoid, ovoid, lanceoloid, or globose, not torulose. | → 154 |
154. Leaf blades glandular-punctate; legumes glabrous or with hooked setae; corollas yellow-white, purple-tinged, or bluish. | Glycyrrhiza |
154. Leaf blades not glandular-punctate; legumes glabrous or pubescent, without hooked setae; corollas white, cream, yellow, pink, blue to purple, maroon, pale green, violet, lavender, or lilac. | → 155 |
155. Hairs dolabriform (2-branched from middle) in part or throughout; stipules free, not connate; corollas pink to red, salmon to maroon, orange-mauve to orange, or greenish yellow to ochroleucous, rarely white; anthers apiculate and initially gland-tipped. | Indigofera |
155. Hairs basifixed; stipules adnate to petiole or free; corollas white, cream, yellow, pink, blue to purple, maroon, pale green, violet, lavender, or lilac; anthers not apiculate. | → 156 |
156. Herbs or vines prostrate, twining, or clambering. | → 157 |
157. Inflorescences terminal or leaf-opposed; leaflets (3 or)5–11(or 13), with numerous (8–15) parallel, straight, lateral veins extending to margins. | Tephrosia |
157. Inflorescences axillary; leaflets 1–7(or 9), without numerous parallel, lateral veins. | → 158 |
158. Keels carinate or moderately incurved; styles filiform, not coiled; inflorescences few-flowered at apex of peduncle or reduced to 1 or 2 flowers in leaf axils; leaflet blades 20–55 mm; rhizomes not tuber-bearing. | Galactia |
158. Keels incurved to strongly incurved; styles spirally coiled; inflorescences many-flowered, nodose pseudoracemes, often flowering 1/2+ axis length; leaflet blades 47–100 mm; rhizomes tuber-bearing. | Apios |
156. Herbs usually erect, ascending, prostrate, or decumbent, rarely scandent, not vining. | → 159 |
159. Inflorescences pseudoracemes, usually leaf-opposed, with (1 or)2–45 flowers; legumes laterally compressed, flat; styles bearded (except T. angustissima). | Tephrosia |
159. Inflorescences terminal or axillary racemes; legumes usually bladdery-inflated (except Peteria laterally compressed); styles glabrous, sometimes bearded distally. | → 160 |
160. Stipules spinescent; inflorescences leaf-opposed racemes, appearing terminal; styles slightly bearded; seeds cylindric; w, sc United States. | Peteria |
160. Stipules not spinescent; inflorescences racemes, not leaf-opposed, axillary or terminal; styles glabrous or bearded; seeds reniform; widespread. | → 161 |
161. Plants with both conspicuously beaked (porrect) keel tips and scapose racemes, often spikelike; plants usually cespitose; styles glabrous. | Oxytropis |
161. Plants not with both beaked keels and scapose racemes; styles bearded or glabrous. | → 162 |
162. Styles glabrous; legumes dehiscent throughout or apically, compressed to bladdery-inflated; corollas violet, blue-purple, purple, red-purple, pink-purple, pink, lilac, reddish, whitish, yellowish, cream, ochroleucous, or greenish; plants with or without creeping rhizomes; widespread, especially in w United States. | Astragalus |
162. Styles distally bearded; legumes indehiscent, bladdery-inflated; corollas orange-red or brick-red; plants without creeping rhizomes; introduced, w, c North America. | Sphaerophysa |
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