Rhynchosia americana
Fabaceae subfam. faboideae
American snoutbean
procumbent, trailing, or twining, villous or villosulous, hairs silvery, spreading.
usually unifoliolate, distalmost rarely trifoliolate;
stipules persistent, ovate-lanceolate, 2–5 × 1–2.5 mm, apex acuminate;
petiole 10–45 mm, villosulous;
leaflet blades suborbiculate to reniform, 15–40 × 20–55 mm, leathery, gland-dotted, base cordate, apex broadly rounded, surfaces villosulous abaxially, rugose and finely strigose adaxially.
pinnate, palmate, unifoliolate, or 3-foliolate, rarely 2 or 4-foliolate, not bipinnate.
racemes, shorter than leaves, 1.5–5 cm.
2–5 mm.
calyx 7–13 mm, villosulous, tube 1.5–2 mm, lobes lanceolate, laterals 6–10 mm, adaxials 2–4 mm;
corolla yellow, often tinged brown;
banner obovate, 8.5–10 × 6.5–7.5 mm, emarginate, puberulous;
wings narrowly oblong, 6.5–7.7 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;
keel 8–9 × 3–3.5 mm, glabrous;
stamens 7.5–8.5 mm.
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, dehiscent or indehiscent, or loments, drupes, or samaroid.
oblong-ovoid, compressed, 10–15 × 5–8 mm, villosulous.
brown, black, or mottled, subglobose, compressed, 3–4 × 3–3.5 mm.
with complex hilar valve, hilum elongate, pleurogram absent;
embryo usually curved, rarely straight.
, herbaceous.
nectaries absent on petiole and rachis, sometimes stipular, stipellar, or bracteal, rarely on sepals.
lateral, free, or absent.
= 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
= 22.
Rhynchosia americana
Fabaceae subfam. faboideae
TX; Mexico (Chiapas, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Veracruz)
nearly worldwide
In Texas, Rhynchosia americana occurs in coastal and southern counties.
(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.)
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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