return to: home page; checklist; key to keys

Key 1

Dicot Herbs with Opposite, Simple Leaves

A. Plants lianous (vine-like)

B. Leaves more than 4 cm long; stems and leaves hairy

C. Corolla lobes as broad as long, confluent basally; fruits densely covered with coarse finger-like processes ............................................................................................................................. Fischeria scandens

CC. Corolla lobes much longer than broad, well separated; fruits smooth ....................... Matelea velutina

BB. Leaves less than 3 cm long; stems and leaves glabrous ............................................. Matelea campechiana

AA. Plants erect or creeping but not lianous

D. Leaves succulent

E. Leaf margins crenate (with shallow rounded lobes); both calyx and corolla tubular .. Kalanchoe pinnata

EE. Leaf margins entire; calyx composed of separate sepals, corolla composed of separate petals

F. Flowers sessile; petals yellow ................................................... Portulaca oleracea

FF. Flowers pedicellate; petals white .......................................... Talinum triangulare

DD. Leaves not succulent

G. Corolla bilabiate (petals fused, with distinct upper and lower lobes)

H. Plants fragrant

I. Corolla red, more than 2 cm long .......................................... Salvia coccinea

II. Corolla blue or lavender, less than 2 cm long

J. Flowers in non-leafy terminal verticils (separate ring-like clusters of flowers) ............................................................. Ocimum campechianum

JJ. Flowers axillary and terminal but usually in the axils of well-developed leaves ....................................................................... Scutellaria gaumeri

HH. Plants not fragrant .................................................................... Capraria biflora

GG. Corolla not bilabiate or petals not fused

K. Flowers large, more than 1 cm in diam, not tightly clustered in dense inflorescences ...................................................................................................... Ruellia nudiflora

KK. Flowers small, less than 1 cm in diam, often tightly clustered in dense inflorescences

L. Cyathia and white latex present

M. Leaf base asymmetrical

N. Stems erect; cyathia in stalked clusters

O. Leaf outline markedly angular; cyathial appendages dull, obscure ............................................................ Chamaesyce hirta

OO. Leaf outline not angular; cyathial appendages bright white, visible with the naked eye ................................. Chamaesyce hypericifolia

NN. Stems prostrate; cyathia axillary, if clustered, very nearly sessile

P. Stems and leaves hairy ..................... Chamaesyce conferta

PP. Stems and leaves smooth ............... Chamaesyce prostrata

MM. Leaf base symmetrical ........................................... Euphorbia graminea

LL. Cyathia and white latex absent

Q. Leaves less than 5 mm long, plants delicate, somewhat succulent ................................................................................... Pilea microphylla

QQ. Leaves more than 10 mm long; plants robust, not succulent

R. Inflorescence of pedunculate heads; each flower cluster enveloped by one or more series of bracts; sepals modified, bristle-like

S. Plants prostrate; heads bright yellow; both disk and ray florets present ............................................................. Wedelia trilobata

SS. Plants erect; heads not bright yellow; disk florets present, ray florets absent

T. Foliage with dark spots ............. Porophyllum punctatum

TT. Foliage lacking spots ................ Chromolaena odorata

RR. Inflorescence of sessile clusters; flower clusters not enveloped by bracts; sepals ordinary, green

Leaves elliptic; midrib with coarse ciliate hairs on lower surface ................................................................ Spermacoce tetraquetra

Leaves linear; midrib lacking ciliate hairs ...... Borreria verticillata