Group 8: Herbaceous angiosperms with superior ovaries, actinomorphic flowers, and 2 or more distinct carpels

• See list of 2 families in 1a
  CHOOSE THIS LEAD

  1a. Leaves peltate [Figs. 55,731]; plants aquatic
  • Choose this family
    Nelumbonaceae

    2a. Leaf blades orbicular, without basal lobes [Fig. 731]; carpels individually sunken in the spongy receptacle; fruit a nut, loosely borne in cavities of the firm, accrescent receptacle [Fig. 731]
  • Choose this family
    Nymphaeaceae

    2b. Leaf blades elliptic, with basal lobes [Fig. 55]; carpels free from the receptacle; fruit a leathery follicle, not enclosed by the receptacle (in part)
• See list of 9 families in 1b
  CHOOSE THIS LEAD

  1b. Petiole, if present, attached at the base of the leaf blade; plants terrestrial or sometimes aquatic in Caltha, Comarum, Mentha, Ranunculus, and Saururus
  • Choose this family
    Saururaceae

    3a. Inflorescence a cylindrical, usually nodding spike produced on a peduncle opposite the leaves with 175–300 flowers that lack perianth and have 3–5 (usually 4) carpels that are basally connate and mature as rugose mericarps (in part)
  • See list of 8 families in 3b
    CHOOSE THIS LEAD

    3b. Inflorescence not combinging the above characteristics, usually of a different type (e.g., cyme, raceme), with fewer flowers, and/or with perianth
    • See list of 2 families in 4a
      CHOOSE THIS LEAD

      4a. Corolla gamopetalous; carpels 2, each carpel evidently lobed, therefore, the gynoecium appearing to be composed of 4 carpels, separating at maturity into 4 half-carpellate segments
      • Choose this family
        Boraginaceae

        5a. Inflorescence a helicoid cyme [Figs. 490,496,503]; leaves alternate (opposite in Cryptantha and Plagiobothrys); stems terete or angled (in part)
      • Choose this family
        Lamiaceae

        5b. Inflorescence mixed (i.e., thyrsoid), with cymose lateral branches, sometimes the inflorescence condensed in dense verticillasters of flowers, only rarely completely indeterminate [Figs. 695,700,701]; leaves opposite; stems usually square 
 (in part)
    • See list of 6 families in 4b
      CHOOSE THIS LEAD

      4b. Corolla apopetalous or absent; carpels 1–many, not schizocarpic (except Malvaceae)
      • Choose this family
        Malvaceae

        6a. Stamens monadelphous [Fig. 720]; anthers unilocular; fruit a schizocarp 
 (in part)
      • See list of 5 families in 6b
        CHOOSE THIS LEAD

        6b. Stamens distinct; anthers bilocular; fruit otherwise
        • See list of 3 families in 7a
          CHOOSE THIS LEAD

          7a. Flowers lacking a hypanthium
          • Choose this family
            Crassulaceae

            8a. Plants ± succulent with fleshy, simple leaf blades; carpels with a small, scale-like, nectariferous appendage at the base; stamens usually 10 or fewer per flower (up to 80 in Sempervivum); fruit a follicle
          • See list of 2 families in 8b
            CHOOSE THIS LEAD

            8b. Plants not succulent, with thinner, simple, lobed, or compound leaf blades; carpels without a scale-like, nectariferous appendage; stamens usually many per flower; fruit an achene, berry, or follicle
            • Choose this family
              Paeoniaceae

              9a. Intrastaminal nectar disk present; calyx sepaloid, with coriaceous, persistent sepals
            • Choose this family
              Ranunculaceae

              9b. Intrastaminal nectar disk absent; calyx sepaloid or petaloid, usually membranaceous to herbaceous and deciduous (in part)
        • See list of 2 families in 7b
          CHOOSE THIS LEAD

          7b. Flowers with a hypanthium
          • Choose this family
            Saxifragaceae

            10a. Leaves with simple blades, without stipules; flowers with 2 or 4 carpels; fruit a capsule (in part)
          • Choose this family
            Rosaceae

            10b. Leaves with simple to compound blades, stipulate (without stipules in Aruncus); flowers with 2–many carpels; fruit an achene, drupe, or follicle, either solitary or in an aggregate (in part)

Show All Couplets

 Show photos of:   Each photo represents one family in this group.