Key to Polemoniaceae

View taxon page for Polemoniaceae

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves pinnate-compound ..... POLEMONIUM

1' Leaves 0 or 

simple 

Composed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.

, 

entire 

Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).

to deeply pinnate- or palmate-lobed

2. Leaves 0; filaments < 0.5 mm ..... GYMNOSTERIS

2' Leaves present; filaments > 0.5 mm

3. Perennial herb, subshrub, woody above ground, at least below (see also 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

Aliciella, Collomia, Phlox)

4. Calyx 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

unequal; inflorescence, bracts, calyx with woolly tufted hairs ..... ERIASTRUM (3)

4' Calyx lobes equal; inflorescence, bracts, calyx with hairs or not, but without woolly tufted hairs

5. Leaves 

alternate 

1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.

6. Inflorescence head-like; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

lobes not rigid, not sharp-tipped; stamens 

exserted 

Protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens exserted from corolla).

..... Ipomopsis congesta

6' Inflorescence not head-like; leaf lobes rigid, sharp-tipped; stamens 

included 

Not protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens included in corolla).

..... LINANTHUS (6)

5' Leaves 

opposite 

1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.

, at least on lower stem

7. Stamens attached at > 1 level; leaves not lobed ..... PHLOX (2)

7' Stamens attached at 1 level; leaves lobed

8. Calyx 5-parted; corolla glandular abaxially, open in day; leaves palmate-lobed, lobes pliable ..... LEPTOSIPHON (3)

8' Calyx generally 6-parted; corolla glabrous abaxially, open generally at night; leaves pinnate-lobed, lobes rigid – SnJt ..... Linanthus jaegeri

3' Annual or rhizomed, short-lived perennial herb, generally not woody above ground except sometimes for parts of woody 

caudex 

Generally short, sometimes woody, more or less vertical stem of a perennial, at or beneath ground level.

9. Calyx membrane narrow, spout-like distally ..... COLLOMIA

9' Calyx membrane narrow to wide, not spout-like distally

10. Leaves cauline, opposite below, alternate or opposite above

11. Stamens attached at > 1 level; leaves not lobed

12. Annual; seeds gelatinous when wet ..... MICROSTERIS

12' Perennial herb; seeds not gelatinous when wet ..... PHLOX (2)

11' Stamens attached at 1 level; leaves palmate-lobed

13. Flowers in 

head 

1. A dense, often spheric inflorescence of sessile or subsessile flowers.
2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, a head-like inflorescence is one in which sessile or subsessile inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, are attached in a short dense cluster without an evident axis or branches.

subtended by bracts or in small clusters

14. Corolla 

salverform 

Having a slender tube and an abruptly spreading, flat limb; often applied to a fused corolla.

to 

funnel-shaped 

Widening from the base more or less gradually through the throat into an ascending, spreading, or recurved limb; often applied to a fused calyx or corolla.

, tube long-exserted ..... LEPTOSIPHON (3)

14' Corolla bell- or short-funnel-shaped, tube generally included ..... LINANTHUS (6)

13' Flowers in small clusters

15. Pedicel > 2 mm, if 0 then corolla with hairy ring inside tube; corolla generally open daytime, without red marks at throat ..... LEPTOSIPHON (3)

15' Pedicel 0–2 mm; corolla without hairy ring inside tube; corolla generally open at night, if open daytime then with red marks at throat (see also Linanthus dichotomus subsp. meridianus) ..... LINANTHUS (6)

10' Leaves in 

rosette 

A radiating cluster of leaves generally at or near ground level.

and/or cauline, alternate or ± opposite below, alternate above

16. Calyx lobes unequal

17. Inflorescence open, flowers in groups of 1–3 ..... ERIASTRUM (3)

17' Inflorescence dense, flowers in groups of generally > 3

18. Inflorescence woolly ..... ERIASTRUM (3)

18' Inflorescence hairy or not, but not woolly ..... NAVARRETIA (2)

16' Calyx lobes equal

19. Lower cauline leaves palmate-lobed

20. Leaves petioled, sinuses between lobes not to leaf midrib ..... IPOMOPSIS (3)

20' Leaves 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

, sinuses between lobes ± to leaf midrib ..... LINANTHUS (6)

19' Lower cauline leaves simple to pinnate-lobed

21. Leaf teeth, calyx lobes bristle-tipped

22. Corolla 

radial 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in three or more ways.

; leaf hairs branched; filaments equal ..... LANGLOISIA

22' Corolla 

bilateral 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in only one way.

; leaf hairs simple; filaments unequal ..... LOESELIASTRUM

21' Leaf teeth, calyx lobes with short or long point or not, but not bristle-tipped

23. Corolla 

rotate 

Wheel-shaped, spreading, or saucer-shaped; often applied to a fused corolla with a short or nonexistent tube and a spreading limb.

, bell-shaped, or short-funnel-shaped, lobes > tube

24. Calyx lobes >> tube, margins scarious, rarely 

ciliate 

Having generally straight, conspicuous hairs along margins or edges.

..... LINANTHUS (6)

24' Calyx lobes < tube, margins scarious, not ciliate

25. Lobes of 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

leaves >> 2, pinnately arranged ..... ALICIELLA (2)

25' Lobes of basal leaves 0(1–2) ..... LATHROCASIS (2)

23' Corolla funnel-shaped or salverform, lobes < tube

26. Calyx lobes >> tube (± free to base), margins not scarious, rarely ciliate ..... LINANTHUS (6)

26' Calyx lobes <= tube, margins scarious, not ciliate

27. Seeds 1 per chamber, upper leaves 

linear 

Elongate, with nearly parallel sides; narrower than elliptic or oblong.

, simple, entire; plants without skunky odor ..... LATHROCASIS (2)

27' Seeds generally > 1 per chamber, if 1 then upper leaves ± palmate-compound, plants with skunky odor

28. Seeds not gelatinous when wet ..... ALICIELLA (2)

28' Seeds gelatinous when wet

29. Inflorescence dense, flowers generally sessile

30. Leaves 2-pinnate-lobed or -dissected, margins generally toothed; corolla generally funnel-shaped, throat well developed ..... GILIA (2)

30' Leaves entire to pinnate-lobed, margins not toothed; corolla narrowly funnel-shaped to salverform, throat 0 or not well developed

31. Leaves pinnate-lobed or linear, entire; corolla radial to bilateral ..... IPOMOPSIS (3)

31' Leaves lance-elliptic, entire or 

dentate 

Having margins with sharp, relatively coarse teeth pointing outward, not tipward.

; corolla ± bilateral ..... Loeseliastrum depressum

29' Inflorescence generally open, flowers pedicelled, if subsessile then inflorescence not dense

32. Seeds medium to dark brown or black; leaves basal and cauline, upper cauline ± palmate-lobed with terminal 

lobe 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

width > lateral, or entire, similar to lower cauline (or 2-pinnate-lobed)

33. Hairs, or at least some, > 0.5 mm, often longer, glandular or not, generally > 1 type or length throughout; cotyledons spoon-shaped ..... ALLOPHYLLUM

33' Hairs < 0.3 mm, glandular, ± 1 type or length throughout; cotyledons linear ..... NAVARRETIA (2)

32' Seeds ± green, tan, light brown, or light gray; leaves generally in basal rosette, upper cauline 0 or simple, entire, different from basal, or pinnate-lobed with terminal lobe width <= lateral

34. Corolla salverform, radial, or funnel-shaped, bilateral ..... IPOMOPSIS (3)

34' Corolla bell- or funnel-shaped, ± radial

35. Hairs on basal leaves nonglandular, white cobwebby (at least in axils), or white and sharply bent, or translucent, then inflorescence glands long-stalked, diam < stalk (hair) ..... GILIA (2)

35' Hairs on basal leaves minutely glandular, translucent; inflorescence glands subsessile, diam > stalk (hair) ..... SALTUGILIA

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