Key to Rhamnaceae

View taxon page for Rhamnaceae

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

1. Flowers conspicuous; petals generally 5; petals, sepals, 

pedicels 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

white to deep blue or pink ..... CEANOTHUS

1' Flowers inconspicuous; petals 0–5, generally green or white; sepals, pedicels white, green, or gray

2. Fruit a capsule

3. Branches 

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.

, green; twigs jointed at base; SCo, PR ..... ADOLPHIA

3' Branches 

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'.

, ± white; twigs not jointed at base; s DMoj, DSon ..... COLUBRINA

2' Fruit a drupe

4. Fruit of 2–4 separate stones; widespread

5. Winter 

bud 

1. An incompletely developed, more or less embryonic shoot, usually covered with bud scales. 2. An unopened flower, often protected by sepals.

 scales 0; petals 5; sepals fleshy, 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, keeled adaxially ..... FRANGULA

5' Winter bud scales present; petals 0 or 4–5; sepals thin, 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

, not keeled adaxially ..... RHAMNUS

4' Fruit of 1 stone; D, e PR, SCo

6. Petals 0; disk 0 or thin in early flower ..... CONDALIA

6' Petals 5; disk thick, ± obscuring ovary in early flower ..... ZIZIPHUS

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