Key to Nyctaginaceae

View taxon page for Nyctaginaceae

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

1. Stigma 

linear 

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

, 

included 

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

; inflorescence a 

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.

or 

umbel 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, an inflorescence in which three to many pedicels and, if compound, branches (rays) radiate from a common point; characteristic of but not confined to Apiaceae. 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, an umbel-like inflorescence is one in which three to many stalked inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, radiate from a common point of attachment without an evident axis or branches.

; fruit generally winged

2. Fruit wings thick or 0, not surrounding fruit body; flowers maturing outer before inner or ± simultaneously; receptacle conic, ± smooth ..... ABRONIA

2' Fruit wings translucent, surrounding fruit body; flowers maturing 1 side of inflorescence before the other; receptacle flat or rounded, studded with peg-shaped pedicel-like projections ..... TRIPTEROCALYX

1' Stigma ± spheric, generally 

exserted 

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

; inflorescence a head or umbel or not; fruit generally unwinged

3. Bracts 3 or 5(9), generally at least partially fused, forming a calyx-like 

involucre 

Group of bracts more or less held together as a unit, subtending a flower, fruit (acorn cup), or inflorescence.

4. Flowers strongly 

bilateral 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in only one way.

, in 1 involucre 3, blooming ± together; bracts 3; fruit bilateral ..... ALLIONIA

4' Flowers 

radial 

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

or ± bilateral, in 1 involucre 1–16, generally not blooming together; bracts 5(9); fruit radial ..... MIRABILIS

3' Bracts 1–3, free, not forming an involucre

5. Stem 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, > 7 mm diam; fruit glabrous, with 10 inconspicuous ribs ..... ANULOCAULIS

5' Stem 

decumbent 

lying mostly flat on the ground but with tips curving up.

to erect, generally << 5 mm diam; fruit hairy or not, with (4)5 prominent ribs or wings

6. Perianth tube 30–170 mm, trumpet-shaped; fruit 

oblong 

Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.

, glabrous, 5–10 mm ..... ACLEISANTHES

6' Perianth tube < 5 mm, bell-shaped; fruit club-shaped, glabrous or hairy, < 4 mm ..... BOERHAVIA

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