Key to Orobanchaceae

View taxon page for Orobanchaceae

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

1. Plant ± purple, brown, tan, or yellow-white, without any green pigmentation (holoparasites); leaves reduced to ± fleshy bracts; corolla upper lip 

entire 

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

or 2-lobed

2. Inflorescence glabrous; bracts widely and closely overlapping, inrolled at tip; tip of upper corolla lip incurved at maturity; capsule 3–4 valved ..... KOPSIOPSIS

2' Inflorescence hairy; bracts little or not overlapping, 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

or 

recurved 

Gradually curved downward or backward.

at tip; upper corolla lip straight to recurved at maturity; capsule 2-valved

3. Calyx 5-lobed, cut equally or deeper on lower side ..... APHYLLON

3' Calyx 4-lobed, cut deeper on upper side ..... PHELIPANCHE (Phelipanche ramosa)

1' Plant generally green at least in part, sometimes red- to purple-tinged (hemiparasites); leaves normally expanded; upper corolla lip fused into a beak or hood

4. 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 distally on stem

5. Corolla 15–30 mm, yellow throughout or upper lip rose or pale purple, lower lip white; bracts toothed or distal entire ..... BELLARDIA

5' Corolla 8–18 mm, red-purple (lobe tips sometimes white) with 2 yellow, partially free, ridge-like appendages on lower lip near throat; bracts deeply lobed ..... PARENTUCELLIA

4' 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'.

or ± 

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.

6. Tip of upper 2 corolla 

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.

not rounded, open, opening directed forward, forming a beak

7. Annual to subshrub; anther sacs 2 per stamen; corolla throat not indented (except Castilleja campestris); seed coat generally loose-fitting ..... CASTILLEJA

7' Annual; anther sac 1 per stamen; corolla throat generally abruptly indented forming a fold proximal to lower lip; seed coat generally tight-fitting ..... TRIPHYSARIA

6' Tip of upper 2 corolla lobes rounded, closed, opening directed downward forming a hood enclosing anthers and style

8. Anther sacs 2 per stamen, equal; leaves toothed or generally > 7-lobed ..... PEDICULARIS

8' Anther sac 1 per stamen or 2, unequal; leaves entire or lobes 3–7(11)

9. Calyx unequally 4-lobed; bracts distinct from leaves or not; lower corolla lip generally 3-toothed; inflorescence a 

spike 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, an unbranched inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile and nearly always open from the bottom to the top of the inflorescence. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a spike-like inflorescence is one in which the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are sessile and attached directly to the main axis of the inflorescence, not to branches, and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

..... ORTHOCARPUS

9' Calyx sheath-like, occasionally ± notched; bracts grading from leaf-like to calyx-like; lower corolla lip 3-lobed; inflorescence various

10. Leaves entire and 

linear 

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

, or palmately 3–7-lobed, segments narrow; inflorescence a short dense spike, < 2(5) cm, or flowers 1, scattered; fertile stamens (2)4; middle 

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.

of lower corolla lip tightly rolled under, tip distinctly folded inside-out ..... CORDYLANTHUS

10' Leaves entire and 

oblong 

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

to 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, or pinnately lobed; inflorescence an elongated spike, generally > 3 cm; fertile stamens 2 (except Chloropyron maritimum), sterile stamens reduced to rudimentary filaments or bearing sterile, long-hairy, appendages; middle lobe of lower corolla lip erect, not rolled under

11. Leaves entire; calyx = or slightly < corolla, notched ± 1 mm at tip; anther sacs ± overlapping; saline and alkaline habitats ..... CHLOROPYRON

11' Leaves pinnately lobed; calyx ± 1/2 corolla, divided > 1/2; anther sacs widely separated; not in saline or alkaline habitats ..... DICRANOSTEGIA

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