Jepson eFlora: Key page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Key to Boraginaceae

View taxon page for Boraginaceae

 

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

1. Annualnutlets 2; calyx  in fruit unequal, upper 2 >> others, partly fused, arched over 1 nutlet, with 5–10 stout spines each with hooked bristles ..... HARPAGONELLA

1' Annual, biennial herb, or shrub; nutlets 1–4; calyx lobes in fruit ± equal or, if unequal, upper 2 not arched over 1 nutlet, without spines but with hooked or straight bristles

2. Nutlets 

3. Annual; leaves < 5 cm; corolla white; nutlet < 5 mm, generally prickles straight or hooked at tip, not 

4. Nutlets , collectively + -shaped, all similar ..... GRUVELIA

4' Nutlets paired, , collectively X -shaped, all similar or some differing from others ..... PECTOCARYA

3' Biennial, perennial herb; leaves > 5 cm; corolla blue to red-purple; nutlet >= 5 mm, ± spheric or disk-shaped, prickles barbed

5. Inflorescence ± among leaves; bracts ± leaf-like; corolla lobes dull red-purple, appendages purple; nutlet disk-shaped, abaxially ± flat, margin raised ..... CYNOGLOSSUM

5' Inflorescence distal to leaves; bracts scale-like or 0; corolla lobes ± blue, appendages white; nutlet ± spheric, abaxially rounded, margin not raised

6. Stem glabrous, ± glaucous   3–10 cm wide, abruptly narrowed to cauline leaves few, petioled; corolla limb generally 10–15 mm diam ..... ADELINIA

6' Stem spreading-hairy, not glaucous; basal leaf blade 1–4 cm wide,  to petiole; cauline leaves ± many, ; corolla limb 4–9 mm diam ..... ANDERSONGLOSSUM

2' Nutlets ± 

7. Corolla anthers 5–8 mm, closely  to style, separating in age ..... BORAGO

7' Corolla rotate, , bell-shaped, , or ± ; anthers < 5 mm, generally not closely appressed to style

8. Flowers 1 or 2 per leaf ; calyx lobes with 1 or 2 teeth in fruit ..... ASPERUGO

8' Flowers 1 per distal leaf axil or in 1–many dense to elongate , variously arranged; calyx lobes without teeth in fruit

9. Nutlet  ± flat to strong-convex, with thick rim

10. Corolla funnel-shaped to salverform, pale blue to violet, throat ± expanded distal to tube or tube and throat not differentiated; appendages  to , generally distal to anthers ..... ANCHUSA

10' Corolla bell- to ± urn-shaped, red to purple, occasionally white, throat expanded distal to tube; appendages lance-linear to , at same level as anthers ..... SYMPHYTUM

9' Nutlet scar flat, curved, grooved, or concave, without thick rim or with rim in some Plagiobothrys spp., then scar sunken, concave

11. Receptacle ± flat; nutlet scar generally basal (except Mertensia, with pink to blue corollas, nutlet barbed prickles 0)

12. Shrub, 1–3+ m ..... ECHIUM (2)

12' Annual, biennial, perennial herb

13. Corolla white to yellow

14. Corolla tube > lobes; inflorescence bracts throughout ..... LITHOSPERMUM

14' Corolla tube << lobes; inflorescence bracts at base or to middle ..... [Myosotis verna]

13' Corolla generally blue to purple (white to yellow)

15. Corolla ± bilateral ..... ECHIUM (2)

15' Corolla radial

16. Corolla often ± cylindric or bell-shaped, blue, generally pink in  ..... MERTENSIA

16' Corolla salverform or wide-funnel-shaped, generally blue, white, or yellow ..... MYOSOTIS

11' Receptacle ± conic or elongate; nutlet scar generally lateral, less commonly basal

17. Nutlet with barbed prickles

18. Nutlet prickles only along margins, 1 or 2(3) rows ..... LAPPULA

18' Nutlet prickles both marginal and abaxial

19. Perennial herb (biennial);   to  in fruit ..... HACKELIA

19' Annual; pedicel generally erect in fruit ..... PLAGIOBOTHRYS (2)

17' Nutlet margin prickles 0 or not barbed

20. Nutlets without adaxial groove, generally with adaxial ridge distal to attachment scar

21. Corolla tube and limb bright yellow or orange; cotyledons 2-lobed ..... AMSINCKIA (2)

21' Corolla tube and limb white to cream; cotyledons not lobed

22. Cymes clustered; nutlet attachment  distal to mid-nutlet ..... SONNEA

22' Cymes generally elongate (clustered in Amsinckiopsis); nutlet attachment scars proximal to mid-nutlet

23. Plant vestiture various, but not coarsely hairy to sharp-bristly; CA ..... PLAGIOBOTHRYS (2)

23' Plants coarsely hairy to sharp-bristly; c&s SNH, GB, D

24. Cyme branches more or less clustered; corolla limbs 4–7 mm wide; nutlet abaxial surfaces irregularly sculptured, tubercled, and/or  ..... AMSINCKIOPSIS

24' Cyme branches elongate; corolla limbs 1–3 mm wide; nutlet abaxial surfaces with cobblestone-like pattern ..... SIMPSONANTHUS

20' Nutlets with adaxial groove extending to tip or nearly so; attachment scars generally recessed or 

25. Annual, generally wider than tall, often rounded to cushion-like; taproot red or purple when dry, often staining herbarium paper; flower bracts present

26. Sepals free to base, intact in fruit; receptacle > nutlet, indistinct from style ..... EREMOCARYA

26' Sepals fused proximally, tubular,  in fruit; receptacle < nutlet, distinct from style ..... GREENEOCHARIS

25' Annual, biennial, or perennial, generally taller than wide, rarely rounded to cushion-like; taproot generally not red or purple when dry; flower bracts 0 (present)

27. Biennial or long-lived perennial herb; leaves basal or tufted; nutlets smooth, irregularly sculptured, or tubercled, tip broadly rounded to , adaxial groove tip well below nutlet tip ..... OREOCARYA

27' Annual (sometimes woody at base, appearing perennial); leaves generally cauline (basal); nutlets smooth, papillate and/or tubercled, tip narrowly  to long-tapering, adaxial groove extending almost to nutlet tip

28. Corolla tube and limb bright yellow or orange; cotyledons 2-lobed ..... AMSINCKIA (2)

28' Corolla tube and limb white; cotyledons not lobed

29. Nutlets 1–4, mostly similar in size and sculpturing, if dissimilar single different nutlet positioned toward inflorescence axis, if similar nutlet margins rounded to sharp-angled and winged, wings lobed; nutlet surfaces smooth or papillate and/or tubercled, if tubercled, tubercles generally not whitish ..... CRYPTANTHA

29' Nutlets 4, mostly dissimilar in size and/or sculpturing, if dissimilar single different nutlet positioned away from inflorescence axis, if similar nutlet margins sharp-angled, narrow-rimmed or narrowly winged, wings not lobed; surfaces of at least some nutlets densely or sparsely tubercled, tubercles generally whitish ..... JOHNSTONELLA

 

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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