Key to Nemophila

View taxon page for Nemophila

(For a list of species in Nemophila, use the above link.)

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

1. Stem with minute 

reflexed 

Abruptly bent or curved downward or backward.

 prickles; lower 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'.

..... N. breviflora

1' Stem without reflexed prickles; lower 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.

(except Nemophila pulchella var. gracilis)

2. Corolla >= 10 mm wide (6–40 mm wide in Nemophila menziesii)

3. Seeds smooth or pitted; corolla with or without purple spot at 

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.

tips

4. Corolla 10–50 mm wide; style 3–6 mm ..... N. maculata

4' Corolla 2–10 mm wide; style < 2 mm ..... N. spatulata (2)

3' Seeds wrinkled and tubercled; corolla without purple spot at lobe tips ..... N. menziesii

5. Upper, lower leaves dissimilar, lower lobed, upper 

entire 

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

to toothed

6. Lower leaves 5–7-lobed; corolla 6–15 mm wide ..... var. integrifolia (2)

6' Lower leaves 6–13-lobed; corolla 10–40 mm wide ..... var. menziesii (2)

5' Upper, lower leaves similar, deep-5–13-lobed

7. Corolla white, black-dotted from center ± to margin ..... var. atomaria

7' Corolla blue with white center or blue-veined, generally black-dotted at center ..... var. menziesii (2)

2' Corolla < 10(12) mm wide

8. Corolla generally 

rotate 

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

; filaments > corolla tube

9. Calyx appendages 1–4 mm in fruit; seeds wrinkled and tubercled ..... N. menziesii var. integrifolia (2)

9' Calyx appendages 0–0.5 mm in fruit; seeds smooth or ± rough ..... N. pulchella

10. Corolla blue with white center, >> calyx; style 2–3 mm ..... var. pulchella

10' Corolla white, ± >= calyx; style <= 2 mm

11. Cauline leaves opposite; style < 1 mm; seeds 2–4 ..... var. fremontii

11' Cauline leaves alternate; style 1–2 mm; seed generally 1 ..... var. gracilis

8' Corolla bell- to bowl-shaped; filaments <= corolla tube

12. Corolla generally dark-veined, dotted, 

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.

occasionally purple-spotted

13. Leaf 

oblong 

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

to 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

, deep-5–9-lobed ..... N. pedunculata

13' Leaf oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, shallow-3–5-lobed ..... N. spatulata (2)

12' Corolla not dark-veined, dotted, lobes not purple-spotted

14. Style 2–4 mm; lower leaves deep-lobed, lobes similar, generally well separated, stalked ..... N. heterophylla

14' Style < 2 mm; lower leaves cut or shallow-lobed, lobes dissimilar, merging or not stalked ..... N. parviflora

15. Upper leaves alternate, lobes deep, generally 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

..... var. parviflora

15' Upper leaves opposite, lobes shallow, rounded or 

obtuse 

Having a short-tapered, blunt tip or base, the sides convex or straight and converging at more than a right angle.

16. Leaf glabrous to bristly, 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

base 

tapered 

Gradually (not abruptly) narrower or smaller at base or tip.

..... var. austiniae

16' Leaf long-hairy, blade base 

truncate 

Abruptly (not gradually) narrower or smaller at base or tip, as if cut straight across or nearly so.

or 

cordate 

Heart-shaped; often pertaining to a leaf in which the blade base on both sides of the petiole is rounded and convex.

..... var. quercifolia

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