A N F Keys
1 Calyx 4-lobed or having 4 sepals
2 Rosette plant and scapose, with nonshowy flowers in a dense spike; corolla scarious; stamens 4 or 2 (Plantago elongata); capsules dehiscent around fruit near midpoint (circumscissile) .. Plantago
2' Plant lacking basal rosette and not scapose; flowers solitary in axils or in panicles of racemes; corolla blue, violet, to white; stamens 2; capsules loculicidal, flattened and heart-shaped .. Veronica
1' Calyx 4-lobed; corolla often bilaterally symmetric
3 Flower with well-developed spur on corolla
4 Plant with horizontal shoots having nodding axillary flowers; leaves petiolate, blade ovate or triangular-ovate to arrow-shaped, 10−40 × 8−30 mm, conspicuously pilose (hairs 2−3 mm long) and glandular-hairy; corolla mostly light yellow but with dark purple on upper lip; spur curving forward, reflexed or sometimes straight, ca. 7 mm long; capsules dehiscent by a large pore at top with a circular, detachable lid .. Kickxia elatine [pics]
4' Plant with ascending to erect shoots have a terminal raceme; leaves ± linear to narrowly lanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate, < 9 mm wide, glabrous but changed to short glandular-hairy in inflorescence; capsules with each chamber dehiscent from the top by a slit
5 Blades 2.5−25 × 1−2.2 mm; flowers 6−7 mm across; corolla white at base changing to light violet on throat and lips blue-violet; spur curved forward, 4.5−6 mm long .. Nuttallanthus texanus [pics]
5' Blades 26−65 × 1.8−8.5 mm; flowers 12−13 mm across; corolla multi-colored, red-violet to magenta, deep purplish red, red and with or without yellow-orange, yellow, or white; spur arched upward, 7.5−8 mm long .. Linaria maroccana [pics]
3' Flower not spurred, but sometimes corolla saclike or expanded at base on upper or lower side
6 Corolla with saclike base on upper side; fertile stamens 4, staminode 1
7 Annual; flowers in leafy raceme; calyx with well-developed tube; corolla with swollen portion at base on upper side, tubular portion < 4 mm long, middle lobe of lower lip concealed by the lateral lobes and forming a keel in which stamens are included; filaments to 12 mm long .. Collinsia
7' Perennial; flowers in panicle with paired cymes; calyx with segments only fused at base; corolla with a conspicuous tube >16 mm long; filaments 13−20 mm long
8 Shrub with arching and 2-dimensional (plagiotropic) lateral branches; filaments pubescent at base .. Keckiella cordifolia [pics]
8' Perennial herb with ascending to erect shoots and cauline leaves clearly opposite decussate; filaments glabrous .. Penstemon
6' Corolla with saclike base, if present, on lower side; fertile stamens 4, staminode absent
9 Plant decumbent with long, twining petioles, glabrous or sometimes sparsely glandular-hairy in inflorescence; corolla deep blue-purple with many darker parallel veins, lacking a saclike extension on lower side; capsules dehiscing by 2 slits at tip and separating from vertical septum .. Neogaerrhinum strictum [pics]
9' Plant with ascending to erect principal shoots, at least inflorescence conspicuously glandular-pubescent and sometimes viscid; corolla dark rose-lavender, lavender-purple, strong violet, or deep purple, mostly with a saclike extension on lower side; capsules dehiscing by 3 pores, 2 in the lower chamber and 1 in the smaller upper chamber .. Sairocarpus
Collinsia Nutt.
CHINESE HOUSES
1 Leaves sessile; flowers congested into whorls, flowers 8−14 mm across, on pedicels 4−15 mm long; calyx 5.2−8 mm long at anthesis; corolla 13−20 mm long .. Collinsia heterophylla var. heterophylla [pics]
1' Leaves petiolate; flowers not congested into whorls, flowers 4−4.5 mm across, on pedicels 1.8−3.5 mm long; calyx 3.5−5 mm long; corolla (4−)7−9.5 mm long .. Collinsia parryi [pics]
1 Cauline leaves linear to narrowly oblanceolate, appearing tufted (fasciculate), < 6 mm wide; flowers generally produced in raceme, with corolla yellow in bud .. Penstemon heterophyllus var. australis [pics]
1' Cauline leaves lanceolate to ovate, < 15 mm wide; flowers produced in panicle having paired and open axillary cymes
2 Blades entire and glaucous; upper leaves clasping; inflorescence with glandular hairs on pedicels; corolla tube ±cylindric, corolla scarlet, lobes < 3 mm long .. Penstemon centranthifolius [pics]
2' Blades coarsely serrate and not glaucous; upper leaves fused around stem (connate perfoliate); inflorescence glabrous; floral tube expanded, corolla blue-violet, lobes > 4 mm long .. Penstemon spectabilis var. subviscosus [pics]
1 Fertile portion of spike covering one-quarter to one-half of peduncle .. Plantago major subsp. intermedia [pics]
1' Fertile portion of spike shorter covering much less than one-quarter of the peduncle
2 Annuals with linear blades
3 Plants typically < 8 cm tall; spike 3.5−5 × 2−2.5 mm; flowers 0.7 mm across; calyx lobes ± 1.6 mm long; stamens 2, filaments 0.25 mm long; capsules 5−12-seeded, ± 13 mm long .. Plantago elongata [pics]
3' Plants (4−)8−20 cm tall; spike > 5 mm long; flowers 4−6 mm across; stamens 4; capsule 2-seeded, 2−3 mm long
4 Spikes 5−15 × 5−8.5 mm; corolla lobes cupped-obovate, 2.5−3.3 mm long; filaments 1.5−2.5 mm long; seeds dull brown to dark brown .. Plantago erecta [pics]
4' Spikes 15−30 × 7−8 mm; corolla lobes cupped-ovate, 3.2−4 mm long; filaments 3−3.5 mm long; seeds orangey brown and sometimes shiny or frosted .. Plantago ovata
2' Perennials with elliptic to oblanceolate blades > 20 mm wide; spike with >100 flowers; lower peduncle distinctly ribbed .. Plantago lanceolata [pics]
Sairocarpus D. A. Sutton
NEW WORLD SNAPDRAGON
1 Perennial herbs from woody caudex, lacking twining branches and axes; blades lanceolate to elliptic, 8−40 × 2.5−8 mm, densely glandular-pilose and viscid; uppermost calyx lobes 7−13 mm long; corolla dark rose-lavender or lavender-purple .. Sairocarpus multiflorus [pics]
1' Annuals with twining, slender branchlets; blades not viscid; uppermost calyx lobes 2.7−5.5 mm long
2 Leaves mostly glabrous but inflorescence glandular-pubescent; blades of cauline leaves linear, to 110 mm long; corolla 8−15.5 mm across white (pinkish) .. Sairocarpus coulterianus [pics]
2' Leaves and inflorescence ± glandular-pilose; blades of cauline leaves deltate-ovate, 6.5−24 × 4.5−19 mm; corolla < 8 mm across, strong violet to deep purple .. Sairocarpus nuttallianus [pics]
Veronica L.
SPEEDWELL, BROOKLIME
1 Leaves, bracts, and bractlets mostly opposite decussate; blades 25−55 mm long; inflorescence a panicle of paired axillary racemes; corolla conspicuously pilose on upper surface .. Veronica anagallis-aquatica [pics]
1' Leaves of vegetative plant opposite decussate but bracts and bractlets alternate; blades 3−25 mm long; inflorescence a terminal leafy raceme, never paired; corolla not pilose but sometimes with short hairs hiding corolla tube or papillate-hairy
2 Creeping, rhizomatous perennial rooting at nodes; corolla lobes white at base changing to pale blue-violet at tips; capsules with notch 0.2−0.4 mm .. Veronica serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia [pics]
2' Annuals; corolla lobes not colored as above
3 Racemes hairy but not glandular-hairy; flowers 7−8(−12) mm across; corolla strong violet-blue and white with conspicuous nectar lines; filaments 2.7−3 mm long; capsule valves veiny, with notch 0.7−1.2 mm deep .. Veronica persica [pics]
3' Racemes glandular-hairy; flowers ca. 2.5 mm across; corolla pale pinkish white without nectar lines; filaments < 0.5 mm long; capsule valves not veiny, with notch < 0.5 mm deep .. Veronica peregrina subsp. xalapensis [pics]
The text of the above keys used with permission from
A Naturalist's Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013