A N F Keys
(Top Level Key)
Adoxaceae Agavaceae Aizoaceae Alismataceae Alliaceae Amaranthaceae Anacardiaceae Apiaceae Apocynaceae Araceae Araliaceae Arecaceae Asparagaceae Asphodelaceae Asteraceae Bataceae Berberidaceae Betulaceae Boraginaceae Brassicaceae Bromeliaceae Cactaceae Campanulaceae Caprifoliaceae Caryophyllaceae Ceratophyllaceae Chenopodiaceae Cistaceae Cleomaceae Convolvulaceae Cornaceae Crassulaceae Cucurbitaceae Cupressaceae Cyperaceae Datiscaceae Dipsacaceae Equisetaceae Ericaceae Euphorbiaceae Fabaceae Fagaceae Frankeniaceae Garryaceae Gentianaceae Geraniaceae Grossulariaceae Hydrocharitaceae Hypericaceae Iridaceae Juglandaceae Juncaceae Juncaginaceae Lamiaceae Lauraceae Liliaceae Linaceae Loasaceae Lythraceae Malvaceae Melanthiaceae Montiaceae Moraceae Myricaceae Myrsinaceae Myrtaceae Nyctaginaceae Nymphaeaceae Oleaceae Onagraceae Orchidaceae Orobanchaceae Oxalidaceae Paeoniaceae Papaveraceae Passifloraceae Phrymaceae Pinaceae Pittosporaceae Plantaginaceae Platanaceae Plumbaginaceae Poaceae Polemoniaceae Polygalaceae Polygonaceae Portulacaceae Potamogetonaceae Primulaceae Pteridaceae Ranunculaceae Resedaceae Rhamnaceae Rosaceae Rubiaceae Ruppiaceae Ruscaceae Rutaceae Salicaceae Santalaceae Sapindaceae Saururaceae Saxifragaceae Scrophulariaceae Simaroubaceae Solanaceae Tamaricaceae Themidaceae Theophrastaceae Tropaeolaceae Typhaceae Urticaceae Valerianaceae Verbenaceae Violaceae Vitaceae Zannichelliaceae Zygophyllaceae
Abronia Acacia Acer Acmispon Adenostoma Adiantum Agoseris Agrostis Ailanthus Allium Alnus Amaranthus Ambrosia Amsinckia Anagallis Anemopsis Aptenia Arctostaphylos Aristida Artemisia Asclepias Asparagus Asphodelus Astragalus Atriplex Avena Baccharis Batis Berberis Bidens Boykinia Brassica Brickellia Bromus Cakile Calandrinia Calochortus Calodendrum Calystegia Camissoniopsis Cardamine Carex Carpobrotus Castilleja Caulanthus Ceanothus Centaurea Ceratophyllum Chaenactis Cheilanthes Chenopodium Chorizanthe Cirsium Clarkia Claytonia Clematis Collinsia Convolvulus Cornus Cotula Croton Crypsis Cryptantha Cucurbita Cuscuta Cylindropuntia Cyperus Datisca Datura Daucus Deinandra Delphinium Descurainia Digitaria Dimorphotheca Dipsacus Distichlis Dodecatheon Dudleya Dysphania Eleocharis Elymus Encelia Epilobium Equisetum Eragrostis Eriastrum Ericameria Erigeron Eriogonum Eriophyllum Erodium Erysimum Eschscholzia Eucalyptus Euphorbia Festuca Ficus Frankenia Fraxinus Galium Garrya Geranium Gilia Helianthus Hesperocyparis Heterotheca Hordeum Hydrocotyle Hypericum Hypochaeris Isocoma Juglans Juncus Lasthenia Lathyrus Lemna Lepidium Leptochloa Leptosiphon Leptosyne Limonium Linanthus Linum Lithophragma Logfia Lomatium Lonicera Lupinus Lythrum Madia Malacothrix Malva Medicago Melica Melilotus Mentha Mentzelia Mesembryanthemum Microseris Mimulus Mirabilis Monardella Morella Muhlenbergia Najas Navarretia Nemophila Nicotiana Nolina Nymphaea Oenothera Oligomeris Opuntia Orobanche Oxalis Paeonia Papaver Paspalum Passiflora Pectocarya Pellaea Pennisetum Penstemon Peritoma Persicaria Phacelia Phalaris Pholistoma Phoradendron Phyla Piperia Pittosporum Plagiobothrys Plantago Platanus Poa Polycarpon Polygala Polygonum Polypogon Populus Portulaca Prunus Pseudognaphalium Quercus Ranunculus Raphanus Rhamnus Rhus Ribes Rubus Rumex Ruppia Sairocarpus Salicornia Salix Salsola Salvia Sambucus Samolus Sanicula Schinus Schismus Schoenoplectus Senecio Senna Setaria Silene Sisymbrium Solanum Solidago Sonchus Sorghum Spergularia Stachys Stellaria Stephanomeria Stipa Stuckenia Suaeda Symphyotrichum Tamarix Tauschia Thalictrum Thysanocarpus Tillandsia Torilis Toxicoscordion Tribulus Trichostema Trifolium Triglochin Tropaeolum Typha Umbellularia Urtica Verbena Veronica Vicia Viola Vitis Xanthium Zannichellia Zeltnera
Vascular Plant Groups Represented in the Flora*
1 Plants never producing flowers, mostly having exposed sporangia with spores (meiospores) or unisexual cones bearing either pollen (pollen cones) or scales with ovules or seeds ± attached to the surface (seed cones)
2 Shrubs and trees with principal aboveground axes forming wood and covered with bark; shoots strongly aromatic from resin produced in ducts; seed cones at pollination with 1-many ovules situated between spreading scales, becoming woody and eventually opening to release seeds (rarely a berrylike cone, Juniperus) .. Gymnosperms
2' Herbs with stems lacking wood and bark; shoots not strongly aromatic from resin in ducts
3 Floating aquatic herbs with roots not firmly attached to a substrate and leaves or leaflike structures on or slightly below the water surface (fertile structure rarely observed)
4 Shoots 3-dimensional, with threadlike zigzagged stems and partially overlapping, alternate distichous leaves 0.4−0.8 mm long; blades strongly 2-lobed and with water-repellent hairs, green but often aging rose-tinged; root often at fork .. Azolla filiculoides [pics], Azollaceae (Ferns)
4' Shoots 2-dimensional to cylindric, lacking an obvious stem but forming a "leaf" (leaf + stem tissue) often from a pouch, with non-overlapping, helically alternate "leaves" > 1 mm long; blades glabrous with water-repellent wax, green not aging red; roots 1 or 0 per "leaf" .. Araceae (Angiosperms)
3' Herbs terrestrial, or if aquatic, attached to a substrate; stems conspicuous and aboveground or having buried rhizomes with 1-many leaves produced at tip
5 Shoots mosslike with short, densely overlapping; sporangia in terminal, leafy cluster .. Selaginella bigelovii [pics], Selaginellaceae (Lycophytes)
5' Shoots neither mosslike nor having awl-like leaves; spore-bearing sporangia occurring on lower surface of blade, in terminal, conelike structures (Equisetum), or at the base of petioles (Marsilea) .. Ferns
1' Plants producing flowers, having pollen produced within anthers and 1 or more ovules and seeds produced within the ovary of a pistil .. Angiosperms
*A submersed aquatic plant with slender "whorled" branches and orange reproductive structures is hornwort (Chara), a green alga. Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) are also excluded here.
SEEDLESS VASCULAR PLANTS
1 Vegetative plants with photosynthetic green stems, the stems low-ridged and jointed (separating easily at nodes); leaves narrow and 1-veined, whorled (8+) and fused into sheath; cones (strobili) terminal, having whorled, sporangium-bearing, polygonal, umbrellalike structures (sporangiophores) .. Equisetaceae
1' Vegetative plants lacking ridged or jointed, photosynthetic stems; sporangia not borne on polygonal, umbrellalike structures
2 Plants with closely spaced, alternate, mosslike, scalelike leaves; fertile structure rarely present
3 Floating aquatics, plants to 2.5 cm across and fragmenting when large; leaves alternate distichous and strongly 2-lobed, lobes ovate and 0.4-0.8 mm long .. Azolla filiculoides [pics], Azollaceae
3' Cushionlike to mat-forming terrestrial herbs, prostrate to decumbent, 3−15 cm tall; leaves helically alternate and daggerlike, 1.4-3.9 mm long with bristle at tip .. Selaginella bigelovii [pics], Selaginellaceae
2' Plants with leaves small to large and compound to many-lobed and disssected, having prominent veins; fertile structures present on many or most leaves, producing sporangia on the lower surfaces of blades or rarely larger reproductive structures at the bases of petioles .. Ferns
4 Leaves 4-foliolate, erect to ascending on long petioles arising from rhizome .. Marsilea vestita [pics], Marsileaceae
4' Leaves pinnately compound or pinnately lobed
5 Plants mostly > 100 cm tall when leaves fully mature; blades mostly > 700 mm long
6 Leaves widely spaced along a horizontal rhizome (not rosetted), distinctly scented when crushed; petioles initially erect from ground, 350−1000+ mm long; blades mostly odd-2-pinnately compound becoming pinnately lobed approaching tip; sporangia ± continuous along margin of ultimate segments covered by a recurved outer false indusium and partially covered by a true indusium on the inner side .. Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens [pics], Dennstaedtiaceae
6' Plants rosetted and eventually with a well-defined principal stem, not scented; petioles spreading to ascending and densely covered by lanceolate and long-tapered scales; blades odd-1-pinnately compound with 8−24 subopposite, lobed, primary leaflets; sporangia formed as elongate sori in 2 rows per lobe, indusium the shape of the sorus and opening on inner edge toward the lobe midrib .. Woodwardia fimbriata [pics], Blechnaceae
5' Plants < 100 cm tall, commonly rosetted at ground level; blades mostly < 700 mm long
7 Leaves pinnately lobed, arising individually from creeping rhizome; blades triangular to ovate or lanceolate in outline, 45−300 × 32−125 mm, with 11−35 mostly opposite, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate lobes 18−82 mm long; sori to 35 per lobe, elliptic to circular formed ± midway between midrib and margin, lacking an indusium .. Polypodium californicum [pics], Polypodiaceae
7' Leaves compound
8 Blades predominantly 1-compound, overall oblong-linear, linear, narrowly oblong-fusiform, or linear-lanceolate
9 Leaves ascending and spaced along a shallow, creeping rhizome; blades 200−670(−850) × 100−550 mm with petioles (150−)200−680(−800) mm long; sori along veins between midrib and margin; indusium densely hairy .. Thelypteris puberula var. sonorensis [pics], Thelypteridaceae
9' Leaves rosetted; blades 50−150 × 10−25 mm with petioles to 60 mm long; sori along veins on both sides of midrib; indusium glabrous .. Asplenium vespertinum, Aspleniaceae
8' Blades 2-4-compound, lanceolate or broader in outline (never linear)
10 Indusium present, the sori roundish, kidney-shaped in 2 rows per lobe .. Dryopteris arguta [pics], Dryopteridaceae
10' Indusium absent, the sori along margin with or without a false indusium, or appearing scattered on the lower surface .. Pteridaceae
11 Lower surface of blades with white or yellowish substance
12 Leaves 1−2-pinnately compound and dissected; blade upper surface glabrous to sparsely hairy, lower surface with yellowish granules secreted from glands evenly distributed along veins, sporangia appearing scattered but occurring along minor veins .. Pentagramma triangularis subsp. triangularis [pics]
12' Leaves typically 3-pinnately compound and dissected; blades surfaces with hairs becoming powderlike (farinose), upper surface sparsely to moderately white-farinose and lower surface densely farinose; margin inrolled forming a false indusium partially concealing sporangia .. Notholaena californica [pics]
11' Lower surface of blades lacking white or yellowish substance
13 Blades and axes conspicuously hairy, species sometimes glandular-hairy or with scales .. Cheilanthes
13' Blades and axes glabrous or essentially so
14 Blades typically > 120 mm long; false indusium concealing many sporangia
15 Ultimate blade segments asymmetrically fan-shaped, broad, thin, and flat, with sporangia borne in lines directly on reflexed lobes (false indusia) along outer margins .. Adiantum
15' Ultimate blade segments sclerophyllous with strongly inrolled lateral margins forming false indusia .. Pellaea
14' Blades typically 30−90(−120) mm long, ultimate leaflets feathery and highly dissected, each tooth or lobe forming a false indusium concealing 6-10 sporangia .. Aspidotis californica [pics]
FERNS
GYMNOSPERMS
ANGIOSPERMS
Subkey M
Monocotyledons: blades parallel-veined; flower parts in 3's
1 Epiphytes; shoots pendent, having long, lax stems with threadlike leaves, gray and covered by reflective scales .. Bromeliaceae
1' Plants not epiphytic
2 Aquatic herbs (fully submersed, plants floating on surface, or with floating leaves, with roots under water or in ± permanently wet substrate (includes fresh water, brackish water, and salt water)
3 Plants floating on or below water surface
4 Plant body thalluslike, lacking clearly defined stem and leaves; plantlets < 10 mm long, ± floating on surface and clonal, with or without visible root .. Araceae
4' Plant body with stem and leaves, > 30 mm long
5 Plant floating on water surface = basal rosette with obovate to oblanceolate or spatulate (roundish) leaves, velveteen with water-repellent hairs .. Araceae (Pistia)
5' Plants submersed and suspended in water column weakly attached to or detached from sediment; blades ± linear, < 5 mm wide, and 1-veined
6 Blades entire, lacking any teeth, indentations, or lobes
7 Leaves alternate on vegetative plant and appearing opposite only at nodes with flowers; stipules fused < 2/3 their length to base of leaf blade; flowers bisexual with 4 tepals and 4 stamens .. Potamogetonaceae
7' Leaves appearing opposite, whorled, and alternate on a single plant; stipules forming a ligule; flowers unisexual lacking perianth, staminate flower with only 1 stamen; pistillate flower with (4−)5−7 stalked pistils resulting in a set of stalked, D-shaped drupelets .. Zannichelliaceae
6' Blades with some teeth, indentations, or lobes
8 Leaves superficially appearing opposite (pair = leaf + bract), blades either with small teeth on margins or having prominent prickles; staminate flower with 1 stamen; pistillate flower with 1 pistil developing as a 1-seeded utricle .. Hydrocharitaceae
8' Leaves generally appearing mostly alternate, blade minutely toothed at and below tip; in fruit pistillate flower having several pistils developing into stalked drupelets; peduncle conspicuously coiled below a set of stalked, asymmetrically ovoid drupelets .. Ruppiaceae
3' Plants of aquatic and wetland habitats rooted in soil or substrate and shoots entirely or mostly above water
9 Leaves petiolate, blades expanded, with leaves emergent or some aquatic; petals white surrounding numerous stamens and pistils .. Alismataceae
9' Leaves sessile with sheath
10 Leaves folded lengthwise and attached to stem "edge-on" (equitant)
11 Flowers showy and bright yellow, with sepals broadly spatulate and 70−90 × 35−50 mm, narrower petals, and petal-like style branches .. Iridaceae (Iris)
11' Flowers nonshowy, tepals ± narrowly boatlike, 2.4−3.3 × 0.5−0.6 mm, green to brownish red with a pair of red veins .. Juncaceae (Juncus)
10' Leaves flat, cylindric, or folded lengthwise but not attached to stem "edge-on"
12 Flowers 13−15 mm across, bilateral, perianth rose to rose-purple with darker veins and having 1 pistil with an inferior ovary and 1 stamens fused to a central column .. Orchidaceae (Epipactis)
12' Flowers typically nonshowy, radial, having 1 pistil with a superior ovary and at least 3 easily distinguished stamens
13 Leaves cylindric to somewhat compressed or flattened on 1 side
14 Plants growing in freshwater habitat; inflorescence cymelike with conspicuous bracts; stigmas 3 .. Juncaceae
14' Plants growing in salt marsh; inflorescence a raceme with 25−75 flowers; stigmas 6 .. Juncaginaceae
13' Leaves flat or folded along principal vein or veins, or leaf reduced to bladeless sheaths
15 Leaves bladeless or nearly so, composed mainly of a tubular sheath
16 Stems ± triangular in ×-section; perianth as bristles .. Cyperaceae
16' Stems round, flattened, or several-angled in ×-section
17 Leaf sheath closed; perianth as bristles .. Cyperaceae
17' Leaf sheath open, with overlapping margins; perianth sepaloid .. Juncaceae
15' Leaves with blade flat or variously folded
18 Leaves 3-ranked (tristichous); blade V-folded or W-folded with a well-developed keel .. Cyperaceae
18' Leaves 2-ranked, with ordinary flat, folded, or inrolled blades and generally ± tubular sheath
19 Stems often solid at swollen nodes and hollow in internodes; inflorescence spikelets with a series of bracts (glumes, lemma, palea), (1−)2 glumes at the base of a spikelet and typically a lemma and a palea subtending each flower (floret), with or without awns on glumes or lemmas .. Poaceae
19' Stems thick and solid throughout, and not swollen at nodes; inflorescence unisexual "spikes" (spikelike), on terminal stalk, each stalk erect with fertile portion 350−600+ mm long having pistillate spike with dense and tightly packed pistillate flowers and sterile flowers (lower inflorescence) and having terminal spike of densely packed staminate flowers, each with thousands of flowers .. Typhaceae
2' Plants fully terrestrial
20 Trees with a single, thick trunk; leaves extremely large with either pinnate or palmate divisions .. Arecaceae
20' Plants smaller than trees; leaves large or small lacking divisions or lobes
21 Perianth absent or reduced and not petal-like
22 Leaves in 3 vertical series (tristichous); blades with well-developed keel .. Cyperaceae
22' Leaves not in 3 vertical series; blades flat or rounded on lower surface (occasionally with keel)
23 Nodes ± swollen and internodes generally hollow (exceptions); ligule present; flowers arranged in bracteate spikelets .. Poaceae
23' Nodes not swollen and internodes always thick and solid, often mucilaginous; ligule absent; flowers in dense and tightly packed unisexual "spikes" with thousands of flowers .. Typhaceae
21' Perianth present
24 Ovary superior or only partially inferior (basal 0.5 mm immersed in receptacle)
25 Perianth sepaloid of 6 similar, nonshowy units .. Juncaceae
25' Perianth petaloid, of 6 showy units
26 Inflorescence umbel-like; plants producing bulbs
27 Plants with odor of onions; inflorescence bracts 2 .. Alliaceae
27' Plants without odor of onions; inflorescence bracts 3 .. Themidaceae
26' Inflorescence not umbel-like
28 Plants with large perennial leaves persisting for many years (rosette monocotyledons)
29 Leaves flexible, short-toothed on margins, and lacking sharp point at tip, easily detached from base .. Ruscaceae (Nolina)
29' Leaves rigid with sharp tip, persistent for years and not easily detached, either entire (Hesperoyucca) or with spinelike teeth (Agave) .. Agavaceae
28' Perennial herbs, usually dying back to belowground shoot (bulb, corm, rhizome, tuber) at end of growing season
30 Outer whorl of perianth parts much narrower than of the inner perianth whorl; each petalwith a specialized nectary .. Liliaceae (Calochortus)
30' Parts of the outer whorl and inner whorl of perianth similar
31 Leaves cauline
32 Plant 1-stemmed; leaves straplike and appearing whorled along a single stem; flowers 70−115 mm across and perianth predominately orange but with conspicuous spots .. Liliaceae (Lilium)
32' Plant a several-stemmed vine; leaves alternate distichous and conspicuous, including true leaves and stems (cladodes) modified as slender leaves; flowers 5−9 mm across and perianth white with green midstripes .. Asparagaceae
31' Leaves basal and cauline
33 Geophytic rosette monocotyledons with a tall flowering shoot (to 290 cm) that appears after a flower and then retreats belowground until next fire; tepals white with greenish, pink, or purplish red midstripes .. Agavaceae (Chlorogalum)
33' Plants < 100 cm tall
34 Flowers nodding; tepals brown or dark wine red .. Liliaceae (Fritillaria)
34' Flowers horizontal and open; perianth white
35 Plants many-stemmed at base; leaves hemi-cylindric and watery; racemes with flowers 18−22 mm across; tepals pinkish white with reddish to brownish midstripe .. Asphodelaceae
35' Plants 1-stemmed at base; leaves strap-shaped; panicles of racemes with flowers 16−32 mm across; tepals white with green base to midpoint .. Melanthiaceae (Toxicoscordion)
24' Ovary inferior
36 Flowers strongly bilateral and twisted 180° on pedicel; fertile stamen 1 .. Orchidaceae
36' Flowers radially symmetric and not twisted on pedicel
37 Leaf succulents with large spine-edged leaves and a massive inflorescence > 8 m tall; flowers with 6 exserted stamens .. Agavaceae (Agave)
37' Nonsucculent, rhizomatous geophyte with shorts flattened side-to-side and overlapping leaves attached along edges (equitant); fertile stamens 3 fused into a column .. Iridaceae (Sisyrinchium)
Subkey D
Dicotyledons
(A simple listing of the dicot families: the key has not been completed)
Adoxaceae Aizoaceae Amaranthaceae Anacardiaceae Apiaceae Apocynaceae Araliaceae Asteraceae Bataceae Berberidaceae Betulaceae Boraginaceae Brassicaceae Cactaceae Campanulaceae Caprifoliaceae Caryophyllaceae Ceratophyllaceae Chenopodiaceae Cistaceae Cleomaceae Convolvulaceae Cornaceae Crassulaceae Cucurbitaceae Datiscaceae Dipsacaceae Ericaceae Euphorbiaceae Fabaceae Fagaceae Frankeniaceae Garryaceae Gentianaceae Geraniaceae Grossulariaceae Hypericaceae Juglandaceae Lamiaceae Lauraceae Linaceae Loasaceae Lythraceae Malvaceae Montiaceae Moraceae Myricaceae Myrsinaceae Myrtaceae Nyctaginaceae Nymphaeaceae Oleaceae Onagraceae Orobanchaceae Oxalidaceae Paeoniaceae Papaveraceae Passifloraceae Phrymaceae Pittosporaceae Plantaginaceae Platanaceae Plumbaginaceae Polemoniaceae Polygalaceae Polygonaceae Portulacaceae Primulaceae Ranunculaceae Resedaceae Rhamnaceae Rosaceae Rubiaceae Rutaceae Salicaceae Santalaceae Sapindaceae Saururaceae Saxifragaceae Scrophulariaceae Simaroubaceae Solanaceae Tamaricaceae Theophrastaceae Tropaeolaceae Urticaceae Valerianaceae Verbenaceae Violaceae Vitaceae Zygophyllaceae
The text of the above keys used with permission from
© Copyright
Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
2013