1 | Inflorescence subtended by an involucre of decussate scales at the base of the axis |
1' | Inflorescence not subtended by an involucre of decussate scales at the base of the axis |
2 | Inflorescence axis oriented vertically with the flowers not strongly secund; lateral flowers of the triads on distinct pedicels at least as long as the ovary |
2' | Inflorescence axis oriented horizontally with the flowers strongly secund, giving the inflorescence a brush-like appearance; lateral flowers of the triads on obscure pedicels much shorter than the ovary |
3 | Stems and inflorescence parts very thick; internodes short and often crowded so that the leaves appear verticillate; corolla more than 30 mm long.. |
3' | Stems and inflorescence parts slender to moderately robust; internodes normally developed with evenly spaced decussate leaf pairs; corolla less than 30 mm long |
4 | Inflorescence axis less than 15 mm long; corolla 5-merous, hardly inflated at the base |
4' | Inflorescence axis more than 30 mm long; corolla 6-merous, distinctly inflated at the base |
5 | Leaf lamina up to 8 cm long; triads crowded at the end of the inflorescence axis.. |
5' | Leaf lamina more than 10 cm long; triads distributed uniformly along the inflorescence axis |
6 | Anthers sessile or nearly so, with free filament less than 1 mm long |
6' | Anthers on distinct free filaments at least 2 mm long |
7 | Corolla less than 10 mm long |
7' | Corolla 10-24 mm long |
7'' | Corolla more than 24 mm long |
8 | Young internodes 4-angular; leaf lamina glossy on both sides, darker above, recurved at the margin; inflorescence and flowers shortly and densely tomentose.. |
8' | Young internodes dilated and 2-angled in the upper part; leaf lamina dull on both sides, not recurved at the margin; inflorescence and flowers glabrous or sparsely hairy |
9 | Triads in 1-3 pairs crowded near the apex of the inflorescence axis |
9' | Triads in several pairs distributed uniformly along much of the inflorescence axis |
10 | Stems and inflorescence parts very thick; internodes short and often crowded so that the leaves appear verticillate; corolla inflated to 5 mm wide in the lower part |
10' | Stems and inflorescence parts slender to robust; internodes normally developed with evenly spaced decussate leaf pairs; corolla not or slightly inflated at the base. |
11 | Leaf lamina acuminate acute at the apex; corolla 35-50 mm long. |
11' | Leaf lamina obtuse to rounded at the apex, often with a small blunt mucro; corolla 23-30 mm long |
12 | Leaves with upper surface glossy or darker than the dull lower surface |
12' | Leaves dull and more or less the same colour on both sides |
13 | Leaves sessile, truncate to amplexicaul at the base |
13' | Leaves petiolate, or if sessile attenuate at the base |
14 | Petals eventually separating to the base; anthers transversely septate prior to anthesis |
14' | Petals remaining coherent in the lower part; anthers not transversely septate.. |
15 | Plant robust, usually with a short brown tomentum on the young parts and inflorescences; leaves with a distinct petiole mostly more than 10 mm long; corolla mostly more than 30 mm long |
15' | Plant relatively slender, glabrous or rarely with the inflorescence sparsely pubescent; leaves with a petiole mostly less than 10 mm long; corolla less than 30 mm long 18. |
16 | Corolla inflated and globular at the base |
16' | Corolla not inflated at the base, or if so then not sharply contracted to form a globular dilation |
17 | Young internodes strongly angular distally |
17' | Young internodes not strongly angular distally |
18 | Corolla pale green or yellow in the lower part; petals separating to the base at anthesis |
18' | Corolla red in the lower part; petals cohering in the lower 1-15 mm after anthesis |
19 | Triads with all flowers sessile |
19' | Triads with the central flower sessile and the lateral flowers pedicellate |
20 | Leaf lamina broadly lanceolate to elliptic, attenuate at the base to an obscure petiole 3-5 mm long; corolla 23-30 mm long |
20' | Leaf lamina elliptic to almost orbicular, shortly cuneate at the base with a distinct petiole 25-40 mm long; corolla 30-50 mm long 11. |