10 FAMILY KEY 



KEY TO THE DICOTYLEDONS 



A. Trees or shrubs (including woody vines). 



B. Leaves opposite. GROUP 3 (p. n) 



BB. Leaves alternate. 



C. Trees. GROUP 4 (p. 13) 



CC. Shrubs. 



D. Leaves compound. GROUP 5 (p. 14) 



DD. Leaves simple. 



E. Branches with spines or prickles; leaves not evergreen. GROUP 6 (p. 14) 

 EE. Branches without spines or prickles. 



F. Leaves evergreen. GROUP 7 (p. 15) 



FF. Leaves deciduous. GROUP 8 (p. 16) 



AA. Herbs. 



G. Stems 12 mm. or more thick, very fleshy; leaves represented by conspicuous 

 spines. CACTACEAE (p. 155) 



GG. Stems either not so thick or else not fleshy; leaves not mere spines in case the 

 stem is fleshy. 

 H. Leaves opposite or whorled. 



I. Leaves compound. GROUP 9 (p. 17) 



II. Leaves simple. 



J. Plant prostrate, matted, very prickly; leaves awl-shaped, 6-10 mm. long, 

 prickle-pointed, very dense; on sand near the seashore. 



ILLECEBRACEAE (p. 94) 

 JJ. Not as above in all points. 



K. Plant parasitic on the branches of trees; leaves mere scales or normal, 

 thick, mostly olive or whitish green. LORANTHACEAE (p. 78) 



KK. Plants not parasitic on the branches of trees; leaves various, usually 

 normal. 



L. Plant densely hoary with stellate hairs, straight hairs also present; 

 leaves ovate, entire, obtuse, at base cuneate or rounded, 1-5 cm. long. 



Piscaria in EUPHORBIACEAE (p. 145) 

 LL. Plant not hoary with stellate pubescence; leaves mostly not fitting 



the above. 



M. Leaves in whorls of 3 or more, the whorls scattered along elongated 

 stems. GROUP 10 (p. 18) 



MM. Leaves opposite or merely in a basal or a terminal whorl. 

 N. Plants submerged or in water or in very wet places; leaves 2 cm. or 

 less long, entire; submerged leaves lanceolate or' narrower; floating 

 or emersed leaves linear to obovate; plant chickweed-like in appear- 

 ance, slender, 5-45 cm. high or long; ovary 4-celled; styles 2. 



CALLITRICHACEAE (p. 146) 



NN. Plants not as above in all the vegetative characters. 

 O. Stems prickly; flowers in heads; leaves 10-15 cm - long, lanceolate, 

 sessile; flower parts in 4's. DIPSACACEAE (p. 215) 



OO. Either stems not prickly or flowers not in heads. 

 P. Twining vines with palmately veined and lobed leaves. 



Eumtdus in MORACEAE (p. 76) 

 PP. Not vines, or if so leaves not as above. 



