Key to the genera of the Lactuceae
1. |
Receptacle paleaceous; pappus setae of central achenes plumose |
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Receptacles naked; pappus setae of barbellate or scabrid rays or setaceous |
2 |
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2. (1) |
Inflorescence of solitary scapose capitula, scapes hollow; corolla tube with tufts of long hairs at apex |
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Inflorescence usually branched and few to many headed, if single-headed then plants with branched hairs and phyllaries few-seriate; corolla tube never with tufts of long hairs at apex |
3 |
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3. (2) |
Achenes long-beaked; corollas white, pink or violet; phyllaries uniseriate; |
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Achenes erostrate; corollas yellow or sometimes reddish; phyllaries uniseriate (and pappus absent) or few-seriate |
4 |
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4. (3) |
Pappus absent; outermost achenes longer than central and distinctly curved |
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Pappus present; achenes homomorphic, equal sized and cylindrical or somewhat compressed |
5 |
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5. (4) |
Pappus dimorphic, setae of setaceous and downy rays; plants with several cauline leaves; involucre urceolate; achenes often compressed, usually with 4 main ribs |
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Pappus biseriate and monomorphic, setae scabrid-barbellate, fragile; plants with few cauline leaves, often with a loose basal rosette; involucre turbinate or campanulate; achenes cylindrical, 10-ribbed |
