General description:- Herbs or dwarf shrubs.
Leaves:- Usually in basal rosettes, sometimes opposite or alternate, without
stipules (exstipulate).
Flowers:- 2-4 petalled (2-4-merous), radially symmetrica (actinomorphic), usually
hermaphrodite, bracteate, usually in spikes. Sepals joined margin to margin
(connate) at base, persistent. Corolla with joined petals (gamopetalous), narrow thin
and dry (scarious). Filaments long; anthers conspicuous. Ovary superior, 1- to 4-
compartments (locular); style 1; ovules 1 to many, axile or basal.
Fruit:- Capsule, opening by a slit running around the circumference (circumscissile)
or not splitting open to release their seeds (indehiscent); seed with straight embryo
surrounded food-storage tissue (endospermic), often slimey (mucilaginous) when
wet.
ANTIRRHINUM
General description:- Dwarf shrubs, or perennial herbs somewhat woody at the
base.
Leaves:- Simple, entire, pinnately veined, usually opposite below and alternate
above.
Flowers:- Zygomorphic, in terminal, bracteate racemes, or solitary in the leaf-axils.
Calyx deeply and more or less equally 5-lobed, shorter than corolla-tube. Corolla
glandular-pubescent outside; tube cylindrical, wide, produced abaxially at the base
into a short pouch; limb 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower 3-lobed, with at its
base a prominent palate which closes the mouth of the tube. Stamens 4, arranged
in two pairs of unequal length (didynamous), included. Stigma pin-headed (capitate).
Fruit:- Capsule with 2 unequal cells (loculi), the adaxial longer, narrower above, and
opening by a single apical pore, the abaxial shorter, wider above, and with 2 apical
pores. Seeds numerous, netted (reticulate)-wrinkled (rugose).
Measurements of leaves refer to those near the middle of the stem, and of flowers
to the largest on the plant.
Key features:-
1) Capsule dehiscing by 2-3 apical pores.
2) Mouth of corolla-tube not closed by a palate.
3) Basal leaves alternate, forming a rosette.
4) Anther-lobes confluent.
5) Seeds without longitudinal ribs.
6) Leaves not palmately veined.
7) Loculi of capsule unequal.
CALLITRICHE
General description:- Submerged, amphibious or terrestrial herbs, with axillary
glandular scales, and sometimes with the stem (cauline) hairs attached at or near
the centre (peltate), otherwise glabrous.
Leaves:- Simple.
Flowers:- Solitary, or 1 male and 1 female flower in the same leaf-axil. Bracteoles
0 or 2 (in European species), membranous. Anthers kidney-shaped (reniform).
Fruits:- Mericarps with rounded, keeled or winged margin.
5 well-defined groups of species can be recognized in Europe, and hybridization
between species of different groups is unknown. The amphibious species are very
variable, and identification is made difficult because of the vegetative similarity of
different species when growing in similar habitats.
Ripe fruits are essential for identification; the anatomical details of the mericarps
can easily be observed (in European species) after stripping off the outer layer of
cells. In C. brutia and C. cophocarpa peltate hairs are present on the stems; their
shape and the number of cells in the disc are of diagnostic importance.
CHAENORHINUM
General description:- Annual or perennial herbs.
Leaves:- Entire, shortly petiolate and usually opposite below, sessile and opposite
or alternate above, those subtending flowers always alternate.
Flowers:- In terminal, bracteate racemes or solitary in the leaf-axils. Calyx deeply
and somewhat unequally 5-lobed. Corolla with more or less cylindrical tube,
produced at the base into a straight spur; limb 2- lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed, the
lower 3-lobed and with a low palate which does not close the mouth of the tube.
Stamens 4, didynamous, included.
Fruit:- Capsule obliquely ovoid to subglobose, with unequal loculi opening by pores.
Seeds numerous, oblong-ellipsoid to truncate-conical, with smooth or variously
ornamented, longitudinal ribs.
Key features:-
1) Lower leaves usually opposite, not forming a definite rosette.
2) Anther-lobes distinct.
3) Seeds with longitudinal ribs.
CYMBALARIA
General description:- Herbs, usually short-lived perennials but sometimes
behaving as annuals.
Stems:- Procumbent to decumbent.
Leaves:- Kidney-shaped (reniform) to suborbicular, petiolate, palmately veined,
entire to palmately lobed.
Flowers:- Solitary in the leaf-axils. Calyx deeply 5-lobed; segments somewhat
unequal. Corolla usually glabrous except for the palate; tube cylindrical, produced
at the base into a conical or cylindrical spur; limb 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed,
the lower 3-lobed, with at its base a more or less prominent, usually pubescent
palate which usually closes the mouth of the tube. Stamens 4, arranged in two
pairs of unequal length (didynamous), included.
Fruit:- Capsule more or less globose, with equal loculi, dehiscing by several
meridional fissures in the apical half. Seeds numerous.
Key features:-
1) Flowers in axils of lower leaves.
2) Calyx equally 5-lobed.
3) Corolla pale yellow.
2) Corolla ± distinctly 2-lipped, with upper lip entire or 2-lobed and lower lip 3-lobed.
3) Corolla-tube with a spur, pouch or gibbosity at the base on the abaxial side.
4) Capsule dehiscing by longitudinal slits.
5) Leaves palmately veined, reniform to suborbicular, petiolate.
Predominantly chasmophytes, confined as natives to the Mediterranean region and
the S. Alps.
GLOBULARIA
General description:- Perennial herbs or small shrubs.
Leaves:- Simple, alternate or in rosettes.
Flowers:- 5-merous, zygomorphic, in dense capitula surrounded by an involucre.
Corolla usually blue. Stamens 4, rarely 2. Ovary 1-locular; ovule 1, pendent.
Fruit:- Dry, enclosed in the persistent calyx.
All species grow in dry places such as mountain rocks, grassland or stony slopes.
KICKXIA
General description:- Annual or perennial herbs.
Stems:- Usually procumbent or climbing.
Leaves:- Alternate (the lowest sometimes opposite), ovate, hastate or sagittate.
Flowers:- Solitary in the leaf-axils (rarely aggregated into spike-like racemes on
lateral branches). Calyx with 5 subequal lobes. Corolla usually glabrous except for
the palate; tube cylindrical, produced at the base into a conical or cylindrical spur;
limb 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower 3-lobed, with at its base a more or
less prominent, usually pubescent palate which usually closes the mouth of the
tube. Stamens 4, arranged in two pairs of unequal length (didynamous), included.
Fruit:- Capsule more or less globose, with 2 equal loculi, each opening by a single
large pore with detachable lid. Seeds pitted like a honeycomb (alveolate) or with
small, wart-like projections (tuberculate).
Key features:-
1) Mouth of corolla-tube ± closed by a raised palate at base of lower lip.
2) Corolla-tube with a narrow spur at the base.
LINARIA
General description:- Annual to perennial herbs.
Leaves:- Simple, entire, stalkless (sessile), usually narrow, usually whorled
(verticillate) below and alternate above.
Flowers:- In terminal, bracteate racemes or spikes, rarely solitary in the axils of
foliage-leaves. Calyx deeply, often unequally 5-lobed, the adaxial lobe usually the
longest, very rarely the shortest. Corolla usually glabrous except for the palate; tube
cylindrical, produced at the base into a conical or cylindrical spur; limb 2-lipped, the
upper lip 2-lobed, the lower 3-lobed, with at its base a more or less prominent,
usually pubescent palate which usually closes the mouth of the tube. Stamens 4,
didynamous, included.
Fruit:- Capsule more or less globose, with equal loculi, splitting open to release the
seeds (dehiscing) by several meridional fissures in the apical half. Seeds
numerous.
Key features:-
1) Leaves not palmately veined, usually narrow, ± sessile.
L. arvensis group
General description:- Glaucous annuals, glabrous except in inflorescence;
Stems:- 10-50 cm, erect.
Leaves:- Linear to oblong-lanceolate, verticillate below, alternate above.
Flowers:- Racemes glandular-pubescent, dense in flower, variably elongating in
fruit; bracts linear-oblong to ovate-elliptical; pedicels 1-2 mm. Calyx 3-4 mm; lobes
linear-oblong, subequal. Corolla 2·5-9 mm; spur shorter than or equalling rest of
corolla.
Fruit:- Capsule 4-6 mm. Seeds suborbicular to reniform, dark brownish-grey; wing
broad.
Key features:-
1) Wing of seed entire.
2) Corolla not more than 7 mm; spur shorter than remainder of the corolla.
3) Plant glabrous, or glandular-pubescent only in inflorescence.
4) Stems erect.