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Myrsinaceae
This family contains exactly one genus, Lysimachia.
See list of 14 species in this genusRecent phylogenetic research shows that Anagallis, Centunculus, Glaux, and Trientalis are nested within Lysimachia and, therefore, must be included in it (other options exist, but in this case they would lead to the formation of numerous, poorly defined genera; Hao et al. 2004, Anderberg et al. 2007, Manns and Anderberg 2009). References: Ray (1956), Cholewa (2009).
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1a. Corolla pink, red to orange-red, or blue (rarely white); plants annual; fruit a pyxis
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2a. Leaves alternate; pedicels up to 1 mm long; calyx 1.5–3 mm long; corollas 1.4–1.7 (–2) mm long; capsules 1.5–2 mm long, with 5–13 seeds
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2b. Leaves opposite; pedicels 3–35 mm long; calyx 3.5–5 mm long; corollas (2–) 3–7 (–10) mm long; capsules 4–6 mm long, with 12–45 seeds
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1b. Corolla white or yellow; plants perennial; fruit a longitudinally dehiscent or disintegrating capsule
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3a. Stems with 1 or more small, scale-like leaves below and a single whorl of leaves at the apex; flowers usually 7-merous, with white corollas
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3b. Stems with many nodes of opposite or whorled leaves; flowers 5- or 6-merous, with yellow corollas or with a white, petaloid calyx in the halophytic L. maritima
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4a. Calyx petaloid; corolla absent; flowers axillary and subsessile; plants coastal halophytes with fleshy leaf blades
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4b. Calyx sepaloid; corolla present; flowers axillary or in terminal inflorescences, borne on short to elongate pedicels; plants usually not of saline habitats, with herbaceous leaf blades
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5a. Leaf blades not punctate; androecium with staminodes alternating with stamens, the filaments distinct; lobes of the corolla erose on the apical portion of the margin, cuspidate at the apex [Fig. 729]
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6a. Leaf blades linear to narrow-lanceolate, 2–6 (–7) mm wide, with obscure lateral veins, the margins eciliolate and revolute
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6b. Leaf blades broad-linear to ovate, 2–65 mm wide, the lower blades usually wider than 6 mm, with evident lateral veins, the margins ciliolate and flat
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7a. Leaf blades broad-lanceolate to ovate, rounded (infrequently to subcordate) at the base, the principal ones 15–60 mm wide; petioles usually ciliate their entire length; plants with long, slender rhizomes
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7b. Leaf blades broad-linear to narrow-ovate, cuneate (infrequently to rounded) at the base, the principal ones 10–20 mm wide; petioles ciliate only in the basal half, sometimes lacking cilia altogether; plants with short, stout rhizomes (very rarely with slender, elongate rhizomes)
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5b. Leaf blades minutely punctate; androecium without staminodes, the filaments connate near the base (filaments distinct in L. thyrsiflora); lobes of the corolla entire (glandular-ciliate in L. punctata), without a cuspidate apex
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8a. Flowers borne in short, dense racemes originating from the middle leaf axils [Fig. 730]; filaments distinct, usually of equal length; corolla 6- or 7-merous, the lobes 4–5 mm long, linear, and much shorter than the stamens
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8b. Flowers solitary in the axils of leaves or in racemes from the apex of the stem or branches; filaments connate at the base, often of unequal length; corolla 5-merous, the lobes 5–16 mm long, lanceolate to ovate, and as long as or longer than the stamens
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9a. Leaf blades quadrate to suborbicular, 1–2.5 cm long; stems extensively creeping over the ground
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9b. Leaf blades narrow-lanceolate to narrow-ovate, 3–12 cm long; stems erect or ascending
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10a. Corolla white; leaves alternate
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10b. Corolla yellow; leaves opposite or whorled
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11a. Petals not dotted or streaked with black or red; stems pubescent
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12a. Calyx lobes 3–5 mm long, dark-margined with red; lobes of the corolla 8–12 mm long, eciliate; flowers borne in terminal or axillary racemes
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12b. Calyx lobes 5–8 mm long, entirely green; lobes of the corolla 12–16 mm long, ciliate with stipitate glands; flowers borne in whorls from the axils of the leaves
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11b. Petals dotted or streaked with black or red; stems glabrous or sparsely pubescent
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13a. Flowers borne in a terminal raceme; leaves normally opposite, commonly developing bulbils in the axils; pedicels 8–15 mm long
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13b. Flowers borne in whorls from the axils of the leaves; leaves normally whorled, without bulbils; pedicels 20–50 cm long
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Each photo represents one species in this genus.