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Papaveraceae
See list of 13 genera in this familyReference: Mitchell (1983).
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1a. Perianth zygomorphic, spurred or saccate at the base [Figs. 757,758,759]; plants with a watery latex; petals not crumpled in bud; stamens 6 per flower, the filaments diadelphous; leaf blades finely divided into narrow segments [Fig. 757]
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2a. The 2 outer petals dissimilar, only 1 of which is spurred; flowers borne laterally on the pedicels [Fig. 757]
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3a. Ovary narrow-cylindric; flowers 7–25 (–30) mm long; fruit dehiscent, (14–) 16–45 (–50) mm long, with more than 1 seed, with a persistent style; seed with an aril
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4a. Corolla pink to pink-purple with a yellow apex; inflorescence a panicle-like cyme, with minute, pale green bracts 1–2 mm long; capsules erect to ascending, 25–45 (–50) mm long [Fig. 757]
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4b. Corolla pale yellow, bright yellow, or purple (rarely white, pink, red, or blue-purple); inflorescence a raceme, with conspicuous, usually foliaceous bracts 3–8 mm long; capsules spreading to drooping, (14–) 16–25 (–30) mm long
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3b. Ovary subglobose; flowers 6–9 mm long; fruit indehiscent, 2.5–3 mm long, 1-seeded, with a deciduous style; seed without an aril
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2b. The 2 outer petals similar and spurred (but the spurs short in Adlumia) [Figs. 758,759]; flowers borne on pendulous pedicels [Figs. 758,759]
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5a. Plants climbing by means of tendril-like, reduced leaflets and their petiolules; corolla connate, except at the very apex, persistent, becoming spongy, enclosing the capsule
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5b. Plants not climbing; corolla connate only at the base, deciduous
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6a. Stems scapose (i.e., without leaves); corolla 10–25 mm long, the inner petals of ± similar color as the outer petals; stems arising from bulbs or from a scaly rhizome
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6b. Stems leafy; corolla 30–50 mm long, the inner petals of different color from the outer petals (except in white-flowered forms); stems arising from a rhizome
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1b. Perianth actinomorphic, without a nectary spur [Figs. 760,761]; plants with a milky or colored latex (watery in Eschscholzia); petals often crumpled in bud (therefore, wrinkled on expansion); stamens ca. 16–100 or more per flower, the filaments distinct; leaf blades lobed to 1.5 times divided (finely divided in Eschscholzia)
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7b. Leaves several to many, borne on a stem, the blade not orbicular in outline [Fig. 760]; corolla with 0 or 4–6 petals [Fig. 760]; latex yellow or white
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8a. Foliage spiny; capsules prickly; flowers with (2–) 3 sepals and (4–) 6 petals
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8b. Foliage without spines; capsules unarmed; flowers with 2 sepals and 0 or 4 petals
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9a. Sepals connate, shed together in flower; gynoecium with 4–8 distinct, linear stigmas; leaf blades finely pinnately or palmately divided into narrow segments; latex watery
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9b. Sepals distinct, shed separately in flower; stigmas either 2-lobed or connate and forming a 4- to 18-lobed disk; leaf blades lobed to 1.5 times divided; latex white or colored
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10a. Petals variously colored, but never yellow; stigmas forming a 4- to 18-lobed disk; capsules dehiscing by 4–18 subapical pores; latex white
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10b. Petals absent or present and yellow to orange-yellow; stigmas 2-lobed; capsules with 2–4 valves that dehisce to the base; latex yellow or orange-yellow
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11a. Flowers solitary on short peduncles, with petals 20–30 mm long; fruit 15–30 cm long at maturity
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11b. Flowers arranged in umbels or panicles, without petals or with petals 4–12 mm long; fruit 0.8–5 cm long at maturity
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12a. Corolla present, of 4 yellow petals; sepals sepaloid, green; leaf blades pinnately divided, the leaflets again lobed; flowers few, in an umbel
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12b. Corolla absent; sepals petaloid, ± white; leaf blades pinnately lobed; flowers numerous, in a large panicle
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Each photo represents one genus in this family.