Ononis L.

53. Ononis L. View in CoL 2

Annual or perennial herbs or dwarf shrubs, usually glandularhairy. Leaves 3-foliolate, sometimes simple or imparipinnate, leaflets usually toothed; stipules adnate to the petiole. Flowers in panicles, spikes, or racemes. Calyx campanulate or tubular; corolla yellow, pink or purple, sometimes nearly white; keel more or less beaked; stamens monadelphous. Legume oblong or ovate, dehiscent. Seeds 1-many.

Literature: G. Sirjaev, Beih. Bot. Centr. 49(2): 381-665 (1932).

1 Flowers in panicles, sometimes condensed and with the primary branches 1-flowered, the pedicels then distinctly articulated more than 1-5 mm from the base; legume linear or oblong, usually deflexed

2 Perennial; stems woody, at least at the base

3 Corolla pink or purple, occasionally whitish

4 Terminal leaflet with a long petiolule 1. rotundifolia 4 Terminal leaflet subsessile

5 Stems and peduncles densely white tomentose; leaflets with few rather blunt teeth 2. tridentata 5 Stem and peduncles sparsely to moderately hairy with straight hairs; leaflets serrate or serrulate with usually numerous teeth

6 Stems 25-100cm, erect, usually many-flowered; all or most bracts without leaflets 3. fruticose 6 Stems 5-35 cm, procumbent, 1- to 6-flowered; all bracts with 1 or 3 leaflets 4. cristata 3 Corolla yellow, sometimes with violet or red veins

7 Filament of the adaxial stamen connate with the rest only in the lower j (Bulgaria) 5. adenotricha 7 Filament of the adaxial stamen connate with the rest in the lower

8 Margin of leaflets not undulate; inflorescence lax 6. natrix 8 Margin of leaflets undulate; inflorescence dense 7. crispa 2 Annual; stem herbaceous

9 Legume torulose 8. omithopodioides 9 Legume not torulose

10 Primary branches of the inflorescence 2-flowered

11 Standard yellow, sometimes with pink veins, glabrous

9. biflora 11 Standard pink or purple, glandular-hairy 10. maweana 10 Primary branches of the inflorescence 1-flowered

12 Wings with tooth on inner margin

13 Calyx-teeth 5-veined; seeds smooth 17. pubescens 13 Calyx-teeth 3-veined; seeds tuberculate

14 Legume not or slightly inflated 18. viscosa 14 Legume much inflated 19. crotalarioides 12 Wings without tooth on inner margin

15 Peduncles shortly aristate; corolla yellow 11. sicula 15 Peduncles muticous; corolla pink or purple

16 Leaves all 1-foliolate 16. verae 16 At least the lower leaves 3-foliolate

17 Calyx-teeth with glandular hairs only 15. Iaxiflora 17 Calyx-teeth with at least some of the hairs eglandular

18 Corolla more than 10 mm, exceeding the calyx; leaflets 10-15 mm 14. pendula 18 Corolla less than 8 mm, equalling or shorter than the calyx; leaflets 5-8 mm

19 Calyx-teeth entire 12. reclinata 19 Calyx-teeth dilated at apex and 3-toothed 13. dentata 1 Flowers in spikes or racemes, sometimes with several flowers at each node; pedicels not articulated or with an articulation not more than 1-5 mm from the base; legume ovate or rhombic

20 Legume deflexed; pedicels 5-15 mm 20. cintrana 20 Legume erect or patent; pedicels less than 5 mm or absent

21 Perennial

22 Pedicels articulated at base; calyx-teeth 1£-2| times as long as tube

23 Leaflets 15-23 mm; flowers in dense spike-like inflorescences 21. speciosa 23 Leaflets not more than 10 mm; flowers in lax inflorescences

24 Leaflets 4-10 mm; corolla 12-18 mm 22. aragonensis 24 Leaflets 2-4 mm; corolla not more than 10 mm 23. reuteri 22 Pedicels not articulated; calyx-teeth 2|-4 times as long as tube

25 Lower leaves pinnate; corolla pink

26 Corolla 10-14 mm, equalling the calyx; calyx-teeth 5-veined 25. leucotricha 26 Corolla 15-23 mm, exceeding the calyx; calyx-teeth 7-veined 24. pinnata 25 Leaves 1- to 3-foliolate; corolla pink, purple or yellow

27 Corolla yellow; standard glabrous

28 Corolla shorter than or equalling the calyx

29 Calyx-teeth glabrous or with short glandular hairs

28. minutissima 29 Calyx-teeth with long eglandular and glandular hairs

30 Inflorescence without conspicuous leaf-like bracts; stipules less than 6 mm 30. cephalotes

30 Inflorescence with conspicuous leaf-like bracts; stipules more than 6 mm 26. pusilla 28 Corolla exceeding the calyx

31 Racemes 2- to 4-flowered or flowers solitary; leaves not glandular-hairy 29. striata 31 Racemes many-flowered; leaves glandular-hairy

32 Racemes with numerous leaf-like bracts equalling or exceeding the flowers 27. saxicola 32 Racemes with scarious bracts (except sometimes at the base) shorter than the flowers 30. cephalotes 27 Corolla pink or purple; standard hairy

33 Unarmed shrub; stems hispid; leaves with subsessile glands beneath 31. hispida 33 More or less herbaceous, sometimes spiny; stem variably hairy; leaves without subsessile glands beneath

34 Inflorescence dense; middle and upper bracts without leaflets 35. masquillieri 34 Inflorescence lax; bracts 1-foliolate

35 Stems usually procumbent, usually rooting; leaflets obtuse or emarginate 33. repens 35 Stems usually erect or ascending, not rooting; leaflets obtuse or acute

36 Plant usually spiny; flowers usually borne singly at each node of the raceme 32. spinosa 36 Plant unarmed; flowers usually in pairs at each node of the raceme 34. arvensis 21 Annual

37 Calyx campanulate

38 Standard hairy

39 Corolla pink

40 Seeds smooth 42. cossoniana 40 Seeds tuberculate

41 Leaves 3-foliolate; flowers in short, dense, terminal racemes 36. filicaulis 41 Leaves 1-foliolate; flowers in long lax racemes

42 Stems erect, glabrous; inflorescence not elongating after anthesis 37. alba 42 Stems procumbent or ascending, villous; inflorescence elongating after anthesis 38. oligophylla 39 Corolla yellow

43 Stems procumbent or ascending; seeds smooth

39. variegata 43 Stems erect; seeds tuberculate 40. euphrasiifolia 38 Standard glabrous

44 Lowest bracts 1-foliolate or without leaflets; corolla pink 46. subspicata 44 Lowest bracts 3-foliolate; corolla variously coloured

45 Seeds smooth 41. hirta 45 Seeds tuberculate

46 Calyx equalling or slightly exceeding corolla; calyxteeth about as long as tube 45. toumefortii 46 Calyx shorter than corolla; calyx-teeth distinctly longer than tube

47 Middle cauline leaves with leaflets 10-20 mm, denticulate, with usually 10-16 teeth; legume with 1-3 seeds 43. diffusa 47 Middle cauline leaves with leaflets 6-10 mm, dentate, with 4-6 teeth; legume with 2-5 seeds

44. serrata 37 Calyx tubular

48 Leaves and lower bracts 1-foliolate 48. alopecuroides 48 Upper leaves and lower bracts 3-foliolate

49 Corolla 10-12 mm, exceeding the calyx 47. mitissima 49 Corolla more than 12 mm, about equalling the calyx

49. baetica Sect. natrix Griseb. Flowers in panicles, the primary branches 1- to 3-flowered; fruiting pedicels usually more or less deflexed. Legume oblong.