Unknown #50
Unknown # 50

View of pinnate leaf, inflorecence and developing fruits (legumes).

A dissected flower of Erythrina crista-galli showing all the major perianth segments removed from their attachment inside the calyx. The five petals consist of one large, oval banner or standard, two elongate keel petals that are fused together enclosing the stamens, and two reduced wings. Nine stamen filaments are united into a sheath that surrounds the pistil. One stamen filament is separate from the fused nine, a condition referred to as diadelphous.

Key Traits Necessary To Identify This Species:

fl = flower   fr = fruit   pl = plant   lf = leaf   gen = generally   see JM p. 27

  1. Pl is a dicot with 5 separate petals and 5 fused sepals.
  2. One pistil per fl.
  3. Perianth composed of petals & sepals.
  4. Petals are separate.
  5. Ovary superior (above the attachment of petals, sepals and stamens).
  6. Stamens 10, twice the number of petals.
  7. Lvs compound (composed of leaflets).
  8. Fl with bilateral symmetry (only one dividing plane).
  9. Lvs once pinnately compound (pinnate).
  10. Stamens diadelphous: 9 fused filaments & one separate.
  11. Fl bilateral & papilionaceous: composed of banner, 2 wings & keel.
  12. Plant a herbaceous perennial.
  13. Leaves odd-pinnate with numerous pairs of leaflets.
  14. Plant not gland-dotted (not like Psorothamnus or Dalea).
  15. Inflorescence clearly a raceme (not an umbel).
  16. Seeds several in a dehiscent pod.
  17. Stigma and style glabrous.
  18. Keel tip without a distinct beak (not Oxytropis).
  19. Plant of the California Floristic Province (not Desert or Great Basin).
  20. Calyx gen less than 10 mm in length.
  21. Terminal (odd) leaflet clearly jointed to the leaf midrib.
  22. Lower stipules not fused into a sheath around stem.
  23. Stalk-like stipe at base of ovary (above receptacle). This is not the pedicel.
  24. Flowers spreading to reflexed (not ascending).
  25. Raceme with more than 15 flowers.
  26. Leaflets more than 20, fruit strongly compressed to swollen & bladderlike.
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