Talk:Lythraceae

Dichotomous Key

1. Plants aquatic shrubs; branches often rooting at the tips; flowers in axillary cymes Decodon

1. Plants herbaceous or woody only at the base, not tip-rooting; inflorescences axillary or terminal;

2. Sepals and petals (when present) usually 4 or 5; petals less than 0.5 mm long; floral tube (hypanthium) about as broad as long; capsule hyaline, bursting irregularly Ammannia

2. Floral tube much longer than broad; sepals and petals usually 6; capsule enclosed in floral tube, splitting regularly, either down one side or at the summit;

3. Flowers zygomorphic, floral tube swollen or spurred at the base Cuphea

3. Flowers actinomorphic, floral tube cylindrical, not swollen or spurred at the base;

4. Petals 1.5-8 mm long; floral tube narrow-tubular; capsule cartilaginous, septicidal Lythrum

4. Flowers solitary and sessile in axils of bracts, sometimes forming terminal racemes; leaves mainly circular to ovate or lanceolate Rotala

References

J. Highet & Peter G. Wilson (18 May 2005) Family LYTHRACEAE, in PlantNET - The Plant Information Network System of Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia (1994-2004). http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au