Keys to Dicotyledon Families
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Scott A. Mori

The following keys to the dicotyledons of central French Guiana are presented as part of the review process for the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Central French Guiana. Part 2. Dicotyledons which has been submitted for consideration for publication to the Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden. Authors of family treatments are asked to report additions and corrections to the keys to Scott A. Mori (smori@nybg.org). Comments from others will be appreciated.

We are preparing electronic, multiple entry keys to the families of all flowering plants and will have them available, along with line illustrations and photographs, as soon as they are completed.

GROUP V. MAGNOLIOPSIDA
The Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) is a class within the phylum Magnoliophyta (the flowering plants). The dicots are distinguished from the other class of flowering plants, the Liliopsida (monocotyledons), by the features listed in the key to groups (part 1, page 56). Most of the trees (other than palms), shrubs, and lianas, i.e., the woody plants, in our flora belong to the Magnoliopsida. This group possesses approximately 3.5 times as many species as the Liliopsida. The Liliopsida are treated in part 1 of this guide.

KEY TO KEYS


1. Plants achlorophyllous (saprophytes and parasites, in our flora the parasitic Rafflesiaceae produce flowers from the trunk of Flacourtiaceae, the flowers are easily interpreted as flowers of the host. KEY 1. ACHLOROPHYLLOUS MAGNOLIOPSIDA
1. Plants with chlorophyll (including hemiparasites). 2
2. Plants herbaceous.
 3
2. Plants woody.
 5
3. Plants not growing on or climbing into trees. KEY 2. HERBACEOUS TERRESTRIAL OR AQUATIC MAGNOLIOPSIDA
3. Plants growing on or climbing into trees. 4
4. Plants climbing (vines), rooted in ground.
 KEY 3. CLIMBING MAGNOLIOPSIDA
4. Plants not climbing, without contact with ground or with contact with ground for only part of life cycle (hemiepiphytes).
 KEY 4. EPIPHYTIC MAGNOLIOPSIDA
5. Plants with climbing stems (lianas). KEY 3. CLIMBING MAGNOLIOPSIDA
5. Plants without climbing stems. 6
6. Plants epiphytic (including hemiepiphytes and hemiparasites).
 KEY 4. EPIPHYTIC MAGNOLIOPSIDA
6. Plants not epiphytic, hemiepiphytic, or hemiparasitic.
 7
7. Trees (single-stemmed and 5 cm diam.) or treelets (single-stemmed, <5 cm diam. and >2 m tall). KEY 5. TREE MAGNOLIOPSIDA
7. Shrubs (multiple stemmed or single stemmed and <5 cm diam. and <2 m tall). KEY 6. SHRUB MAGNOLIOPSIDA

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