KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ADESMIA SUBG. ADESMIA SER. ADESMIA
1. Solitary axillary flowers in all axils, sometimes ending in a terminal raceme not exceeding 5 cm long. ....................................... 2
- Solitary axillary flowers absent or present only on the two leaves before the inflorescence. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme or panicule, rarely shorter than 5 cm long. .......................................................................................................................... 4
2. Fruit a lomentum; individual articles triangular .......................................................................................... Adesmia securigerifolia
- Fruit a hemicraspedium; individual articles discoid or spherical ..................................................................................................... 3
3. Fruit articles orbicular; stipules 4–6 mm long. ................................................................................................. Adesmia bonariensis
- Fruit articles discoid; stipules 2.5–3.5 mm long. ................................................................................................... Adesmia smithiae
4. Stoloniferous decumbent and prostrate subshrubs, rarely ascendant, sometimes with adventitious roots from stem branch nodes .. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
- Ascendant to erect subshrubs or shrubs; never with adventitious roots from stem branch nodes ................................................. 13
5. Stems and inflorescence rachis glabrescent to glabrous, glandular trichomes rarely present .......................................................... 6
- Stems and inflorescence rachis pubescent to hirsute or pilose, glandular trichomes commonly abundant ..................................... 7
6. Fruits with lenticular articles, laterally flattened; pedicels erect when plant in fruit .............................................. Adesmia bicolor
- Fruits with spherical articles, not laterally flattened; pedicels reflexed when plant in fruit .................................. Adesmia globosa
7. Leaves 10 cm long or longer .................................................................................................................................. Adesmia latifolia
- LeaVes ˂ 10 cm long. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
8. Calyx lobes twice the calyx tube length; calyx equalling the corolla in length ............................................................................... 9
- Calyx lobes shorter, equaling or slightly longer than the calyx tube (never twice as long); calyx shorter than the corolla .......... 10
9. Plants glandular trichomes exceeding 1.5 mm in length; seeds with a thin aril ............................................. Adesmia subtropicalis
- Plants glandular trichomes shorter than 0.5 mm in length; seeds without an aril ................................................. Adesmia miottoae
10. Plant indumentum pilose, with glandular trichomes abundant on stems, leaves, calyces, and fruits ................... Adesmia punctata
- Plant indumentum incanous-pubescent, glandular trichomes scarce ............................................................................................. 11
11. Fruits muriculate, with adpressed thickened setules on each article .................................................................... Adesmia uruguaya
- Fruits pubescent, with erect setules, never thickened on each article ............................................................................................ 12
12. Fruit a lomentum; adventitious roots absent ............................................................................................................. Adesmia grisea
- Fruit a hemicraspedium; adventitious roots present ................................................................................................. Adesmia incana
13. Leaflets with a lobed margin, rarely only dentate in A. pimpinellifolia ......................................................................................... 14
- Leaflets with an entire margin ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
14. Leaflets strongly lobed, 1–3 mm wide; central Argentina ....................................................................................... Adesmia gilliesii
- Leaflets slightly lobed, 3–8 mm wide; northern Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru ........................................... Adesmia pimpinellifolia
15. Leaflets with apex retuse ............................................................................................................................... Adesmia riograndensis
- Leaflets with apex truncate, obtuse, acuminate, or acute ............................................................................................................... 16
16. Inflorescence a panicule; restricted to the province of Neuquén, Argentina ................................................. Adesmia neuquenensis
- Inflorescence a raceme; and sometimes with axillary flowers ....................................................................................................... 17
17. Fruits with lenticular articles; restricted to Bolivian and Peruvian highlands ....................................................... Adesmia subnuda - Fruits with orbicular or discoid articles; occurring exclusively in the Pampas grasslands and Patagonian steppes ...................... 18
18. Flowers> 9 mm long, or if exactly 9 mm then the standard petal strongly reflexed ..................................................................... 19
- Flowers ˂ 9 mm long, or if exactlY 9 mm, then the standard petal erect or slightlY reflexed ........................................................ 20
19. Flowers> 14 mm long; standard petal slightlY reflexed; fruit articles 2.5–3× 2.5–3 mm ................................ Adesmia grandiflora
- Flowers ≤ 14 mm long; standard petal stronglY reflexed; fruit articles 3.5–4× 4–4.5 mm ................................. Adesmia retrofracta
20. Fruit a lomentum with 1–5 discoid articles, covered with an incanous-pubescent indumentum ..................... Adesmia cordobensis
- Fruit a hemicraspedium with 6–10 spherical muriculate articles ......................................................................... Adesmia muricata