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Laurence G. Adams
Introduction
Key
Glossary
Checklists
All main foliar structures are treated as leaves or leaflets
(
in the case of certain Acacia
spp., the 'leaves' are actually phyllodes); refer to the introduction and glossary.
In the few instances where supplementary flower and fruit characters have been utilized they are always given last [in square brackets].
Herbaceous species may on occasion cause difficulty by becoming
"woody" and shrub-like when fully grown.
Refer to the introduction and glossary.
A month is given in parentheses, ie. (Nov),
immediately following each lead; the earliest month to find the taxon in flower.
Refer to the introduction and glossary.
1a. Plants parasitic on branches of shrubs and trees → Group
A
1b. Plants terrestrial → 2
2a. Leaves reduced to minute scales or teeth rarely up to 1.5 mm long on
green branchlets, sometimes early-deciduous or absent → Group
B
2b. Leaves well-developed, at least 2 mm long, usually more → 3
3a. Prostrate or scandent shrubs or vines → Group
C
3b. Trees or erect shrubs; stems sometimes lax but not scandent →
4
4a. Stems spiny or leaves rigidly pungent (easily piercing skin) →
Group D
4b. Stems/leaves unarmed, or leaves weakly aristate-pungent → 5
5a. Leaves compound → Group E
5b. Leaves simple → 6
6a. Leaves toothed or lobed → Group F
6b. Leaves entire → 7
7a. Foliage strongly eucalyptus- or pine-scented; trees → Group
G
7b. Foliage not especially aromatic, or if so then shrubs only →
8
8a. Stipules clearly evident and persistent → Group
H
8b. Stipules absent, obscure or mostly early-deciduous → 9
9a. Leaves opposite or whorled, or with parallel veins → Group
I
9b. Leaves alternate or some sub-opposite, not parallel-veined →
Group J
Vines,
thin, twining, usually ± tangled → Cassytha pubescens
Woody plants, not
twining →
Attachment
to host ± bulbous → Amyema :- →
[Central
and lateral flowers pedicellate; fruit greenish white] (Feb)
→ Amyema miquelii
[Central
flower sessile, laterals pedicellate; fruit greenish brown] (Nov)
→ A. pendula
Attachment
to host by adventitious roots (Jan) → Muellerina
eucalyptoides
Scale leaves alternate
or absent →
Branchlets rather
soft and flaccid; [flowers yellow-green] →
Exocarpos :-
Shrubs
or small trees; mature branchlets usually pendulous; [flowers in short spikes]
(Dec) → Exocarpos cupressiformis
Shrubs
up to 1.5 m high; mature branchlets erect [flowers in small clusters] (Oct)
→ E. strictus
Branchlets rigid
and twiggy; [flowers white] →
Shrub
rarely >50 cm high; at least some scales usually present, narrow-triangular
to acicular (Nov) → Choretrum pauciflorum
Shrub
to 100 cm high; scales obscure or absent (Oct) →
Omphacomeria acerba
Scale leaves whorled
→
Foliage
aromatic; scale leaves 3-whorled (?Nov) →
Callitris endlicheri
Foliage
not aromatic; scale leaves 9–16-whorled (Aug)
→ Allocasuarina verticillata (Casuarina stricta)
Leaves compound
→
Leaves opposite;
plants not prickly (Sept) → Clematis
microphylla
Leaves alternate;
plants prickly →
Rubus :-
Leaves
pinnate; [flowers mostly pink; mature fruit red] (Dec)
→ Rubus parvifolius (R. triphyllus)
Leaves
digitate; [flowers mostly white; mature fruit black] (Dec)
→ *Rubus anglocandicans (R. procerus, R. fruticosus; R. vulgaris)
Leaves simple →
Leaves
opposite (Nov) → *Lonicera japonica
Leaves
alternate →
Leaves
prominently parallel-veined (Aug) → Acacia
lanigera
Leaves
not parallel-veined →
Plants
twining or scrambling →
Plants hairy, at least on young stems (Nov) →
Billardiera scandens
Plants glabrous →
Leaves leathery, strongly reticulate-veined (Sept)
→ Hardenbergia violacea
Leaves not leathery or strongly reticulate-veined (Oct)
→ Comesperma volubile
Plants
not twining or scrambling →
Leaves mostly linear-oblong to oblanceolate, often toothed at the apex
(Oct) → Rhytidosporum procumbens
(Marianthus procumbens)
Leaves mostly lanceolate to broad-elliptic, never toothed →
Bossiaea :-
Leaves 3–8 mm long; stipules longer than petioles (Oct)
→ Bossiaea buxifolia
Leaves 5–15 mm long; stipules shorter than petioles (Oct)
→ B. prostrata
Most leaves >3
cm long →
Leaf/leaflet
margins toothed or lobed →
Stems prickly;
leaves pinnately compound, aromatic with an apple-like scent (Nov)
→ *Rosa rubiginosa
Stems thorny;
leaves not compound or aromatic →
Leaves
bluntly serrate-dentate (Oct) → *Pyracantha
crenulata
Leaves
3–5-lobed → Crataegus :- →
Leaf base
included angle usually <90 degrees; [ripe fruit dark red, 8–10 mm
long] (Nov) → *Crataegus
monogyna
Leaf base
included angle usually >90 degrees; [ripe fruit orange-red or yellow,
20–25 mm long] (Nov) → *C.
azarolus
Leaf/leaflet
margins entire →
Leaves pinnately
compound (Nov) → *Robinia pseudoacacia
Leaves simple
→
Hakea :-
Young
branches glabrescent; [fruit <2 cm long] (Dec)
→ Hakea microcarpa
Young
branches sericeous; [fruit 2–3 cm long] (June) → H.
sericea
Most leaves <3 cm long →
Branches
thorny, or stipules or axillary buds spiny →
Leaves
rigidly pungent (Aug) → Daviesia
ulicifolia
Leaves if present acute, obtuse or rounded, never pungent→
Stipules
present, spiny; leaves not clustered nor opposite (Sept) → Acacia
paradoxa (A. armata)
Stipules absent, or not spiny; leaves somewhat clustered or opposite →
Stems
glabrous (Dec) →Bursaria
lasiophylla (B. spinosa)
Stems more or less hairy →
Branches
not thorny; stipules absent or early deciduous, never spiny →
Dorsal
leaf surface with several veins parallel/radiate from the base →
Leaf
margins finely ciliate (Aug) → Melichrus
urceolatus
Leaf
margins glabrous →
Leaves
mostly 7–8 mm long; dorsal surface concave (May) → Monotoca
scoparia
Leaves
mostly 15–20 mm long; dorsal surface convex (Sept) → Styphelia
triflora
Dorsal
and/or ventral leaf surface with 1 vein, or veins obscure →
Leaf
mid-vein obscure or visible at the dorsal base only (Oct) → Daviesia
acicularis
Leaf
mid-vein prominent on both surfaces → Acacia
(p.p.):- →
Leaves
subulate, 15–35 mm long (June) →
Acacia genistifolia (A. diffusa)
Leaves
flat, triangular, 6–12 mm long (Aug) → A.
gunnii (A. vomeriformis)
Leaves bipinnate
throughout → Acacia (p.p.):- →
Foliage greyish,
hoary-pubescent →
Pinnae
in 3–4 pairs; pinnules 5–7 mm long (July)
→ *A. baileyana
Pinnae
in 10–20 pairs; pinnules 2-5 mm long (Aug)
→ A. dealbata
Foliage not
greyish or hoary-pubescent →
Branchlets
prominently ridged, bright green; pinnules8-10 mm long (Aug)
→ *A.decurrens
Branchlets
obscurely ridged, dull green; pinnules 1.5-6 mm long →
Branchlets
velvety-pubescent; pinnae in 8–16 pairs; pinnules mostly 1.5-2.5 mm long
(Nov) → A.
mearnsii
Branchlets
glabrous or sparsely pubescent; pinnae in 6–8 pairs; pinnules 4–6 mm long
(Jan) → A.parramattensis
Leaves palmate
or pinnate →
Leaves 3-foliolate
→
Branches
drooping; [flowers white] (Oct) →
*Chamaecytisus palmensis
Branches
erect or spreading; [flowers yellow] →
Leaflets
obovate (Oct) →
*Genista monspessulana (Teline monspessulana)
Leaflets
linear (Oct) →
Gompholobium huegelii
Leaves 5–17-foliolate
→
Leaflet
margins serrate (Oct) →
*Sorbus domestica
Leaflet
margins entire →
Leaflets
elliptic-oblong, 1.5–3 cm long (Sept)
→ Indigofera australis
Leaflets
ovate, 7–13 cm long (Dec) →
*Ailanthus altissima
Leaves hairy →
Stipules present
but often early-deciduous →
Leaf margins
biserrate; hairs simple (Sept) →
*Kerria japonica
Leaf margins
crenate; hairs stellate (Sept) →
Gynatrix pulchella
Stipules absent
→
Most leaf
blades basally symmetrical; margins serrulate (Sept)
→ *Malus pumila
Most leaf
blades basally asymmetrical; margins biserrate →
Base of
leaf blade distinctly 3-veined, acute (Oct)
→ *Celtis australis
Base of leaf
blade not 3-veined, rounded on one side (Aug) → *Ulmus minor
Leaves glabrous
(or at most glandular-tuberculate) →
Trees →
Leaf
margins uniformly serrulate (Oct) →
*Salix babylonica
Leaf
margins usually with 2 large lateral lobes, or sometimes entire (Dec) → Brachychiton populneus
Shrubs rarely >2 m high →
Leaves
mostly 100–180 mm long, often narrowly-lobed (Nov)
→ Solanum linearifolium
Leaves
up to 80 mm long, never narrowly-lobed →
Leaves
25–80 mm long (Oct) →
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. angustissima
Leaves
rarely >20 mm long →
Plant
glandular-viscid; leaves 8–20 mm long (Dec)
→ Olearia tenuifolia
Plant
not glandular; leaves 4–8 mm long (Oct) → Rhytidosporum procumbens
(Marianthus procumbens)
Leaves very narrow-linear,
fasciculate in 2s or 3s (Oct) →
*Pinus radiata
Leaves flat, broader
and not fasciculate → Eucalyptus :- →
Bark rough and
persistent to small branches →
Leaves
peppermint-scented; juvenile leaves consistently opposite; leaf sap thin
and watery, not sticky (Nov) → E. dives
tree/bark , leaves/buds
Leaves
not peppermint-scented; juvenile leaves alternate or rarely sub-opposite;
leaf sap sticky-viscous →
Bark stringy-fibrous,
red-brown inside (Feb) →
E. macrorhyncha
tree/bark , leaves/buds
Bark tesselate-fissured,
yellow-brown inside (Feb) →
E. bridgesiana
tree/bark , leaves/buds/fruit
Bark smooth
and decorticating, at least on main branches →
Smooth bark
with white, chalky powder, never "scribbly" →
Bark of
trunk hardly maculate, often with superficial "axe-marks" (insect damage);
juvenile leaves sessile, orbicular, glaucous; [umbels 3-fIowered] (Dec)
→ E. rubida
tree/bark , leaves/buds , fruit/juvenile foliage
Bark of
trunk maculate, usually lacking "axe-marks"; juvenile leaves short-petiolate,
linear to lanceolate, not glaucous; [umbels more than 3-fIowered] (Nov)
→ E. mannifera
tree/bark , leaves/buds , fruit/juvenile foliage
Smooth bark
hardly powdery, or if so then "scribbles" present →
"Scribbles"
usually present on smooth bark, and branches often with stress-wrinkles
at junction with trunk →
Leaves thick, parallel-veined (Dec)
→ E. pauciflora
tree/bark , leaves/flowers , fruit
Leaves
not particularly thick, penniveined (Jan) → E. rossii
tree/bark , leaves/buds , fruit/juvenile foliage
"Scribbles"
and stress-wrinkles absent →
Bark rarely sub-persistent, mostly smooth, variegated light and dark
grey and grey-brown or purplish (temporarily yellowish only after decortication);
adult leaves rather thick and "leathery", mostly about 15 cm or more
long; intra-marginal vein usually about 1 mm from margin; [umbels always
axillary; apex of buds long-conical] (Sept)
→ E. blakelyi
tree/bark , leaves/fruit , buds , juvenile foliage
Bark often sub-persistent on trunk and up to main branches; smooth bark
usually pale or yellowish grey; leaves not especially thick, up to about
10 cm long; intra-marginal vein usually about 2–3 mm from margin; [umbels
often in leafless panicles; buds lacking long-conical apex] →
Adult leaves lanceolate, apex abruptly contracted, acute; juvenile
leaves broadly elliptic-ovate (Oct)
→ E. melliodora
tree/bark , leaves/buds , fruit/juvenile foliage
Adult leaves broadly ovate-oblong, apex rounded; juvenile leaves sub-orbicular
(Oct) →
E. polyanthemos
tree/bark , leaves/buds , fruit/juvenile foliage
Leaves mostly >5
mm wide → *Cotoneaster microphyllus
Leaves mostly,
or at least the upper, up to 5 mm wide →
Leaf apex
mostly acute or aristate →
Leaves hairy,
at least on young branches → Pultenaea
:- →
Leaves weakly
pungent-aristate, margins incurved; stipules 2–5 mm long (Oct)
→ P. procumbens
Leaves not
aristate, margins involute; stipules about 1 mm long (Nov) → P. laxiflora
Leaves glabrous
or sub-glabrous →
Habit
erect or spreading, to 3 m high; leaves about 15 mm long (Sept)
→ Acacia buxifolia
Habit low
and bushy, rarely >20 cm high; leaves about 5 mm long (Aug) → Cryptandra amara var.
floribunda
Leaf apex
mostly obtuse, rounded or emarginate →
Shrubs
erect, with bright green, obovate to oblanceolate leaves →
Leaves
and stems finely hispid-hairy; mid-vein of leaf prominent; margins strongly
revolute (Sept) →
Phyllanthus hirtellus (P. thymoides)
Leaves
sub-glabrous; stems stellate-hairy; mid-vein becoming obscure distally;
margins flat or slightly recurved (Sept)
→ Cryptandra amara var. longiflora
Shrubs
often lax or semiprostrate, with dull green leaves, not obovate or oblanceolate
→
Leaves
dorsally hairy, the upper linear to narrow-ianceolate, the lower oblong-elliptic
(Aug) → Hovea
heterophylla flowers fruit
Leaves
glabrous, all very broad-ovate, broad-elliptic or broad-oblong →
Bossiaea :- →
Leaves
obtuse, 3–8 mm long; stipules longer than petiole (Oct)
→ B. buxifolia
Leaves
acute, 5–15 mm long; stipules shorter than petiole (Oct) → B. prostrata
Leaves opposite
or whorled; primary veins, if visible, not parallel →
Leaves mostly
2–6 cm long →
Leaves
rugose, stellate-hairy, mostly 2–3 cm long (Nov)
→ *Cistus salvifolius
Leaves smooth,
sub-glabrous, 3–6 cm long (Dec) →
*Ligustrum sinense
Leaves <1.5 cm long →
Leaves often
3-whorled, hairy, dorsally concave (Nov)
→ Mirbelia oxylobioides
Leaves opposite,
glabrous, dorsally convex or flat → Pimelea :- →
Shrub usually
<25 cm high, bushy or spreading; leaves sub-sessile, the margins minutely
papillose-serrulate near apex; bracts ovate to narrow-ovate (Nov)
→ P. aff. glauca
Shrub usually
>50 cm high, slender-diffuse; leaves distinctly short-petiolate, margins
smooth throughout; bracts broad-ovate (Oct)
→ P. linifolia
Leaves alternate;
primary veins parallel/radiate from base →
Leaves mostly
>20 mm long, usually falcate → Acacia
(p.p.):- →
Erect
shrub or small tree; leaves 7–12 cm long, glabrous (Jan)
→ A. implexa
Low or
prostrate shrub to 50 cm high; leaves 3–6 cm long, woolly-hairy (at least
on younger growth) (Aug) →
A. lanigera
Leaves up
to 10 mm long, never falcate →
Leaves
mostly 5-10 mm long →
Leaves
distinctly petiolate, elliptic-obovate, not pungent or aristate (Sept)
→ Brachyloma daphnoides
Leaves
sub-sessile, weakly pungent or aristate →
Leaves
linear-lanceolate, spreading (May) →
Astroloma humifusum
Leaves
broad-lanceolate, appressed (Sept) →
Leucopogon virgatus
Leaves
mostly 2–5 mm long, rarely more →
Leaves
broad-ovate with cordate base (Oct) →
Epacris microphylla
Leaves
much narrower, never with cordate base →
Leaves
linear-lanceolate, sub-glabrous; [flowers borne on older wood] (Nov)
→ Acrotriche serrulata
Leaves
ovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, clearly hairy or ciliate [flowers borne
on younger wood] → Leucopogon
(p.p.):- →
Leaves
4–6 mm long, sparsely puberulent on surface, margins ciliate; [flowers
pendulous-secund along short lateral branches; style exserted] (Oct)
→ L. fletcheri
Leaves
1.5–3 mm long, profusely hispid-hairy all over, mostly 1.5-3mm long;
[flowers otherwise; style included] →
Leaf-apex weakly pungent-aristate, straight; [flowers in small terminal
clusters] (July) →
L. pilibundus (L. microphyllus var.
pilibundus)
Leaf-apex not aristate, acute-recurved; [flowers in short leafy
spikes 1–2 cm long] (Oct) →
L. attenuatus
Leaf width mostly
>5 mm wide →
Leaves hairy
→
Leaves obovate
to oblanceolate (Dec) → Persoonia rigida
Leaves glabrous
→
Leaves clearly
asymmetric or falcate; marginal gland present →
Acacia (p.p.):- →
Leaves symmetric;
marginal gland absent →
Leaves linear to linear-oblanceolate, mostly 20–50 mm long, somewhat resinous; margins often obscurely denticulate (Oct) → Dodonaea viscosa ssp. angustissima
Leaves linear to lanceolate, 40–80 mm long, not resinous; margins entire (Oct) → Daviesia mimosoides
Leaf width mostly <5
mm →
Leaves
mostly 2–5 mm long →
Leaf-margins
strongly rolled toward mid-vein and obscuring it on the upper or lower surface
→
Leaves
axially twisted, margins involute (Oct)
→ Dillwynia phylicoides
Leaves
straight, margins revolute (Aug) →
Cryptandra amara var. fIoribunda
Leaf-margins
not obscuring mid-vein →
Leaves
2–3.5 mm long, narrow-oblong to oblanceolate (Nov)
→ Kunzea parvifolia
Leaves
3–5 mm long, broad-spathulate (Dec) →
Olearia microphylla
Leaves
mostly 5–50 mm long →
Leaf-margins
flat →
Leaves
mostly slightly asymmetric in outline; marginal gland usually present
(Sept) → Acacia
buxifolia
Leaves
symmetric about mid-vein; marginal gland absent →
Plant
lax, mostly <0.5 m high; leaves mostly 5–10 mm long; [flowers and
fruit sub-sessile] →
Leaves aromatic (Oct) →
Leptospermum multicaule
Leaves
not aromatic (Sept) →
Cryptandra amara var. longiflora
Plant erect, 0.5 m to more than 4 m high; [flowers and fruit distinctly pedunculate or pedicellate]→
Leaf-margins
involute, or revolute or recurved →
Leaves
glabrous or minutely ciliate →
Leaves
mostly 20–50 mm long (Oct) →
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. angustissima
Leaves
mostly 5–10 mm long →
Leaf-margins involute (Oct) →
Dillwynia sericea
Leaf-margins slightly recurved (Sept) → Cryptandra amara var.longiflora
Leaves
hairy on one or both surfaces →
Leaves
obtuse →
Leaves
villous, often appearing "rusty" (Aug)
→ Grevillea aff. alpina
Leaves
finely puberulent, never "rusty" (Oct)
→ Hibbertia obtusifolia
Leaves
acute to acuminate →
Mid-vein obscured on many leaf surfaces →
Cassinia (p.p.):- →
Stems and leaves hispid-hairy and scabrid; leaves 10–50 mm long
(Dec) →
C. aculeata
Stems and leaves not hispid-hairy or scabrid; leaves 5–10 mm long
(Dec) →
C. arcuata
Mid-vein clearly evident on most leaf surfaces →
Leaves 5–10 mm long, only the mid-vein evident on the lower surface
(Oct) →
Hibbertia calycina (H. stricta s.I.)
Leaves mostly 10-100 mm long; at least some lower surface visible
beside the mid-vein →
Young stems densely glandular-hairy only [flowers pale violet]
(Dec) →
Olearia tenuifolia
Young stems glabrous, or yellowish woolly- or cottony-hairy [flowers
creamy or greenish white] →
Leaves ventrally hairy, distinctly petiolate (Dec)
→ Ozothamnus conditus
(Helichrysum conditum)
Leaves ventrally glabrous, sub-sessile →
Cassinia (p.p.):- →
Leaves on flowering shoots 60–100 mm long, 2–5 mm wide; [inflorescence
corymbose] (Dec) →
C. longifolia
Leaves on flowering shoots up to 60 mm long, 1 mm wide; [inflorescence
pyramidal] (Jan) →
C. quinquefaria