Ononis L.

Key to species

1 Corolla predominantly pink, pinkish or blue, sometimes with darker veins of the same colour 2

1 Corolla yellow or predominantly yellow, sometimes with purple or brown veins 5

2 Suffrutex with spiny stems and generally decumbent Ononis spinosa

2 Shrub unarmed, with stem and branches erect orascending 3

3 Inflorescence terminal, racemiform, with 1 pedicellate flower on the bractaxil, bracts similar to the leaves, uni- or trifoliolate; pod the same length or shorter than the calyx Ononis hispida

3 Inflorescences ebracteate, axillary, with 1-3 pedicellate flowers at the end of an aristate peduncle, and all flowers grouped at the end of the stems forming a complex inflorescence; pods longer than the calyx, pendulous 4

4 Leaflets with 3-9 teeth on the distal third; corolla 8-13.5 mm, pod 11-13 mm,with 1 seed Ononis tridentata

4 Leaflets almost entirely dentate or serrated, with mucronulate teeth; corolla 11-20 mm; pod 16-30 mm, with 3-4 seeds Ononis fruticosa

5 Floral peduncles persistent, spinescent Ononis atlantica

5 Plant unarmed, with floral peduncles when present not spinescent 6

6 Inflorescence terminal, racemiform or spiciform, with 1-2 flowers on the bract axil, bracts similar to the leaves, uni- or trifoliolate, or reduced to stipules 7

6 Inflorescences ebracteate, axillary, with 1-3 pedicellate flowers at the end of an aristate peduncle, and all inflorescences grouped in the end of the stems forming a complex inflorescence 9

7 Bracts with 1 flower on its axil, caducous at anthesis; leaflets 1.5-5(6) × 1.5-3.5(4.5) mm Ononis reuteri

7 Bracts with 1-4 flowers on its axil, persistent up to fruiting; leaflets 2-35 × 2-25 mm 8

8 Inflorescence spiciform, very dense; bracts with 1 flower on its axil; leaflets herbaceous or somewhat fleshy Ononis speciosa

8 Inflorescence racemiform, lax; bracts with (1)2-3(4) flowers on its axil; leaflets coriaceous Ononis aragonensis

9 Stipules fused together and sheathing, imbricated Ononis vaginalis

9 Stipules fused largely to the petiole but not to each other nor sheathing 10

10 Leaflets linear, filiform or closely elliptic, usually longitudinally folded when old and often arched Ononis angustissima

10 Leaflets elliptic to orbicular, flat or only slightly folded longitudinally 11

11 Leaflets glabrous or covered with glanduliferous hairs only or mixed with sessile glands . 13

11 Leaflets with glanduliferous and eglandular hairs 12

12 Calyx 5-6 mm; peduncle of inflorescences with hairs glanduliferous and eglandular Ononis hesperia

12 Calyx 7-8 mm; peduncle of inflorescences with glanduliferous hairs only Ononis mogadorensis

13 Stem hairs 0.8-1.8 mm

13 Stem hairs less than 0.5 mm 14

14 Calyx teeth (5)7-14 mm, 3-5 times longer than the tube 15

14 Calyx teeth 2-6 mm, 1.5-2.5 times longer than the tube 16

15 Corolla (7)9-16(18) mm; pod 11-22 mm Ononis tazaensis

15 Corolla 7-10 mm; pod 8-12(14) mm Ononis natrix pp

16 Seeds tuberculate; corolla (7)9-16(18) mm; pod 11-22 mm Ononis ramosissima

16 Seeds smooth; corolla 6-12(14) mm; pod 9-12 mm Ononis talaverae