1 | Shrub 1-2 m high; leaves linear with revolute margins; flowers mauve or pink in a narrow, elongate, terminal raceme |
1' | Subshrubs less than 50 cm high, or perennial herbs |
2 | Inflorescences elongate, racemose, or flowers apparently axillary in the axils of the upper leaves |
2' | Inflorescences capitate; stems terete or subterete; low much-branched subshrubs |
3 | Leaves petiolate |
3' | Leaves sessile, often amplexicaul; stoloniferous, perennial herbs of marshy ground |
4 | Flowers greenish-yellow; calyx 2-lipped, teeth very unequal; robust, rhizomatous perennial herb |
4' | Flowers pink, purple or reddish; calys not distinctly 2-lipped, teeth unequal; much-branched subshrub |
5 | Stems slender, diffuse; leaves often smallish, up to 2.5 x 1.2 cm, thinly hairy, not very rugose, apex generally acute or subacute; corolla bright purple-pink |
5' | Stems rather robust, erect; leaves large, up to 4 x 2 cm, softly lanuginose, conspicuously rugose, apex blunt or rounded; corolla often pale pink, lilac or whitish |
6 | Majority of leaves linear to oblong, some elliptical (when spread out), often with nearly parallel sides and needle-like appearance |
6' | Majority of leaves obovate, ovate to almost orbicular (when spread out) |
7 | Stems spreading; leaves greyish to bluish-green; lateral corolla lobes adpressed to median lobe; corolla limb maroon, purple or brownish-pink; nutlets c. 1.8 mm long |
7' | Stems erect or suberect; leaves olive-green to green; lateral corolla lobes spreading; corolla limb white flashed with pink-violet or completely pinkish-violet; nutlets 1.1.1.3 mm long |
8 | Inflorescence elongated, much longer than broad, lengthening with age; nutlets c. 1.5 mm long |
8' | Inflorescence capitate, nearly as long as broad, not lengthening with age; nutlets mostly longer than 1.5 mm |
9 | Plant greyish green; calyx (fruiting) < 6 mm long; lateral corolla lobes < 1.2 mm long |
9' | Plant light green tinged yellowish; calyx (fruiting) > 6 mm long; lateral corolla lobes > 1.2 mm long |