Leaves generally basal and cauline, alternate, generally simple; stipules 0
Inflorescence: generally raceme
Flower bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals (0)4, free, generally white or yellow, often clawed; stamens generally (2,4)6, generally 4 long, 2 short; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: generally capsule ("silique") with 2 deciduous valves, sometimes breaking transversely or indehiscent
Seeds 1–many per chamber
Genera in family: 300+ genera, 3000+ species: worldwide, especially cool regions; some cultivated for food (especially Brassica, Raphanus ) and ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Capparaceae [Rodman et al. 1993 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 80:686–699; Rollins 1993 Cruciferae of Continental North America. Stanford Univ Press]
Family description, key to genera by Robert A. Price.
ARABIS
ROCK CRESS
Biennial, perennial herb; base woody or not; hairs 0 to dense, simple, forked, stellate, or multibranched; caudex branched or not
Stem branched or not, cylindric, leafy
Leaves: basal petioled, entire or dentate; cauline generally sessile, entire or dentate, base often lobed, often clasping stem
Inflorescence: bracts 0
Flower erect to reflexed; sepals erect; petals spoon-shaped to oblong and narrowed at base or narrowly obovate, white to deep purple, rarely straw-colored
Fruit erect to reflexed, linear, straight to curved, flat parallel to septum, rarely ± cylindric
Seeds ± many, generally 1 row per chamber, flat or plump, winged or not; embryonic root at edges of both cotyledons
Species in genus: ± 120 species: temp North America, Eurasia, Africa
Etymology: (Latin: of Arabia)
| Native |
A. puberula Torr. & A. Gray
Biennial, perennial herb; caudex simple; hairs dense, multibranched, fine
Stems 1 or few, simple or branched above, 1.5–5 dm, often stout, gray
Leaves: basal 1–3 cm, oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, gray, entire or few-toothed, tip acute; cauline many, ± crowded, sessile, 1–3 cm, oblong to lanceolate, often ± toothed or ± lobed, base ± lobed, ± clasping stem
Flower: petals 7–10 mm, spoon-shaped to narrower, rose to purplish or ± white
Fruit pendent to reflexed, 3–6 cm; tip generally obtuse; hairs ± dense; pedicel recurved or reflexed, 4–8 mm, hairs dense; style 0
Seed round, plump; wing narrow
Ecology: Rocky sites, sagebrush, juniper woodland
Elevation: 1200–3200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Utah
Flowering time: Jun–Jul
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