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BRASSICACEAE

MUSTARD FAMILY

Reed C. Rollins, except as specified

Annual to subshrub
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.

CAULANTHUS

JEWELFLOWER

Roy E. Buck

Annual to perennial herb, generally tapered-hairy on leaves and lower stem
Stem generally ascending to erect, ± glaucous
Leaves ± entire to deeply cut; basal generally rosetted, withering, generally oblanceolate to obovate; cauline generally linear to obovate, clasping, reduced
Inflorescence becoming more open; bracts generally 0
Flower biradial to ± bilateral; calyx ± urn-shaped, sepals often ± pouched below, generally not green, generally not darker in bud, generally erect after flower; petal (and sepal) margins often scarious, wavy or not; filaments generally in 3 pairs, generally free (or longest 1–2 pairs ± fused below); style < 4 mm, stigma generally 2-lobed
Fruit ascending to reflexed, generally cylindric
Seed generally ± oblong, generally compressed, generally ± brown
Species in genus: ± 14 species: ± sw North America
Etymology: (Greek: stem flower, from use of some as cauliflower-like vegetable)

Native

C. californicus (S. Watson) Payson

CALIFORNIA JEWELFLOWER

Annual, ± glabrous or sparsely bristly below
Stem decumbent to erect, often branched ± throughout
Leaves < 11 cm; basal coarsely wavy-dentate to shallowly cut, tapered to short, winged petiole; cauline ovate to ± round, entire to coarsely dentate, clasping
Inflorescence often 1-sided
Flower: sepals erect or spreading, 4–10 mm, pouched below, keeled, darker in bud; petals 6–11 mm, whitish, veins purple, margins wavy; filaments free or longest pair ± fused; style < 3 mm
Fruit ascending to reflexed, 1–6 cm, compressed perpendicular to septum
Seed ± spheric
Ecology: Flats, gentle slopes, generally in non-alkaline grassland, open juniper woodland
Elevation: 70–1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: s San Joaquin Valley.Formerly more widespread in s SnJV. Sometimes treated as Stanfordia c. S. Watson because seed spheric, fruit compressed perpendicular to septum.

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