TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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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 1many 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 80:686699; 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. glabra (L.) Benth.
Biennial, rarely per; hairs forked or multibranched, spreading, rarely appressed
Stems 1 or few, erect, simple, rarely branched above, 412 dm, stout
Leaves: basal petioled, 615 cm, widely oblanceolate to spoon-shaped or oblong, dentate to ± lobed, hairs coarse; cauline sessile, 415 cm, lanceolate to ovate, sagittate, clasping stem, entire or lower toothed, hairs 0 to sparse
Flower: petals linear to narrowly spoon-shaped, cream, rarely lilac
Fruit erect, 410 cm, ± cylindric, glabrous; style short, stout
Seeds 2 rows per chamber, oblong to ± round; wing 0 to very narrow
Ecology: Open fields, meadows, slopes
Elevation: < 2300 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: temperate N.America, Europe
Native var. glabra
Stem: hairs, at least at base, spreading, simple, large
Chromosomes: 2n=12,16,32
Ecology: Open fields, woodlands, meadows, shaded mtn slopes
Elevation: < 2300 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: temperate N.America, Europe
Synonyms: A. perfoliata Lam
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