Key to Erysimum

View taxon page for Erysimum

(For a list of species in Erysimum, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Petals 3–9(12) mm, 1.5–3 mm wide

2. Fruit valves densely hairy inside; sepals 1.8–3.2 mm; petal claw 1.5–3.5 mm ..... E. cheiranthoides

2' Fruit valves glabrous (sparsely hairy) inside; sepals 4–8 mm; petal claw 3–8 mm ..... E. repandum

1' Petals (10)13–30(35) mm, 3–10(15) mm wide

3. Most proximal stems woody; plant generally subshrub

4. Fruit hairs 2-rayed; stigma 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

2, prominent, longer than wide; petals orange to yellow, brown, red, purple, violet, or white ..... E. cheiri

4' Fruit hairs 2–4-rayed; stigma lobes obscure, as long as wide; petals yellow or cream

5. Fruit flat perpendicular to septum; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

hairs 2(3)-rayed ..... E. insulare

5' Fruit flat parallel to septum or 4-angled; leaf hairs 2–5-rayed

6. Distal leaves petioled; fruit flat parallel to septum; 

pedicel 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

 stout, 5–17(22) mm ..... E. franciscanum

6' Distal leaves 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

; fruit 4-angled or ± flat parallel to septum; 

pedicels 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

slender, (3)5–10 mm ..... E. suffrutescens

3' Proximal stems not woody; plant biennial or 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

 herb

7. Basal leaves thread-like to narrowly 

linear 

Elongate, with nearly parallel sides; narrower than elliptic or oblong.

, margins ± rolled under, appearing 

cylindric 

Elongate, with parallel sides and, at any point, round in transverse section.

..... E. teretifolium

7' Basal leaves various, flat, not thread-like or narrowly linear

8. Fruit constricted between seeds; seeds 26–44; petals 3.5–6 mm wide ..... E. perenne

8' Fruit not constricted between seeds; seeds (32)42–86; petals (5)6–16 mm wide

9. Pedicels 2–4(6) mm; seeds 1.5–3 mm wide, broadly 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

to ± round ..... E. concinnum

9' Pedicels 4–17(25) mm; seeds 0.7–2 mm wide, 

oblong 

Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.

10. Fruit 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

or 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

(± spreading); petals orange or occasionally orange-yellow to yellow (lavender to ± purple); seeds winged only at tip or 

wing 

1. Thin, flat extension or appendage of a surface or margin. 2. In many members of Fabaceae and in some other groups, each of two lateral petals.

0; widespread ..... E. capitatum

11. Seeds winged at tip, 2–4 mm, (0.8)1–2 mm wide; fruit flat parallel to septum (4-angled); petals generally orange, occasionally orange-yellow or yellow; adaxial hairs of 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

, proximal cauline leaves generally 3(7)-rayed ..... var. capitatum

11' Seeds wingless, 1.5–2(2.4) mm, 0.7–1.2 mm wide; fruit 4-angled (flat parallel to septum); petals generally yellow (lavender to ± purple); adaxial hairs of basal, proximal cauline leaves generally 2(3)-rayed ..... var. purshii

10' Fruit 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

; petals yellow; seeds winged all around; NCo, CCo

12. Basal leaves linear-oblanceolate, 2–9 mm wide; stem 0.4–9(13) dm; fruit 

valve 

1. In legumes or capsules opening by longitudinal lines, one of the parts into which the fruit is dehiscent. 2. In anthers, the flap of tissue resulting from dehiscence by a curved line. (e.g., Lauraceae, some Berberidaceae). 3. In Ophioglossaceae, one of the parts into which the sporangium is dehiscent.

midvein prominent; seeds 50–86 ..... E. ammophilum

12' Basal leaves spoon-shaped, 5–15 mm wide; stem 0.2–2.5(3.5) dm; fruit valve midvein obscure; seeds 32–74 ..... E. menziesii

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