Key to Rorippa

View taxon page for Rorippa

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

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

1. Cauline 

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).

bases not lobed or clasping ..... R. tenerrima

1' At least some cauline leaf bases lobed or clasping

2. Inflorescence umbel-like in fruit, congested; sepals persistent ..... R. subumbellata

2' Inflorescence elongated, not umbel-like in fruit; sepals generally deciduous

3. Plants 

papillate 

Pertaining to a surface (e.g., of a leaf, stigma, fruit) bearing small, rounded or conic protuberances (papillae).

; hairs hemispheric, sac-like ..... R. sinuata

3' Plants not papillate; glabrous or hairs 

cylindric 

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

4. Fruit valves soft hairy; sepals persistent ..... R. columbiae

4' Fruit valves glabrous; sepals deciduous

5. Fruit ± spheric, 1.2–3 mm

6. Perennial herb; 

pedicel 

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

4–15 mm; petals 3–5 mm; style 1–1.5(2) mm ..... R. austriaca

6' Annual or biennial; pedicel 1.5–3.7(4.3); petals 0.6–1.2 mm; style 0.1–0.7(1) mm ..... R. sphaerocarpa

5' Fruit not spheric, (2)4–18 mm

7. Stem 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, unbranched at base; petals (1.5)1.8–2.5(3) mm ..... R. palustris

8. Stem, abaxial leaf surface densely bristly ..... subsp. hispida

8' Stem, generally abaxial leaf surface glabrous ..... subsp. palustris

7' Stem erect, 

prostrate 

Lying flat on the ground.

to 

decumbent 

lying mostly flat on the ground but with tips curving up.

, or 

ascending 

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

, branches generally few to several from base; petals 0.5–1.8(2) mm

9. Fruit ovoid to pear-shaped; petals erect ..... R. curvipes

9' Fruit 

linear 

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

to 

oblong 

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

; petals 

spreading 

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

..... R. curvisiliqua

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.