Jepson eFlora: Key page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Key to Arabis

View taxon page for Arabis

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

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

1. Cauline 
leaf 
image missingOrgan 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 lobed or 
sagittate 
image missingArrowhead-shaped, with two basal lobes oriented nearly parallel to the long axis.

2. Petals (5.5)6.5–9(10) mm; bases of lateral sepal pair sac-like; fruit 1.2–2 mm wide; cauline leaves (2)4–12(18), generally well-spaced ..... A. eschscholtziana

2' Petals 3.5–5(5.5) mm; sepal base not sac-like; fruit 0.8–1(1.2) mm wide; cauline leaves (7)10–45(61), generally overlapping ..... A. pycnocarpa var. pycnocarpa

1' Cauline leaf bases 
tapered 
image missingGradually (not abruptly) narrower or smaller at base or tip.
, not lobed or sagittate

3. Hairs of 
basal 
image missingAt 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.
leaves 
stellate 
image missingPertaining to a hair or other structure with three or more branches radiating in two or three dimensions from a common point.
, 3- or 4-rayed ..... A. modesta

3' Hairs of basal leaves 
simple 
image missingComposed of a single part; undivided; unbranched.
to 2(4)-rayed or 0

4. Seeds ± round, 2–2.5 mm; fruit 2–3 mm wide ..... A. blepharophylla

4' Seeds 
oblong 
image missingLonger than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.
, 1–1.3 mm wide; fruit 1.5–2 mm wide

5. Plant glabrous or with a few simple hairs at teeth tips of basal leaves; fruit 2–4 cm ..... A. mcdonaldiana

5' Plant moderately to densely hairy, hairs simple, 
forked 
image missingPertaining to a hair or other structure that branches into two parts.
; fruit (3)4.5–5 cm ..... A. oregana

 

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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 .

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