Flora of North America species comparison

erect to prostrate, (much-branched), often 5+ dm.

(shortly petiolate or sessile);

blade broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, or (distal) oblanceolate, (not especially fleshy, smaller distally), margins entire, dentate, or pinnatisect.

petiolate or sessile;

blade base auriculate or not, margins entire, dentate, serrate, or pinnately lobed.

absent or simple.

often 3+ dm;

rachis straight.

usually ebracteate, often elongated in fruit.

sepals 3.5–5 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals usually white, rarely lavender, 4.9–9.4 × 3–4.5 mm, claw distinct.

actinomorphic;

sepals erect, ascending, or spreading, lateral pair saccate or not basally;

petals white, cream, yellow, pink, lilac, lavender, or purple, claw present, often distinct;

filaments unappendaged, not winged;

pollen 3-colpate.

1.5–4 mm.

(weakly 4-angled to terete, striate or sulcate), fusiform or lanceoloid [turbinate], 15–31 × 3–4 mm;

proximal segment terete, (5–10 mm);

terminal segment slenderly conical, (9–18 mm), apex usually acute.

silicles or siliques, dehiscent or indehiscent, usually segmented, usually latiseptate or terete (subterete or 4-angled in Erucastrum) [angustiseptate];

ovules (1–)2–276[–numerous] per ovary;

style usually distinct (absent in Cakile, obscure in Carrichtera, obsolete in Eruca);

stigma entire or strongly 2-lobed (sometimes slightly 2-lobed in Cakile).

cotyledons accumbent or, occasionally, incumbent.

biseriate, uniseriate, or aseriate;

cotyledons usually conduplicate, rarely accumbent or incumbent (in Cakile).