Flora of North America species comparison

cylindrical, slender, 0.8–1.5 mm diam.

prostrate to decumbent or erect, unbranched or branched, 0.5–4(–6) dm.

absent.

3–10, usually simple, rarely 3 or 5-foliolate, petiolate;

petiolulate or sessile;

petiole 0.4–2.5 cm, base not auriculate;

lateral leaflets (when present) sessile or petiolulate (to 0.2 cm), blade similar to terminal, considerably smaller;

terminal leaflet blade orbicular to reniform or ovate to oblong, 0.4–3 cm × 3–20 mm, (somewhat fleshy), base subcordate to rounded or subtruncate, margins entire or repand, rarely undulate, (apex rounded).

(rarely absent), usually petiolate, sometimes sessile;

blade (simple or compound), base auriculate or not, margins entire or dentate to pinnately lobed.

absent or simple.

ebracteate.

usually ebracteate (Selenia bracteate throughout), often elongated in fruit.

sepals ovate, 0.7–1.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally;

petals absent or rudimentary, to 0.7 mm;

filaments 0.5–0.8 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.1–0.2 mm.

actinomorphic;

sepals erect to spreading or ascending, lateral pair seldom saccate basally;

petals white, yellow, pink, lilac, or purple, claw usually present, rarely absent, often distinct;

filaments unappendaged, not winged;

pollen 3-colpate.

divaricate-ascending to spreading, 0.5–2(–4) mm.

narrowly oblong to linear, (3–)5–10(–15) × 0.8–1.2 mm;

ovules 6–22 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.5(–1) mm.

silicles or siliques, dehiscent, unsegmented, terete, 4-angled, or latiseptate, rarely angustiseptate;

ovules 4–300[–numerous] per ovary;

style distinct or obsolete (absent in Subularia);

stigma usually entire.

light or yellowish brown, oblong or ovoid, 1–1.4 × 0.7–1 mm.

biseriate or uniseriate;

cotyledons usually accumbent, sometimes incumbent.