Flora of North America species comparison

usually erect or ascending, rarely subdecumbent, unbranched or branched distally, (sometimes inflated).

erect to ascending (often flexuous, weak, often tangled with desert shrubs), usually branched distally, 1–8 dm, glabrous or puberulent.

basal and cauline;

petiolate, subsessile, or sessile;

basal rosulate or not, petiolate, blade margins entire, dentate, sinuate, lobed, or pinnatifid;

cauline petiolate, subsessile, or sessile, blade (base sometimes sagittate or amplexicaul, rarely subauriculate), margins entire, dentate, or lobed.

rosulate;

petiole 0.3–2.5 cm;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.7–6 cm × 2–27 mm, margins usually coarsely dentate or somewhat pinnatifid, rarely entire, (surfaces glabrous).

(median) sessile;

blade lanceolate or oblong, 1.5–7.5 cm × 5–20 mm (smaller distally, base amplexicaul to sagittate), margins dentate or entire, (surfaces glabrous).

(corymbose, sometimes with a terminal cluster of sterile flowers from grouping of dark purple flower buds, rarely proximalmost flowers bracteate), elongated in fruit.

(lax), without a terminal cluster of sterile flowers.

sepals usually erect or ascending, rarely spreading, oblong or ovate to lanceolate, (usually forming urceolate calyx, sometimes keeled), lateral pair saccate or not basally;

petals yellow, brown, purple, lavender, white, yellowish green, or, rarely, pinkish, linear to oblanceolate, (often channeled and crisped, rarely neither, equal or abaxial (lower) pair slightly shorter than adaxial (upper) pair, longer than sepals), claw often well-differentiated from blade (sometimes longer and wider than blade, entire);

stamens tetradynamous or 3 unequal pairs (rarely subequal);

filaments not dilated basally, (usually distinct, sometimes adaxial or both median pairs connate);

anthers oblong, (equal or adaxial pair smaller, apex obtuse or apiculate);

nectar glands usually confluent, subtending bases of stamens.

sepals erect, (purplish or yellow-green), narrowly lanceolate, 3–6.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm (equal);

petals yellow-green to purplish (often with purple veins), 4.5–9 mm, blade 2–3 × 0.7–1.5 mm, not crisped, claw narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 2.5–7 × 1–1.5 mm;

filaments slightly tetradynamous, median pairs 2–4.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, equal, 1.5–2 mm.

erect, ascending to divaricate, or reflexed, slender or stout.

reflexed, 1–4.5 mm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent.

sessile, linear, usually smooth, rarely torulose, usually terete, latiseptate, or angustiseptate, rarely 4-angled;

valves each with distinct or obscure midvein, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

replum rounded;

septum complete, (veinless);

ovules 14–60[–210] per ovary;

style obsolete or distinct;

stigma capitate or not, entire, subentire, or 2-lobed (lobes opposite valves or replum).

usually reflexed, rarely divaricate (often subfalcate), terete, 2–6 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves each with prominent midvein, (glabrous or puberulent);

ovules 24–48 per ovary;

style 0.2–2.7 mm;

stigma slightly 2-lobed.

uniseriate, usually flattened (plump in C. californicus), usually not winged, rarely margined, oblong, ovoid, or, rarely, subglobose;

seed coat not mucilaginous when wetted;

cotyledons incumbent or obliquely so, (entire or, rarely, 3-fid).

1–2 × 1–1.2 mm.

= 14.

= 28.