Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy and/or fibrous, or taproots.

2 or more from each rosette, spreading to ascending, to 50 cm.

decumbent to erect, simple or branched;

nodes glabrous.

basal and cauline;

basal in single, prostrate rosette, blade spatulate, 0.5–15 cm;

cauline leaves smaller.

basal and/or cauline, glabrous, not articulate at base, somewhat to markedly clasping, attachment points linear;

basal leaves in rosettes;

cauline leaves alternate (usually absent in C. umbellata and C. tweedyi).

umbellate, rarely paniculate cymes, usually open.

axillary, umbellate, paniculate, racemose, or cymose, sometimes scorpioid and/or secund, loose to dense, 1–many-flowered, leafy and/or bracteate;

bracts (1–)2 subtending each flower, markedly unequal.

subsessile;

sepals orbiculate to reniform, unequal, 3–8 mm, scarious;

petals 4, rose or pinkish white to white, 3–9 mm;

stamens 3, anther pink or rose;

style exserted, filiform;

stigmas 2.

pedicellate to subsessile;

sepals persistent, distinct, not keeled or angled, often unequal, herbaceous to scarious, glabrous;

petals 2–9(–12), distinct;

stamens 1–23;

ovules 1–many;

style present or absent;

stigmas 2 or 3.

globose, 2–3.5 mm;

valves 2.

2–3-valved, dehiscence loculicidal from apex, valves not deciduous, (except C. tweedyi, which has circumscissile deshiscence and 3–4 valves splitting from base), margins not reflexed after dehiscence, margins not markedly involute.

1–3, black, orbicular-reniform, 0.7–1.2 mm, shiny.

1–40, dark brownish red, dull gray, or black, usually elliptic to orbiculate, sometimes orbiculate-reniform, dull or shiny, smooth or sculptured, sometimes hairy, strophiolate in C. maritima and C. tweedyi.

= 22, 23.