Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy and/or fibrous, or taproots.

2 or more from each rosette, spreading to ascending, 2–11 cm.

decumbent to erect, simple or branched;

nodes glabrous.

basal and cauline;

basal in single, prostrate rosette;

blade spatulate, 1–3 cm.

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).

paniculate or racemose scorpioid cymes, becoming secund, open to dense.

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 ovate, orbiculate, or reniform, unequal, 2–5 mm, margins scarious;

petals 3(–4), white or pinkish, 1.5–3 mm;

stamens 1–3, anther yellow;

style absent;

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.

ovoid to cylindric, 3–7 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.

10–15, black, orbicular, 0.6–0.7 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.

= 44.