Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy and/or fibrous, or taproots.

1 or more from each rosette, 10–20 cm, bracts scattered proximally, ovate-lanceolate, scarious.

decumbent to erect, simple or branched;

nodes glabrous.

basal, in loose rosettes;

blade elliptic-lanceolate to ovate or oblanceolate, narrowing to broad petiole, 6–15 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).

racemose, 1–5(–8)-flowered.

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.

pedicellate;

sepals broadly ovate, 9–10 mm, scarious;

petals 7–9(–12), salmon-pink to yellowish, rarely white, 25–40 mm;

stamens 10–23, anther yellow;

style present;

stigmas 3;

pedicel 20–60 mm.

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, 7–10 mm, dehiscence circumscissile near base;

valves 3–4, splitting from base toward apex.

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.

12–35, dark brownish red, suborbicular to reniform, 2 mm, not shiny, warty, strophiolate.

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.

= 46, 92.