Orychophragmus
Orychophragmus violaceus
erect or ascending, unbranched or branched distally.
(0.6–)1.5–6(–9) dm, often branched distally, glabrous or sparsely to densely pilose.
basal and cauline;
petiolate or sessile;
basal not rosulate, petiolate or sessile, blade (simple or pinnatisect with 1–6 leafletlike lobes on each side), margins crenate;
cauline petiolate or sessile, blade (base sometimes auriculate or amplexicaul), margins entire, dentate, or, sometimes, with 1–4 lateral lobes [crenate or serrate].
petiole (1–)2–8(–11) cm;
blade or terminal lobe cordate, reniform, broadly ovate, or suborbicular, (0.4–)1.5–10(–14) cm × (3–)10–40(–70) mm, base usually cordate, rarely obtuse, margins coarsely crenate with teeth ending in apiculae, apex acute or obtuse;
lobes (0 or) 1–6 each side, sessile or petiolulate (to 3 × 2 cm), glabrous or pilose.
sessile or petiolate; (distal) blade (0.5–)2–9(–15) cm × (2–)10–60(–90) mm, base sometimes auriculate or amplexicaul, margins dentate or entire, apex acute or acuminate (auricles to 3 × 4 cm);
lobes (0 or) 1–4 each side, sessile or petiolulate, glabrous or pilose.
(corymbose, several-flowered).
sepals erect [ascending], linear [oblong], lateral pair strongly [slightly] saccate basally;
petals purple, lavender, or white, broadly obovate [narrowly obcordate], claw obscurely to considerably differentiated from blade ([shorter than] as long as sepals, apex rounded [emarginate]);
stamens tetradynamous;
filaments dilated basally;
anthers linear [oblong], (apiculate);
nectar glands (2), lateral, semiannular or annular.
sepals connivent, (6–)8–13(–16) × 1.5–2.5 mm;
petals (12–)16–25(–32) × (4–)5–9(–11) mm;
filaments 8–18 mm;
anthers (3–)4–6(–8) mm.
divaricate-ascending [divaricate, recurved], slender or stout.
(0.6–)0.8–2(–3) cm, narrower than fruit, glabrous or pilose.
siliques, dehiscent, sessile or shortly stipitate, linear, torulose, terete or somewhat 4-angled;
valves (leathery), each with prominent midvein, usually glabrous, rarely densely hirsute;
replum rounded;
septum complete;
ovules [20–]40–70 per ovary;
stigma capitate, 2-lobed (lobes distinct, decurrent).
(3–)4.5–11(–13) cm × 1.5–3 mm;
style (0.3–)0.7–3(–5.5) cm;
stigma slightly to distinctly 2-lobed.
uniseriate, plump, not winged, oblong;
seed coat (alveolate-reticulate), not mucilaginous when wetted;
cotyledons conduplicate.
2–3(–3.5) × 1–2 mm.
= 12.
= 24.
Orychophragmus
Orychophragmus violaceus
Species 2 (1 in the flora).
Orychophragmus is fairly similar to, and closely related to, Moricandia, and they can easily be misidentified. The former has petiolate, pinnately divided, broadly auriculate proximalmost leaves, non-cucullate median sepals, apiculate anthers, and non-connivent stigma lobes. By contrast, Moricandia has sessile, entire, non-auriculate proximalmost leaves, cucullate median sepals, non-apiculate anthers, and connivent stigma lobes.
Orychophragmus limprichtianus (Pax) Al-Shehbaz & G. Yang is cultivated as an ornamental, rarely escaping.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
This is the first report of Orychophragmus violaceus as naturalized in North America, though I have seen the plant cultivated as an ornamental in multiple places. The record is based on Wright 3145 (GH), a collection made on 12 May 1987 in the woods along Southern Railroad tracks in Richmond, Virginia; it is the very same collection on which R. C. Rollins (1993) based his record of Moricandia arvensis (Linnaeus) de Candolle for North America. The species appears to be spreading in other locations in the neighboring areas (Rollins).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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