e-Key v3 - Key to Brassicaceae Genera
SANBI Flora Keys Logo
Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.
Backtrack a
  • Lowermost pair of 'leaves' opposite, sessile, amplexicaul, broader than long, upper leaves alternate or subopposite, petiolate, cordate at base
  • Cotyledons very broad, folded longitudinally and their margins deeply folded in again
Chamira
b
  • Lower leaves alternate or opposite, but neither sessile, amplexicaul and broader than long, nor, if opposite, with petiolate, cordate upper leaves
  • Cotyledons narrower, if longitudinally folded, not with margins deeply rolled in
002
Backtrack a
  • Inflorescences lateral, mostly opposite leaves
* Coronopus
b
  • Inflorescences terminal or in leaf axils
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit transversely articulate with 2 or more segments which separate at maturity
  • Lower segment indehiscent or whole fruit breaking into 1-seeded portions
002
b
  • Fruit not transversely articulate
  • Siliquae or siliculae opening by valves or breaking into 1-seeded portions, or hard and indehiscent
002
Backtrack a
  • Upper segment of fruit cylindrical, oblong-ovoid or ± conical, sometimes constricted between seeds
* Raphanus
b
  • Upper segment of fruit globose or ovoid, sometimes beaked
002
Backtrack a
  • Upper segment not beaked, style absent
  • Flowers white
* Crambe
b
  • Upper segment beaked, style persistent
  • Flowers pale yellow, sometimes with red veins
* Rapistrum
Backtrack a
  • Fruit at least 4 times as long as broad (including length of style or beak)
002
b
  • Fruit less than 3.5 times as long as broad
002
Backtrack a
  • Hairs simple or absent
002
b
  • Hairs stellate, branched or a mixture of simple and branched hairs
002
Backtrack a
  • Upper stem leaves with clasping auricles
002
b
  • Upper stem leaves without clasping auricles
002
Backtrack a
  • Upper stem leaves not divided
  • Stems round
* Brassica
b
  • Upper stem leaves divided
  • Stems angled
* Barbarea
Backtrack a
  • Stem leaves pinnate, pinnatisect, trifoliolate or digitate
002
b
  • Stem leaves simple, toothed or lobed to pinnatifid
002
Backtrack a
  • Seeds in 2 rows, rarely irregularly in 1 row
  • Flowers white or yellow
  • Fruit subterete, valves with inconspicuous midrib
Rorippa
b
  • Seeds in 1 row
  • Flowers white, mauve, lilac or purple
002
Backtrack a
  • Valves 1-3(-7)-nerved
  • Leaves pinnately or sub-bipinnately partite
Heliophila
b
  • Valves apparently nerveless
  • Leaves trifoliolate or pinnate with petiolulate leaflets or leaves pinnately lobed
Cardamine
Backtrack a
  • Petals white, blue, lilac, pink, mauve or purple
Heliophila
b
  • Petals yellow (sometimes white)
002
Backtrack a
  • Seeds in 2 rows in each locule
002
b
  • Seeds in 1 row in each locule
002
Backtrack a
  • Beak large, flat, ensiform or lanceolate, never seed-bearing
  • Valves hispid
  • Flowers large, more than 15 mm long, yellow with dark veins
* Eruca
b
  • Style not beak-like, 1.5-2.5 mm long, narrowly cylindrical or ± obconical, sometimes seed-bearing
  • Flowers small, less than 9 mm long, yellow, sometimes tinged with violet when fading
* Diplotaxis
Backtrack a
  • Valves of fruit 1-nerved
002
b
  • Valves of fruit 3- or more-nerved
002
Backtrack a
  • Cotyledons incumbent or longitudinally folded around the incumbent radicle
  • Style never beak-like and seed-bearing
Sisymbrium
b
  • Cotyledons always longitudinally folded around the incumbent radicle
  • Style beak-like, often seed-bearing
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit ± compressed or subterete, more than 2 mm wide
  • Racemes ebracteate
* Brassica
b
  • Fruit ± quadrangular, less than 2 mm wide
  • Racemes often bracteate, at least in lower part
Erucastrum
Backtrack a
  • Fruit appressed, less than 1.5 mm in diam., valves 3-nerved, the nerves obscure in ripe fruit
  • Seeds oblong to ovoid
* Hirschfeldia
b
  • Fruit spreading, more than 2.5 mm in diam., valves 3-5-nerved
  • Seeds globose
* Sinapis
Backtrack a
  • Plants glandular
  • Petals longer than 10 mm
  • Stigma deeply 2-lobed, lobes erect, each frequently with a dorsal swelling or horn
* Matthiola
b
  • Plants not glandular
  • Petals shorter than 10 mm
002
Backtrack a
  • Stem leaves amplexicaul
* Turritis
b
  • Stem leaves not amplexicaul
002
Backtrack a
  • Upper stem leaves finely divided
* Descurainia
b
  • Upper stem leaves simple, entire or dentate
002
Backtrack a
  • Basal leaves in a rosette
  • Stem leaves sessile
  • Slender, small, annual or biennial herbs up to 300 mm tall
* Arabidopsis
b
  • Basal leaves not in a rosette
  • Stem leaves petiolate
  • Perennial herbs, up to 800 mm tall
Aplanodes
Backtrack a
  • Fruit angustiseptate (septum narrow because fruit is flattened at right angles to the septum)
002
b
  • Fruit latiseptate (septum broad, fruit flattened parallel to the septum)
002
Backtrack a
  • Ovules 1-4
  • Cotyledons narrow, linear
002
b
  • Ovules 6-24
  • Cotyledons broad, elliptic to circular
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit indehiscent
  • Stem leaves sagittate, amplexicaul
  • Inflorescence a corymbose panicle
* Cardaria
b
  • Fruit breaking into two 1-seeded portions or valves falling away from the seeds
  • Stem leaves not amplexicaul
  • Inflorescences racemes
002
Backtrack a
  • Glabrous, perennial subshrubs, virgate, erect or procumbent
  • Leaves all entire
  • Flowers large, petals 8-20 mm long
  • Valves of silicula papillose to rugose
Brachycarpaea
b
  • Glabrous herbs or shrublets
  • Leaves variable
  • Flowers small, petals 1-3 mm long
  • Valves smooth
Lepidium
Backtrack a
  • Upper stem leaves cuneate
  • Plant glabrous or sparsely puberulous with simple hairs
  • Fruit ellipsoid to obovoid, 2-3(5) mm long
* Hymenolobus
b
  • Upper stem leaves sagittate-amplexicaul
  • Plants glabrous or with simple and branched hairs
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit obovate-circular, 10-15 mm long, broadly winged all around, but wings broadest apically
* Thlaspi
b
  • Fruit obcordate-triangular, 6-9 mm long, 4-8 mm broad, emarginate, lateral margins almost straight
* Capsella
Backtrack a
  • Plants with stellate, branched or medifixed hairs, sometimes mixed with simple hairs
002
b
  • Plants with simple hairs or completely glabrous
002
Backtrack a
  • Stem leaves sagittate-amplexicaul
* Camelina
b
  • Stem leaves not sagittate-amplexicaul
002
Backtrack a
  • Plants with stellate hairs
  • Flowers yellow
  • Petals linear-oblong, broadly clawed, densely pubescent on back
  • Filaments each with wing-like appendage
  • Sepals persistent whilst fruits mature
* Alyssum
b
  • Plants with medifixed hairs
  • Flowers white or pinkish
  • Petals with a circular blade, clawed, glabrous
  • Filaments without appendages
  • Sepals patent
* Lobularia
Backtrack a
  • Annual or perennial herbs
002
b
  • Perennial woody shrublets, glabrous
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit a siliqua, erect
  • Seeds in 2 rows
  • Valves with an indistinct midrib, appearing veinless
Rorippa
b
  • Fruits subcircular, compressed, discoid, pendulous, 1-seeded
  • Valves 1-nerved
Thlaspeocarpa
Backtrack a
  • Petals mauve to purple
  • Sepals 3-nerved
  • Fruit dehiscent
Cycloptychis
b
  • Petals white or pale pink
  • Fruit indehiscent
002
Backtrack a
  • Fruit erect, valves woody, margins thickened
Silicularia
b
  • Fruit pendulous, compressed, valves membranous
Schlechteria

Copyright of the content hosted by this website remains with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), unless stated otherwise.
Material from this site may be used in other media, provided that SANBI is acknowledged by the name South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) or refer to the ' How to cite this resource ' paragraph on the Home page.
Liability disclaimer: Visitors use this site at their own risk and SANBI is not liable for any of the consequences resulting therefrom.