e-Key v3 - Erucastrum
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Brassicaceae - Brassiceae - Erucastrum (DC.) C.Presl

Description :

  • Annual, biennial or perennial herbs with simple hairs
  • Leaves basally lyrate-pinnatifid; upper leaves usually sessile
  • Inflorescences often bracteate racemes
  • Sepals erect or spreading, inner two ± saccate
  • Petals clawed, yellow
  • Stamens 6; filaments without appendages
  • Nectaries semicircular or 2-lobed, median ones ± tongue-shaped
  • Ovary cylindrical; ovules 10-50; style short; stigma semiglobose to 2-fid
  • Fruit a siliqua, readily dehiscent, subterete, ± quadrangular, ± torulose; valves keeled, 1-nerved, reticulately veined; beak conical, 0-3-seeded
  • Seeds ovoid or oblong, in 1 row; cotyledons folded longitudinally around incumbent radicle
  • x = 7, 8, 9 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • Erucastrum (DC.) C.Presl
    • Candolle: 582, 598 (1821) as Brassica L. sect. Erucastrum DC.
    • Presl: 92 (1826) as Erucastrum
    • Sonder: 31 (1860), under Brassica
    • Schulz: 88 (1919)
    • Schulz: 331 (1936)
    • Phillips: 350 (1951)
    • Exell: 189 (1960)
    • Tutin: 340 (1964)
    • Marais: 7 (1970)
    • Jonsell: 9 (1982)
    • Jonsell: 64 (1993)
    • López: 67 (1999)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 18, central and southern Europe, Africa, Arabian Peninsula
  • Southern Africa : Species 3, widespread

References:

  • CANDOLLE, A.-P. DE. 1821. Cruciferae . Regni vegetabilis systema naturale 2: 582, 598. Treuttel & Würtz, Paris
  • EXELL, A.W. 1960. Cruciferae . Flora zambesiaca 1
  • JONSELL, B. 1982. Cruciferae . Flora of tropical East Africa , Cruciferae
  • JONSELL, B. 1993. Brassicaceae ( Cruciferae ). Flora of Somalia 1
  • LÓPEZ, G. 1999. On the basionym and type of the name Erucastrum ( Cruciferae ). Taxon 48
  • MARAIS, W. 1970. Cruciferae . Flora of southern Africa 13
  • PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. The genera of South African flowering plants, edn 2. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 25
  • PRESL, K.B. 1826. Flora sicula . A. Borrosch, Prague
  • SCHULZ, O.E. 1919. Cruciferae . Das Pflanzenreich 4, 105, Heft 70
  • SCHULZ, O.E. 1936. Cruciferae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien II,17b
  • SONDER, O.W. 1860. Crucifereae . Flora capensis 1
  • TUTIN, T.G. 1964. Cruciferae . Eruca , Erucastrum . Flora europaea 1

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