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

Brassicaceae - Lepidieae - *Capsella Medik.

Description :

  • Annual or biennial herbs with simple and branched hairs
  • Leaves basally pinnatipartite to entire; stem leaves sessile, amplexicaul
  • Inflorescences ebracteate racemes
  • Sepals spreading, not saccate
  • Petals 4 or 0, white, pink or yellowish, shortly clawed
  • Stamens 6; filaments without appendages; anthers ovoid, obtuse
  • Nectaries semicircular glands, one on either side of each short filament
  • Ovary dorsiventrally flattened, obovate, ovules 12-24 per locule
  • Fruit an angustiseptate, obcordate silicula; valves keeled, net-veined
  • Seeds ellipsoid, not winged; cotyledons incumbent
  • x = 8

Nomenclature:

  • *Capsella Medik.
    • Medikus: 85 (1792) name conserved
    • Sonder: 31 (1860)
    • Schulz: 453 (1936)
    • Adamson: 421 (1950)
    • Phillips: 351 (1951)
    • Exell: 192 (1960)
    • Chater: 316 (1964)
    • Marais: 97 (1970)
    • Jonsell: 27 (1982)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 5, eastern Mediterranean and W Asia
  • Southern Africa : Species 1: * Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., naturalised, widespread

References:

  • ADAMSON, R.S. 1950. Cruciferae Juss. In R.S. Adamson & T.M. Salter, Flora of the Cape Peninsula . Juta, Cape Town
  • CHATER, A.O. 1964. Cruciferae . Capsella , Sinapis , Raphanus . Flora europaea 1
  • EXELL, A.W. 1960. Cruciferae . Flora zambesiaca 1
  • JONSELL, B. 1982. Cruciferae . Flora of tropical East Africa , Cruciferae
  • MARAIS, W. 1970. Cruciferae . Flora of southern Africa 13
  • MEDIKUS, F.K. 1792. Pflanzen-Gattungen . Swan & Götz, Mannheim
  • PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. The genera of South African flowering plants, edn 2. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 25
  • SCHULZ, O.E. 1936. Cruciferae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien II,17b
  • SONDER, O.W. 1860. Crucifereae . Flora capensis 1