California jewel (Caulanthus californicus)
Description
Annuals; (sometimes glaucous), hispid proximally, glabrous distally. Stems erect to subdecumbent, usually branched distally, 0.9-5.5 dm, sparsely hispid basally. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole 0.3-3.5 cm; blade oblanceolate, 0.7-8 cm - 3-25 mm, margins often coarsely dentate, sometimes somewhat pinnatifid. Cauline leaves (median) sessile; blade oblong or suborbicular to obovate, 0.6-7.5 cm - 3-55 mm (smaller distally, base amplexicaul), margins coarsely dentate or entire. Racemes (densely flowered), with a terminal cluster of sterile flowers. Fruiting pedicels ascending to reflexed, 2-11 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous. Flowers: sepals erect to ascending (dark purple in bud, purplish green after anthesis), ovate-lanceolate, 4-9(-11) - 2.5-3.5 mm (unequal, adaxial one longest, keeled); petals white (with purple veins), 5.5-12 mm, blade 2-5 - 1-2 mm, crisped, claw narrowly oblong to lanceolate, 5-8 - 2.5-4 mm; filaments in 3 unequal pairs, abaxial pair 3-8 mm, lateral pair 2-7 mm, adaxial pair (connate), 5-9 mm; anthers oblong, equal, 1-3.5 mm. Fruits erect or reflexed (often straight), angustiseptate, 1.7-5 cm - 3.5-6 mm; valves each with prominent midvein; ovules 46-100 per ovary; style 0.2-2.7 mm; stigma strongly 2-lobed (lobes to 2 mm, opposite valves). Seeds (subglobose, plump), 1-1.6 mm diam., (cotyledons deeply 3-fid). 2n = 28.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Brassicales
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Family: Brassicaceae
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Genus: Caulanthus
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