Arabidopsis Heynh.

Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial, erect or suberect, branched from base. usually densely simple or branched hairy. Radical leaves usually rosulate, often petiolate, narrowed at base, rarely auriculate, ovate-oblong, entire or toothed; cauline leaves often sagittate, entire or toothed. Racemes elongate, usually bracteate at base, lax in fruit. Flowers white, purple or rose-coloured. Sepals spreading. Petals obovate or spathulate, rounded, almost twice as long as sepals, pink, white or purple. Stamens usually 6. Lateral nectar glands usually annular or semiannular; middle often torulose. Ovary linear, many-ovuled; stigma depressed. Fruits linear, often curved, compressed of terete, glabrous or hairy; valves usually weakly 1-nerved. Seeds few to many, 1 - 2 -seriate.

Mainly Asian; about 15 species, 9 in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Cauline leaves cuneate at base

2

b. Cauline leaves usually sagittate-amplexicaul or broad at base

5

2a. Fruits usually 0.5 - 1.5 cm long

8. Arabidopsis thaliana

b. Fruits usually 4 - 8 cm long

3

3a. Flowers ca 3 mm across

9. Arabidopsis wallichii

b. Flowers ca 5 mm across

4

4a. Basal leaves not rosulate; fruits blunt at apex with subsessile stigma

5. Arabidopsis russelliana

b. Basal leaves rosulate fruits acute at apex with ca 2 mm long style

7. Arabidopsis taraxacifolia

5a. Flowers yellow

4. Arabidospsis pumila

b. Flowers white or pink

6

6a. Racemes bracteate mostly up to the apex

1. Arabidopsis himalaica

b. Racemes ebracteate or rarely few bracteate below

7

7a. Fruits densely pubescent

2. Arabidopsis lasiocarpa

b. Fruits glabrous

8

8a. Cauline leaves sagittate-amplexicaul at base

3. Arabidopsis mollissima

b. Cauline leaves narrowed at base

6. Arabidopsis stricta

List of Lower Taxa