Minuartia L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, rarely subshrubs, often densely caespitose or matforming. Leaves exstipulate, usually linear or setaceous, sometimes lanceolate, rigid. Flowers solitary or in cymes, axillary or terminal, sometimes in remote cymose clusters, usually 5-merous. Sepals 5, free, herbaceous or with 2 parallel white stripes on either side of midnerve, 3 - 9-nerved, occasionally with obscure lateral nerves. Petals 5, entire or rarely emarginate, occasionlly very small, white or pink, rarely absent. Stamens (3-) 10, outer whorl with obsolete basal glands. Styles 3. Capsules ovoid or oblong, 3-valved; seeds buff to dark brown, exstrophiolate.

Temperate and Arctic regions; ca 70 species, 4 species in India.

Literature. MATTFELD, J. (1922) Geographische genetische Untersuchungen uber die Gattung Minuartia (L.) Hiern. Fedde, Repert. Spec. Nov. Beih. 15: 1 - 228, tt. 1 - 5. MATTFELD, J. (1929) Minuartia. pnanzenareale 2: 43 - 57.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Plants 3 - 7 cm high; leaves dentate to crenate; seeds smooth or reticulate

2

b. Plants 10 - 30 cm high; leaves entire; seeds honey-combed, tuberculate

3

2a. Petals oblong, equal to or longer than sepals; seeds smooth or very obscurely reticulate

1. Minuartia biflora

b. Petals filiform, shorter than sepals; seeds finely reticulate

4. Minuartia sedoides

3a. Cymes lax; pedicels longer than sepals, usually with a pair of bracteoles near middle

3. Minuartia kashmirica

b. Cymes compact; pedicels shorter than sepals, without bracteoles

2. Minuartia ebracteolata

List of Lower Taxa