Aethionema R.Br.

75. Aethionema R.Br. 1

Glabrous, annual or perennial herbs, with entire, sessile leaves. Inflorescence racemose. Sepals erect, the lateral saccate at base; petals entire, of various colours; the 4 inner stamens with winged and bent filaments, the wing sometimes ending in a tooth above. Silicula flattened and winged, sometimes bilocular and angustiseptate, with 1 -4 seeds in each loculus, opening by 2 valves; sometimes unilocular, 1 -seeded and indéhiscent.

1 Petals 7 mm, yellow; style 3 mm or more 3. cordatum 1 Petals less than 7 mm, not yellow; style less than 3 mm 2 Silicula entire at apex 3 Leaves opposite; silicula subacute at apex 1. orbiculatum 3 Leaves alternate; silicula truncate at apex 2. polygaloides 2 Silicula emarginate at apex 4 Silicula 10 mm or more 5. arabicum 4 Silicula less than 10 mm 5 Lower parts of stems densely covered with elliptical, acute leaves 3-5 mm 4. iberideum 5 Lower parts of stem with obtuse leaves more than 5 mm

6. saxatile