Unknown #49
Unknown # 49

View of deeply-divided leaves and inflorescences (racemes). The elongate siliques are ascending (facing upward). Each silique has a slender pedicel (more slender than the width of silique). The silique is not attached to a stalk (stipe) above the pedicel as in Stanleya. See illustration in Unknown #3. There are several other species within this genus in San Diego County: A mountain species has divided leaves with filiform (threadlike) leaf divisions. A coastal species has widely divergent siliques with pedicels as thick as the silique. Another species has siliques closely appressed to the stem axis.

Close-up view of a silique showing one row of seeds (ovules) along the longitudinal axis of the fruit chamber (locule). There are two chambers locules separated by a longitudinal partition (septum). Each chamber represents a separate carpel. The fruit (silique) is not distinctly flattened in cross section. You must see a species with flattened siliques in order to appreciate this characteristic. The terminal stigmatic portion is not a true beak as in Unknown #3.

Fruits Of The Mustard Family

Key Traits Necessary To Identify This Species:

fl = flower   fr = fruit   pl = plant   lf = leaf   gen = generally   see JM p. 27

  1. Pl is a dicot with 4 separate petals and 4 separate sepals.
  2. One pistil per fl.
  3. Perianth composed of petals & sepals.
  4. Petals are separate.
  5. Ovary superior (above the attachment of petals sepals and stamens).
  6. Stamens 6, petals 4 and sepals 4.
  7. Lvs simple (one blade) but deeply divided. Not truly compound.
  8. Fl with radial symmetry (more than one dividing plane).
  9. Lvs basal and cauline (on stems).
  10. Fr at least 4x longer than wide. This is a true silique, not a silicle.
  11. Lf hairs simple (unbranched) or none.
  12. Fl stalk does not extend above pedicel (without stipe as in Stanleya).
  13. Calyx not urn-shaped (not Caulanthus or Streptanthus).
  14. Without bracts subtending individual flowers.
  15. Fr opening by longitudinal valves (carpels). This is not Isatis.
  16. Fr beak not prominent (not Brassica).
  17. Fr 4-sided or rounded in x.s. (not truly flattened as in Streptanthella).
  18. Seeds one row per chamber.
  19. Petals yellow (not white).
  20. Cauline lvs not clasping as in Unknown #3.
  21. Frs (siliques) ascending (facing upward) or spreading outwardly. Frs not appressed.
    One species has ascending siliques, while the other has siliques spreading outwardly.
  22. Fr linear, beak none.
  23. Upper cauline leaf divisions not threadlike.
  24. Pedicel width less than the fr width (pedicels more slender than siliques).
    One species has pedicels = to silique width (siliques up to 10 cm in length).
  25. Stem clearly branched from the base on large, mature specimens.
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