绵果荠属 mian guo ji shu

Herbs annual, villous throughout. Trichomes stalked, 1-3-forked, mixed with simple ones. Stems erect, simple or branched above. Basal leaves petiolate, subrosulate, simple, entire or sinuate-dentate. Cauline leaves petiolate, similar to basal ones but larger, sometimes pinnatipartite. Racemes 3-16-flowered, lax, ebracteate, elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels slender, erect-ascending. Sepals oblong or oblong-linear, deciduous, erect, base of lateral pair saccate, margin narrowly membranous. Petals pink; blade linear or narrowly spatulate, apex obtuse; claw strongly differentiated from blade, subequaling sepals. Stamens 6, tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base, filiform; anthers oblong, apiculate at apex. Nectar glands 2, lateral, semiannular, extrastaminal; median glands absent. Ovules 2 per ovary. Fruit indehiscent, nutletlike silicles, ovoid, terete or slightly 4-angled, sessile; valves thickened, reticulate, densely white silky; replum rounded; septum complete, thickened, opaque; style cylindric, persistent, to 7 mm; stigma capitate, deeply 2-lobed, lobes spreading. Seeds wingless, oblong, plump; seed coat smooth, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons incumbent.

One species: C and SW Asia.

Lower Taxon

• Lachnoloma lehmannii Bunge