小柱芥属 xiao zhu jie shu

Herbs annual or perennial, tomentose. Trichomes stalked, dendritic, mixed with stalked glands, rarely glands absent. Stems simple or branched. Basal leaves petiolate, rosulate or not, simple, entire or dentate. Cauline leaves similar to basal. Racemes ebracteate, elongated in fruit. Fruiting pedicels thickened, strongly reflexed. Sepals oblong-linear or linear, connivent, base of lateral pair saccate, margin membranous. Petals yellow, creamy white, or purple-lilac; blade linear, narrowly oblong, or spatulate, apex obtuse or rounded; claw subequaling sepals. Stamens 6, strongly tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base; anthers oblong-linear or linear, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands 2, lateral, annular; median glands absent. Ovules 4-16 per ovary. Fruit tardily dehiscent or indehiscent siliques or silicles, narrowly ovoid, ellipsoid, or oblong-linear, 4-angled or latiseptate, sessile, reflexed; valves thickened, woody or leathery, veinless, densely tomentose, glandular or eglandular, smooth or torulose; replum slightly flattened; septum complete, thickened, opaque, veinless; style stout, to 5 mm, pubescent; stigma capitate, 2-lobed. Seeds uniseriate, broadly winged, ovate or orbicular, strongly flattened; seed coat smooth, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent.

Two species: China, Mongolia, Russia; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Microstigma brachycarpum Botschantzev