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Key to Cakile

Brassicaceae

Cakile

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1 Lower silique segment with 2 opposite lateral horns or wings on the sides prolonged upward into sharp triangular wedges, concave in between; petals lavender (rarely white), 8-14 mm long, 3-6 mm wide; most of the leaves deeply pinnatifid into 6-9 lobes
1 Lower silique segment without lateral horns, triangular wedges absent to 1.5 mm high; petals white (rarely lavender), 4-10 mm long, 1.2-4.5 mm wide; most of the leaves with a few to many irregular teeth (or pinnatifid in C. lanceolata).
  2 Well-developed, normal infructescences > 20 cm long; petals 3.0-4.5 mm wide; [Gulf Coast or FL peninsula].
    3 Upper silique segment > 2× as long as the lower silique segment, broadest at or near its base, narrowly lanceolate to an attenuated beak; leaves usually sinuately or crenately lobed, rarely pinnatisect
    3 Upper silique segment < 2× as long as the lower silique segment, broadest above its base, ovoid to a short beak; leaves entire, lobed, or pinnatifid.
      4 Upper silique segment broadest at or near the middle, not constricted at its base; leaf blades entire to pinnatifid
      4 Upper silique segment broadest towards its base, and with a waist or constriction at its junction with the lower segment; leaf blades deeply pinnatifid
  2 Infructescences 10-20 cm long; [collectively widespread].
        5 Rachis of inflorescence geniculate (when fruiting); pedicels as thick as the rachis; petals 1.2-1.9 mm wide
        5 Rachis of inflorescence straight (when fruiting); pedicels narrower than the rachis; petals 1.3-3.0 mm wide.
          6 Siliques 3-4 mm wide, the beak conical and acute at the apex; [of the Gulf Coast]
          6 Siliques 5-9 mm wide, the beak somewhat flattened and typically rather blunt; [of the Atlantic Coast].
             7 Upper fruit segment 12-20 mm long, 8-ribbed; articulating surface of lower fruit segment flat (to slightly convex or concave) and without teeth; [of NC southward to St. Lucie County, FL]
             7 Upper fruit segment 7-15 mm long, 4-angled (to weakly 8-ribbed); articulating surface of lower fruit segment flat to concave and with 2 (-6) small teeth projecting upward or the sides prolonged upward into 2 opposite triangular wedges; [of NC northward to NL (Labrador)]
               8 Upper fruit segment 5-9 mm wide, with a short apex (shorter than the seed-bearing portion of the upper segment); petals 0-4; [widespread in our area, including Great Lakes shores]
               8 Upper fruit segment 3-5 mm wide, with an elongated apex (longer than the seed-bearing portion of the upper segment); petals usually 4; [Great Lakes shores]