Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Click images to enlarge and show more photo credit.

Key to Paysonia

Brassicaceae

Paysonia

Copy permalink to share

1
Cauline leaves cuneate or petiolate at the base, not auriculate
 ⇒ Physaria
1
Cauline leaves expanded at the base, usually auriculate.
  2
Siliques strongly compressed parallel to the plane of the septum (latiseptate), orbicular in outline, > 3× as wide as thick; valves pubescent with a mixture of large, simple, bulbous-based trichomes and smaller branched trichomes; flowers yellow
 ⇒ Paysonia lescurii
  2
Siliques not compressed, or slightly to somewhat compressed at right angles to the plane of the septum (angustiseptate), nearly globose, subglobose, pyriform, or slightly bilobed, < 2× as wide as thick; valves variously glabrous, pubescent with only a single type of trichome, or pubescent with a mixture of large, simple, bulbous-based trichomes and smaller branched trichomes; flowers white (to pale lavender) or yellow.
    3
Petals white or pale lavender (the claws yellowish); siliques pyriform, depressed globose, or slightly bilobed; septum (of the silique) perforate or nearly absent (rarely complete).
      4
Siliques glabrous or very sparsely pubescent, subpyriform; valves (of the silique) papery, densely pubescent on the interior; styles glabrous
 ⇒ Paysonia perforata
    3
Petals light to rich yellow (sometimes drying purplish); siliques globose to subglobose; septum (of the silique) complete.
      5
Siliques slightly to strongly compressed at right angles to the plane of the septum (angustiseptate); fruiting pedicels recurved (bending downwards); filaments not dilated at the base; petals pale yellow (sometimes drying purplish); valves of silique densely hairy.
        6
Fruits not inflated, the valves V-shaped or even keeled in ×-section; trichomes of the stems and leaves usually simple (sometimes with an understory of smaller, branched trichomes); [s. TX]
 ⇒ Paysonia lasiocarpa ssp. berlandieri
        6
Fruits inflated, the valve outer surface rounded in ×-section; trichomes of the stems and leaves of long, coarse simple trichomes over an understory of smaller branched trichomes; [s. TX, northwards to c. TX]
 ⇒ Paysonia lasiocarpa ssp. lasiocarpa
      5
Siliques not compressed; fruiting pedicels straight, ascending; filaments dilated at the base; petals rich yellow; silique valves glabrous (densely hairy in P. densipila).
        7
Siliques densely hairy; styles pubescent, at least near their bases; [c. and e. TN and nc. AL]
 ⇒ Paysonia densipila
          8
Siliques 3-4 × 3-4 mm; ovules 4-8 per ovary; septum of silique thick, opaque; [nw. AL]
 ⇒ Paysonia lyrata
          8
Siliques 4-6 (-8) × 4-6 mm; ovules (8-) 12-28 (-40) per ovary; septum of silique thin, translucent or transparent; [OK, TX].
             9
Lower stem hirsute with spreading, simple trichomes; lower stem leaves strongly auriculate; petals 4-5 mm wide
 ⇒ Paysonia auriculata
             9
Lower stem pubescent with appressed, branched trichomes; lower stem leaves slightly auriculate; petals 6-9 mm wide
 ⇒ Paysonia grandiflora