CHLOROCRAMBE Rydberg, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 435. 1907.
Ihsan A. Al-Shehbaz
Tribe: Thelypodieae Prantl in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. III. 2: 155. 1891.
Name derivation: Greek chlor-, green, and crambe, cabbage-like plant, in reference to the resemblance of the foliage to those of kale; Crambe is a genus of Brassicaceae.
Type species: Chlorocrambe hastata (S. Watson) Rydberg (based on Caulanthus hastatus S. Watson).
Herbs, perennial; caudex woody, few branched. Trichomes absent. Multicellular glands absent. Stems erect, stout, few branched above. Basal leaves long petiolate, not rosulate, simple, soon withered; cauline leaves petiolate, entire or lowermost lobed. Racemes many flowered, ebracteate or lowermost few flowers sometimes bracteate, lax, elongated considerably in fruit; flowers reflexed at anthesis, greenish white or greenish yellow; rachis straight; fruiting pedicels divaricate to slightly reflexed; persistent. Sepals narrowly lanceolate, free, caducous, ascending, equal, base of lateral pair not saccate. Petals white, only slightly longer than sepals, ascending; blade linear, slightly crisped, emarginated at apex; claw strongly differentiated from blade, shorter than sepals, obovate or oblanceolate, distinctly wider than blade, glabrous, unappendaged, dentate or incised. Stamens 6, well exserted beyond petals, erect, subequal; filaments wingless, unappendaged, glabrous, free, slightly dilated at base; anthers linear, coiled after dehiscence, apiculate at apex. Nectar glands confluent, lateral glands annular or semi-annular; median glands present. Ovules 40–60 per ovary; placentation parietal. Fruits dehiscent capsular siliques, linear, subterete or slightly compressed, not inflated, unsegmented; valves papery, with a prominent midvein extending full length, glabrous, not keeled, torulose, wingless, unappendaged; gynophore (1–)2–8(–10) mm; replum rounded, visible; septum complete, membranous, not veined; style obsolete; stigma capitate, entire, unappendaged. Seeds uniseriate, distally winged, oblong, plump; seed coat not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons obliquely accumbent.
Monospecific.
Reference: Payson (1923).