Annuals, biennials, or perennials [subshrubs]; eglandular. Trichomes stalked or sessile, usually stellate, dendritic, cruciform, or forked, sometimes mixed with simple ones, rarely malpighiaceous. Cauline leaves petiolate or sessile; blade base auriculate or not, margins entire or dentate. Racemes usually ebracteate, often elongated in fruit. Flowers actinomorphic; sepals erect, ascending, or spreading, lateral pair seldom saccate basally; petals white, yellow, orange, pink, or purple, claw usually present, usually distinct; filaments unappendaged, not winged; pollen 3-colpate. Fruits silicles or siliques, usually dehiscent, very rarely indehiscent, unsegmented, latiseptate or terete; ovules 2–70(–88)[–110+] per ovary; style usually distinct, sometimes obsolete; stigma usually entire, rarely 2-lobed. Seeds biseriate or uniseriate [rarely aseriate]; cotyledons accumbent.
Distribution
North America, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia, n Africa.
Discussion
Genera 8, species ca. 460 (4 genera, 139 species in the flora).
Selected References
None.