Teesdalia
in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 4: 83. 1812.
Annuals [perennials]; scapose; glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Stems (simple or few to several from base), erect or ascending, unbranched. Leaves basal and cauline; petiolate or sessile; basal (persistent), rosulate, petiolate, blade margins usually lyrate-pinnatifid or pinnatisect, rarely entire or dentate; cauline (0–4), sessile, blade margins entire or dentate. Racemes (corymbose, several-flowered). Fruiting pedicels divaricate, slender. Flowers (actinomorphic or zygomorphic); sepals ascending to spreading, ovate, glabrous; petals white, oblong or obovate, (equal to or longer than sepals, or lateral pair much larger), claw undifferentiated from blade, (apex obtuse); stamens (6) tetradynamous, or (4) equal; filaments dilated basally (appendaged); anthers ovate; nectar glands lateral, 1 on each side of lateral stamen, median glands absent. Fruits (often divaricate), sessile, broadly obcordate to suborbicular, slightly keeled, angustiseptate (strongly compressed), (apex notched); valves prominently veined, (apex narrowly winged), glabrous; replum rounded; septum complete; ovules 4 per ovary; style absent or not; stigma capitate, entire. Seeds uniseriate, slightly compressed, not winged, broadly ovate; seed coat (rugulose), copiously mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons accumbent. x = 9.
Distribution
Europe, sw Asia (Middle East), Africa, introduced also in South America (Chile), n, c Europe, nw Africa, Australia.
Discussion
Species 3 (2 in the flora).
Teesdalia conferta (Lagasca) O. Appel is known from Europe (Portugal, Spain). For a summary of the nomenclature of Teesdalia and references on its species introduced in North America, see I. A. Al-Shehbaz (1986).
Selected References
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Flowers zygomorphic; stamens 6, tetradynamous; basal leaf blades: lateral lobes obtuse; styles ca. 0.1 mm. | Teesdalia nudicaulis |
| 1 | Flowers actinomorphic; stamens 4, equal; basal leaf blades: lateral lobes acute; styles 0 mm. | Teesdalia coronopifolia |