CAPER FAMILY 13 



Capnoides Adanson 1763 Capnoides. 



(Gr. kapnodes, like smoke, from the odor of some species) 



(Corydalis Medicus) 



PL 5, fig. 6. 



Sepals 2, petals 4, one of the outer spurred, golden-yellow, cream, or 

 white, ovary 1-celled, stigma entire or lobed, capsule linear, splitting into 

 2 valves; flowers in a raceme; leaves compound; annual or perennial. 



1. Flowers golden; pods long, linear; leaves finely 



cu t C. aureum 



2. Flowers white or cream; pods short, ellipsoid; 



leaflets large, ovoid C. Brandegei 



Fumaria Linne 1753 Fumitory 

 (Lat. fumorius, smoky, said to be from the smell of some species) 



Sepals 2, petals 4, one of the outer pair spurred, purplish, ovary 1- 

 celled, stigma entire or lobed, fruit 1-seeded, globose, remaining closed; 

 flowers in a raceme ; leaves finely cut. 

 Stems more or less spreading ; flowers 4-5 mm. long F. officinalis 



CAPPARIDACEAE CAPER FAMILY 



Sepals 4, persistent or deciduous, petals 4, separate, stamens 4-many, 

 pistil 1, ovary 1-celled, often stalked, seeds on the wall, i.e., parietal, style 

 short, stigma entire, fruit a pod, or capsule but without cross wall, splitting 

 into 2 parts when ripe; flowers solitary or in racemes; herbs or shrubs with 

 alternate simple or digitate leaves, the sap often biting. 



1. Petals cut-fringed, unequal in size Cristatella 



2. Petals entire to 3-toothed, not cut-fringed, equal 

 a. Pods flat, rhomboid Cleomella 



b. Pod linear-oblong, more or less cylindric 



(1) Stamens 4-6; pods stalked Cleome 



(2) Stamens 9-24; pods sessile or nearly so Polanisia 



Cristatella Nuttall 1834 Fringed Caper 

 (Lat. cristatus, crested, fringed, -cllus, small, from the fringed petals) 



Sepals 4, petals 4, 2 smaller, cream-colored or whitish, with a stalk 

 or claw, fringed above, stamens 6-12, pod linear-oblong, stalked, beaked, 

 many-seeded; flowers in racemes, occasionally solitary; leaves of 3 leaflets, 

 digitate, sticky ; annual. 



