Home
Cal regular, deeply 5-parted; cor rotate, nearly regular, the 3 lower lobes slightly longer than the 2 upper; stamens 5, all with anthers, ± dimorphic, the 2 lower filaments commonly differing from the 3 upper in length and pubescence, the anthers also often dimorphic; stigma capitate; fr septicidal, the 2 valves ± cleft above; seeds longitudinally ridged; ours mostly biennials (no. 2 often perennial), producing a rosette the first year and a tall flowering stem the next; lvs alternate, entire or toothed; fls yellow, white, or blue, in 1–many elongate racemes or panicles or congested spike-like infls. 300, Eurasia.
Herbs, annual, biennial, or perennial. Leaves usually simple, alternate, basally rosulate. Inflorescences terminal, spicate, racemose, or paniculate. Calyx 5-lobed. Corolla usually yellow, rarely purple or white; tube short; limb rotate; lobes 5, subequal, radiate. Stamens 4 or 5; filaments usually woolly; anthers 1-loculed, confluent, anterior anthers linear-oblong or reniform, posterior anthers reniform or transverse. Ovary 2-loculed. Capsule septicidal. Seeds numerous, conically cylindric, 6-8-ribbed.
