Introduction to the Brassicaceae Family

Welcome to the Brassicaceae family, formerly known as the Cruciferae in older references and more commonly referred to as the “mustard family” after its famous namesake, the mustards.

I have to admit, the Brassicaceae surprised me when I dug a little deeper. I am guilty of often dismissing “another yellow mustard,” but they are fascinating and beautiful once you really look at them and are actually quite diverse. They’re also a relatively large but seriously overlooked and globally important tribe that deserves a closer look. But before you get started, here’s a quick, important tip: It’s often the fruits and hairs that we need to take a much closer look at to identify them.

If you’re new to plant morphology, the guide below is a perfect beginner’s description if you want to learn how to identify the mustard or Brassicaceae family, with no need to know any scientific jargon.

Below the guide, you’ll find morphology photos to help you identify the features of the Brassicaceae family, information on uses and wildlife values, and pictures of individual Brassicaceae species I have photographed in North America, organized by supertribe and tribe so you can start to see the relationships within the family as well.

Beginner’s Guide to the Mustard (Brassicaceae) Family

For researchers or those wanting to learn more, further down the page is a Scientific Botanical Description and my genus-level distribution data throughout North, Central, and South America.

Leaves and Stems of the Mustard Family:

The Brassicaceae are almost entirely made of annual, biennial, or perennial herbs found in a wide variety of environments from deserts to the Arctic and high alpine environments, but shrubs and climbing vines are also occasionally seen. Leaves are always arranged alternately along the stem, usually in a spiral pattern, and may be tiny to very large, sometimes even variable on the same plant. Leaf blades are mostly simple with entire, dissected, or toothed margins.

Flowers of the Mustard Family:

Flowers of the mustard family are bisexual, having both male (stamens) and female (ovary, stigma, and style) parts in the same flower. Flowers usually have nectaries and almost always have a nectar-producing ring at the base of the ovary, making them important for native pollinators.

The corolla is almost always made of 4 free petals arranged in a cross pattern and often typically attached by claws (see morphology photos), though the claws are more obvious in some species than others. The 4 free sepals are also arranged in a cross pattern, and occasionally the inner pair is enlarged and sac-like (basally saccate) for additional nectar storage.

Reproductive Features of the Mustard Family:

Mustard flowers usually have 6 stamens that are almost always arranged in a unique pattern with 4 longer inner ones and 2 shorter outer ones (tetradynamous) and are usually free of one another except when the inner 4 are joined at the base.

The ovary is located above the point of petal attachment (superior), usually has 1 reduced style (sometimes none) at its top, and has 1-2 stigmas that may have 1-2 lobes.

Fruits of the Mustard Family:

All mustards produce dry, non-fleshy fruits, with most producing unique pod-like fruits called silicles and siliques that are unique to the Brassicaceae family. Pay attention to the fruits, as those and the 4-petaled flowers are the quickest ways to identify the Brassicaceae family as a whole, but they are also often the best way to identify family members, since flowers can be too similar sometimes between different species.

Silicles are shorter and flatter and are often somewhat coin-shaped, while siliques are more legume-like, longer, and narrower (see morphology photos below). The fruits typically split apart (dehiscent) on valves that spread upwards, but occasionally they are capsules that do not split apart (indehiscent).

Morphology of Brassicaceae in North America

Some Species of Brassicaceae Found in North America

Since most of our Brassicaceae species are in the Brassicodae and Camelinodae supertribes, I will provide one member of each tribe that I have photographed in each supertribe we cover below, which will let you start seeing the family relationships.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe: Alysseae Tribe

The Alysseae are a Brassicaceae tribe of herbs and small shrubs that are characterized by having dense star-shaped (stellate) or branched hairs on their stems and leaves, often giving them a gray or silvery appearance. They have small clusters of 4-petaled flowers, mostly yellow or white, although some are pink or blue. Silicles are short and rounded like tiny discs, containing often flat and winged seeds.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe: Arabideae Tribe

The Aribideae are mostly herbs or occasionally low-growing shrubs, typically with a mix of simple, star-shaped, branched, and other hairs. Flowers are in unbranched clusters (racemes) and have four usually white or yellow petals, or occasionally pink or purple. Seeds range from short rounded silicles to elongated siliques. This tribe is nearly cosmopolitan but heavily centered in temperate, montane, and alpine areas of the Northern Hemisphere.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe: Brassiceae Tribe:

The Brassiceae are mostly herbs and occasional subshrubs that are best characterized by their elongated, segmented pods (silique) that are divided horizontally into two distinct parts, one that splits open (dehiscent) and one that does not. Leaves are often deeply pinnately lobed and may be hairless or covered in simple unbranched hairs. Flowers are usually bright yellow or sometimes white or purple. The tribe heavily concentrates around the Mediterranean, North Africa, and southwestern Asia but is also globally important for agricultural crops like cabbage and relatives, so it is widely grown and introduced around the world.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe: Isatideae Tribe:

The Isatideae are primarily native to Eurasia and North Africa, but they are highly adaptable, thriving in open, arid, and disturbed habitats, and they have naturalized elsewhere. They are herbaceous plants with specialized silicles that are short, strongly flattened, do not split apart (indehiscent), and usually contain only a single seed. It has leaves that often clasp the stem at the base.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe: Sisymbrieae Tribe:

The Sisymbrieae are always herbs, often highly branched with highly variable leaves from basal rosettes to deeply pinnatifid stem leaves, often lacking hairs or covered in simple hairs. The usually yellow flowers are in terminal racemes, and fruits are slender, elongated, cylindrical siliques that split in two halves to reveal a single row of wingless seeds in each chamber.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe: Thelypodeae Tribe:

The Thelypodae are mostly medium to tall biennial or perennial herbs, with a few annuals, that are either hairless or covered in simple, unbranched hairs. A key trait is the floral parts (stamens, styles, etc.) that extend far beyond (exserted) the petals, giving the flowers a delicate appearance. Fruits are usually long, slender siliques that sit on short stalks above the flower base. This tribe is unusual among the Brassicodae in that its distribution is heavily centered in North America, especially the western United States, rather than the Old World.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe: Thlaspideae Tribe:

The Thlaspideae are mostly hairless herbaceous Brassicaceae members that are often waxy blue-green with simple leaves typically featuring arrow-shaped (sagitate) bases that clasp the stem. Flowers are in elongated clusters and consist of four small, almost universally white or light pink petals. The tribe is best known for its distinctive flattened, coin-shaped fruits (silicles) with papery wings and a distinct notch in the top. They are native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa but have been naturalized across North America.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Boechereae Tribe

The Boechereae tribe are part of the Camelinodae, the second-largest supertribe in the Brassicaceae family. This tribe is mostly made of perennial herbs that grow from a persistent woody root crown (caudex) and form distinct basal rosettes of leaves covered in branched, two-branched, or star-shaped hairs. Stem leaves are often arrow-shaped or ear-shaped at the base and clasp the stem. Flowers come in various colors and produce long, slender, flattened pod-like fruits (siliques) with seeds with thin papery wings. These are almost exclusively native to North American alpine peaks, desert ranges, and rocky forests.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Camelineae Tribe

The Camelineae are mostly annual or biennial herbs, with a few perennials, that are covered in a mix of star-shaped, branched, or branched-forked hairs, often with simple hairs as well. Simple, toothed to pinnately lobed leaves have bases that often clasp the stem. Flowers vary in color and are followed by variable fruits from elongated narrow pods (siliques) to short pear or globe-shaped fruits (silicles) with many small, mucilaginous seeds. It is mostly native to the temperate and cold Northern Hemisphere, especially Eurasia, but many are weedy and now have a cosmopolitan distribution.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Cardamineae Tribe

The Cardamineae are another global tribe, but they’re most diverse in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including North America, typically found in cool, moist habitats, especially streamsides, wetlands, damp meadows, and shaded forests in temperate, subalpine, and arctic zones. They are mostly hairless herbs or with simple hairs and have leaves that are often compound or deeply pinnately lobed. Fruits are mostly long, slender, cylindrical, or flattened seed pods that in the core genus Cardamine have famously explosive seed dispersal mechanisms.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Descurainieae Tribe

The Descurainieae are mostly herbs or occasional woody subshrubs, known for their deeply divided leaves (2-3 times pinnately compound), which give them a lacy appearance. Various hairs impart the leaves with a greyish look. Flowers are usually pale yellow or white and are followed by very long, slender cylindrical pods (siliques) with semi-transparent valves that reveal the seeds inside. They are native across temperate and cold regions around the world, with major centers of diversity in North America and the Mediterranean, with a smaller center in the South American Andes.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Erysimeae Tribe

The Erysimeae is a small monogeneric tribe made of the Erysimum genus, also called the wallflowers, which has 294 species found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Its diversity is centered around the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia, and western North America, favoring open, dry, sunny, and rocky environments. They are mostly herbs with distinctive 2- to 5-forked hairs appressed to the surface, giving the leaves a greyish and rough feel. Flowers are typically showy and fragrant, ranging from bright yellow and deep orange to reddish purple.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Lepidieae Tribe

The Lepideae tribe are mostly herbs and occasional subshrubs, known for their distinctive flat 2-seeded fruits (silicles) that are round, oval, or heart-shaped. They are hairless or covered in simple hairs and have variable leaves and flowers that are usually very small and white, greenish, or yellowish. It is a nearly cosmopolitan Brassicaceae tribe with high diversity in temperate and arid North America, Eurasia, Australia, and South America.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe: Physarieae Tribe

The Physarieae are low-growing perennial herbs (some annuals) adapted to dry, harsh environments and are characterized by a dense, felty covering of branched star-shaped (stellate) or tree-like (dendritic) hairs. Most flowers are yellow, but exceptions exist. Their fruits are easy to spot—inflated bladder-like or double-pouched silicles that act like flotation devices or wind sails for seed dispersal. They are heavily concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe: Biscutelleae Tribe

The Biscutelleae are annual or perennial herbs (occasionally subshrubs) that are hairless or covered in simple, unbranched hairs and have variable leaves. Flowers are mostly bright yellow or white, but pink or purple are also seen. It produces distinctive flattened fruits, like the well-known money plant (Lunaria annua), and in Biscutella, the fruits are double disks. These Brassicaceae are mostly Old World, concentrated around the Mediterranean, with some native members in the Americas, mostly found in South America, but introduced elsewhere.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe: Euclidieae Tribe

The Euclidieae tribe is an extremely diverse group of herbs that includes low desert annuals and high-alpine cushion plants. Hair types and leaf types are also variable, but well-developed basal rosettes are common in montane genera. Flowers and fruits are also highly variable morphologically. They are mostly native to Central Asia, but some have a circumpolar/arctic/alpine distribution that includes North America, and others are introduced globally.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe: Hesperideae Tribe

The Hesperideae is a monogeneric tribe (Hesperis) of biennial or perennial herbs (rarely annuals) that are often tall and covered with a mix of simple hairs and distinct forked or glandular multicellular hairs that are frequently sticky or aromatic, though some are almost hairless. Flowers are often large, fragrant, and showy with saccate inner sepals that store nectar. Fruits are narrow, linear, and cylindrical to slightly four-angled or flattened siliques. They are mostly Eurasian, centered around Southwest Asia.

Uses of the Brassicaceae Family

The Brassicaceae family is of huge economic importance, with members of the Brassica genus being used for cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli from Brassica oleracea. We also used them for canola oil (Brassica napus ssp. napus) and for root crops, like turnips and radishes.

Many are also used ornamentally, like alyssum, wallflowers (Erysimum), sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), money plant (Lunaria annua), candytuft (Iberis), and others.

Outside of edible uses, the Brassicaceae are also widely used in soil and mining reclamation because they not only grow on poor, contaminated soils, but more than 100 species are known hyperaccumulators. Hyperaccumulators are species that actively take in and accumulate heavy metals like nickel and zinc from the ground. If you then harvest those plants, you can effectively remove those metals from the soil.

Ecosystem and Wildlife Values of the Brassicaceae

The Brassicaceae, or mustard family, is immensely important for pollinators. Although they vary significantly in nectar production, studies on wallflowers (Erysimum) recorded over 700 different species of insect visitors, showing just how important members are for sustaining local insect populations.

Since they can grow in poor soils, many members are pioneers in cold, dry, disturbed, rocky, or otherwise harsh terrains, like the many “cushion plants” that grow in arctic and high alpine environments.

The mustard family derives its sharp, bitter flavors from a chemical defense called glucosinolates to prevent herbivores from eating them. Still, specialized insects have evolved to safely eat them, even being attracted to the smell. Some insects even absorb the toxic mustard oils into their own bodies to protect themselves from predators. However, these mustard oils have also allowed some species to become highly invasive because those same oils suppress the mycorrhizal fungi that many plants need to survive.

Finally, many mustards can also be highly invasive because they mature rapidly and produce thousands of easily dispersed seeds, allowing them to outcompete native species, especially in disturbed and arid environments.

Taxonomy of the Brassicaceae Family

The Brassicaceae are part of the Brassicales order within the core dicot lineage. It is a relatively large family, with approximately 4,140 species in 349 genera, divided into 2 subfamilies, 57–59 tribes, and 5 supertribes. See German et al. (2023) for the latest tribal delineation.

Like many plant families, the Brassicaceae have undergone substantial reorganization thanks to modern nuclear and plastic phylogenomics. As a result, the number of tribes has exploded, currently totaling 57 to 59. To make it more manageable, recent work has introduced 5 supertribes within the Brassicoideae subfamily.

One issue is that the taxonomy of the Brassicaceae has been misinterpreted at the generic level because of convergent evolution across almost all lineages. Additional issues include a high degree of hybridization and the fact that about half of extant species show signs of recent polyploidization (genome duplication). Numerous ‘rogue’ taxa with unstable placements are also present. Thus while I have done my best to use up-to-date information as provided by authoritative sources (see references), this family is in flux, and I will update it as new information becomes available.

Genera of the Brassicaceae Family:

Aethionemoideae Subfamily

This subfamily consists of a single genus of typically spiny subshrubs and perennial or annual herbs. Plants are hairless and have entire, often fleshy leaves that are distinctly articulated between the petiole and the blade. Their flowers have no bracts, typically have 3 veins on the petal claws, and typically have stamens with winged filaments. Fruits are few-seeded, dehiscent, winged silicles or indehiscent, 1-seeded samaras. Members are mostly in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, extending eastward into Afghanistan.

Aethionema (68).

Brassicoideae Subfamily

The Brassicoideae are the vast majority of the family and are now chemically defined by the structural elaborations of glucosinolates. Morphologically, members are variable. They have petals that are sometimes fringed or lobed and stamens reduced to two or four or are notably elongated. The gynoecium is occasionally elevated on a short stalk (stipitate) with a long style. The resulting capsular fruits vary widely, and the seeds are sometimes winged. It has a worldwide distribution, favoring drier environments and reaching its highest diversity across the North Temperate region, Tajikistan, and Turkey, while relatively few are found in Australia and southern Africa.

Because this subfamily consists of all but 1 genus, and there are too many tribes to reasonably make sense of here, we will break this subfamily down into the 5 supertribes.

Arabodae Supertribe

The Arobodae include the rockcress and alyssums that are defined by the presence of branched or stellate hairs (simple hairs are rarely exclusive) and the absence of multicellular glands. The leaves are mostly undivided, frequently clasping or auriculate at the base. They are mostly restricted to the Northern Hemisphere, with some extending along the high alpine zones of the South American Andes.

Abdra (2 or syn. of Draba), Acuston (3), Alyssoides (1), Alyssum (128), Arabis (109), Arcyosperma (1), Asperuginoides (1), Athysanus (2), Aubrieta (20), Aurinia (7), Baimashania (2), Berteroa (6), Botschantzevia (1), Brachypus (1), Clastopus (2), Clypeola (9), Cuprella (2), Degenia (1), Draba (465), Erophila (3), Fibigia (3), Galitzkya (3), Hormathophylla (10), Irania (5), Lutzia (1), Macropodium (2), Meniocus (7), Odontarrhena (89), Pachyneurum (1), Parryodes (2), Phyllolepidum (2), Physoptychis (2), Pseudodraba (1), Pseudoturritis (1), Pterygostemon (1), Resetnikia (1), Scapiarabis (4), Sinoarabis (1), Stevenia (8), Takhtajaniella (1), and Tomostima (6).

Brassicodae Supertribe

The Brassicodae are the largest supertribe, containing the familiar “cabbage” alliance. These are heavily concentrated around the Mediterranean basin, Southwest Asia, and extending into Europe and Africa. There are some native representatives in the American continents, along with multiple introduced weedy species. Members are defined by having conduplicate cotyledons where the young leaves fold longitudinally to cradle the embryonic root. Fruits are often segmented siliques that break transversely and are chemically characterized by complex methionine-derived glucosinolates that give them their sharp, signature mustard flavor.

Alliaria (2), Ammosperma (3), Aphragmus (16), Bivonaea (1), Bornmuellera (8), Brassica (46), Cakile (6), Calepina (1), Camelinopsis (2), Carrichtera (1), Chartoloma (1), Chaunanthus (4), Chilocardamum (4), Chlorocrambe (1), Cochlearia (18* rogue taxon), Coincya (7), Conringia (3), Cordylocarpus (1), Crambe (41), Crambella (1), Dictyophragmus (3), Didesmus (2), Didymophysa (3), Diplotaxis (39), Douepea (2), Dryopetalon (9), Enarthrocarpus (5), Englerocharis (6), Eremophyton (1), Eruca (4), Erucaria (10), Erucastrum (26), Eutrema (46), Fezia (1), Foleyola (1), Fortuynia (1), Fourraea (1), Glastaria (1), Goldbachia (7), Graellsia (9), Guiraoa (1), Hemicrambe (3), Henophyton (2), Hesperidanthus (5), Hirschfeldia (1), Hollermayera (1), Horwoodia (1), Isatis (97), Ivania (2), Kernera (1), Kremeriella (1), Lysakia (1), Machaerophorus (1), Moricandia (8), Morisia (1), Mostacillastrum (31), Mummenhoffia (2), Muricaria (1), Mutarda (4), Myagrum (1), Nasturtiopsis (3), Neuontobotrys (14), Noccaea (98), Noccidium (1), Orychophragmus (7), Otocarpus (1), Pachyphragma (1), Parlatoria (2), Parodiodoxa (1), Peltaria (3), Peltariopsis (3), Petrocallis (2), Petroravenia (1), Phlebolobium (1), Phravenia (1), Physorhynchus (2), Polypsecadium (15), Pringlea (1), Pseuderucaria (2), Pseudocamelina (8), Pseudovesicaria (1), Psychine (1), Quezeliantha (1), Quidproquo (1), Raffenaldia (2), Raphanorhyncha (1), Raphanus (3), Rapistrum (2), Rhizobotrya (1), Romanschulzia (13), Rytidocarpus (1), Sarcodraba (4), Savignya (1), Schimpera (1), Schouwia (1), Schrenkiella (1), Sibara (12), Sinalliaria (1), Sinapidendron (4), Sinapis (4), Sisymbrium (49), Sobolewskia (4), Stanleya (7), Streptanthus (58), Succowia (1), Terraria (1), Thelypodiopsis (8), Thelypodium (16), Thlaspi (6), Thysanocarpus (8), Vella (8), Warea (4), Weberbauera (22), Zahora (1), Zilla (2), Zuloagocardamum (1).

Camelinodae Supertribe

The Camelinodae is a very diverse group with a cosmopolitan distribution, although it has the greatest diversification in the temperate hemisphere in Eurasia and North America, especially in the United States, which has relatively high endemism in this tribe. Since they are so diverse, it is very difficult to make meaningful morphological comparisons. It also contains several genera whose placement here is still uncertain, so that may change in time. Still, fruits vary from slender, exploding siliques to small, compressed silicles. Hairs range from absent to simple, branched, or stellate, and cotyledons are also not only variable but highly plastic.

Alyssopsis (2), Andrzeiowskia (1), Anelsonia (1), Aplanodes (2), Arabidella (5), Arabidopsis (13), Armoracia (4), Ballantinia (1), Barbarea (31), Bengt-jonsellia (2), Blennodia (2), Boechera (103), Borodinia (8), Calymmatium (2), Camelina (8), Capsella (8), Cardamine (311), Carinavalva (1), Catolobus (2), Ceratocnemum (5), Chrysochamela (3), Crucihimalaya (13), Cusickiella (2), Delpinophytum (1), Descurainia (43), Dielsiocharis (2), Dimorphocarpa (4), Dipoma (1), Dithyrea (2), Drabastrum (1), Erysimum (294), Exhalimolobos (10), Geococcus (1), Halimolobos (9), Harmsiodoxa (3), Hemilophia (6), Hornungia (4), Ianhedgea (1), Iodanthus (1), Irenepharsus (3), Leavenworthia (8), Lepidium (279), Lyrocarpa (3), Malcolmia (7), Mancoa (10), Menkea (6), Microlepidium (2), Nasturtium (6), Nerisyrenia (9), Neslia (2), Nevada (1), Olimarabidopsis (3), Oreophyton (6), Ornithocarpa (2), Pachycladon (12), Pachymitus (1), Paysonia (8), Pennellia (9), Phlegmatospermum (4), Phoenicaulis (1), Physaria (111), Planodes (3), Polyctenium (1), Pseudoarabidopsis (1), Robeschia (1), Rorippa (94), Sandbergia (2), Scambopus (1), Selenia (4-7), Sisymbrella (2), Smelowskia (26), Sphaerocardamum (4), Stenopetalum (12), Synthlipsis (2), Trichotolinum (1), Tropidocarpum (4), Turritis (3), Yinshania (4), Yosemitea (1).

Heliophilodae Supertribe

The Heliophilodae have more unique morphological anomalies compared to the rest of the family, including multi-lobed or deeply dissected leaves, unusual stamens, and dicyclic or uniquely folded cotyledons. Fruits are diverse and include standard siliques as well as specialized, transversely jointed lomentaceous fruits that split into one-seeded segments. This supertribe is more limited in distribution, centered around southern Africa and Australia, but with scattered genera found elsewhere, including throughout the American continents.

Aimara (1), Alshehbazia (3), Anastatica (1), Aschersoniodoxa (3), Asta (1), Atacama (1), Biscutella (64), Brayopsis (3), Chamira (1), Cithareloma (2), Cremolobus (5), Dactylocardamum (1), Diceratella (10), Eigia (1), Eremobium (1), Eudema (10), Farsetia (27), Gongylis (1), Heldreichia (1), Heliophila (101), Iberis (32), Idahoa (1), Ionopsidium (9), Lachnocapsa (1), Lobularia (4), Lunaria (3), Marcus-kochia (4), Maresia (6), Mathewsia (7), Megacarpaea (8), Megadenia (3), Menonvillea (24), Morettia (4), Notoceras (1), Notothlaspi (3), Onuris (5), Parolinia (6), Pugionium (3), Ricotia (10), Schizopetalon (11), Scoliaxon (1), Subularia (2), Teesdalia (3), Xerodraba (5).

Hesperodae Supertribe

The Hesperodae are a very deep-branching lineage within the core Brassicaceae that is mostly distributed across the arid and mountainous regions of Asia and eastern Europe, with only a few native to the Americas and others that are introduced. Morphologically members often have simple, forked, or glandular hairs and have elongated linear siliques or specialized nut-like indehiscent silicles. Some species are known for having showy, fragrant, ornamental flowers.

Anzhengxia (1), Atelanthera (1), Braya (23), Bunias (2), Catenulina (1), Chorispora (12), Christolea (3), Clausia (6), Cryptospora (3), Cymatocarpus (3), Dichasianthus (1), Dilophia (2), Diptychocarpus (1), Dontostemon (13), Eremoblastus (1), Euclidium (1), Eurycarpus (2), Hesperis (59), Iskandera (1), Lachnoloma (1), Leiospora (8), Lepidostemon (6), Leptaleum (2), Litwinowia (1), Matthiola (49), Metashangrilaia (1), Microstigma (3), Neotorularia (6), Octoceras (1), Parrya (44), Petiniotia (1), Pycnoplinthopsis (1), Pycnoplinthus (2), Rhammatophyllum (7), Rudolf-kamelinia (1), Shangrilaia (1), Shehbazia (1), Sisymbriopsis (4), Solms-Laubachia (32), Spryginia (5), Sterigmostemum (14), Streptoloma (2), Strigosella (24), Synstemon (1), Tetracme (8), Veselskya (1).

Key Differences From Similar Families

The sister family Cleomaceae is sometimes confused with the Brassicaceae, but they can typically be separated in the field by their often assymetrical flowers and their very long spider-like stamens that extend beyond the petals.

The Onagraceae family often has flowers with 4 petals and long seed capsules that look similar to Brassicaceae. However, the Brassicaceae always have alternate leaves, while the Onagraceae look-alikes typically have opposite leaves, and they have 8 stamens instead of 6 and a prominent 4-lobed stigma.

Scientific Botanical Description of the Brassicaceae Family

Habit & Leaf Form of the Brassicaceae Family

The Brassicaceae are almost entirely made of self-supporting annual, bienniel, and perennial herbs, with or without a basal aggregation of leaves, although pachycaul shrubs and climbing lianas are uncommonly seen. They are hydrophytic (rooted), helophytic, mesophytic, or xerophytic. Plants are mostly normal, but occasional switch plants and succulents also occur. Most are autotrophic, although protocarnivory is seen in the mucilage secreted by Capsella bursa-pastoris seeds, which contains compounds that attract soil organisms, toxins that kill them, and digestive enzymes that break down their proteins into amino acids for the developing seedlings to use.

Leaves are usually arranged in an alternate spiral but can rarely be distichous. Leaves are sometimes conspicuously heterophyllous, are minute to very large, and are usually odorless or sometimes foetid. Leaves are usually herbaceous but occasionally are fleshy. Leaves of hydrophytes are submerged and emergent.

Leaves may be petiolate, subsessile, or sessile, and they can be sheathing or non-sheathing, but they are always (or almost always?) lacking stipules. Blades are usually simple, but in rare instances they may be compound pinnate and may have articulated leaflets. When simple, the lamina is entire or dissected, pinnatifid or runcinate, and mostly pinnately veined and cross-venulate or rarely one-veined, with margins that are entire, serrate, or dentate.

Flowers of the Brassicaceae Family

Flowers are hermaphroditic and almost always have floral nectaries with secretion from the perianth, disk, and androecium. Pollination is mostly entomophilous or occasionally anemophilous (e.g., Pringlea). Flowers are aggregated in corymbs (often), racemes, spikes, or fascicles but occasionally are solitary or nearly pseudanthial. They are terminal, axillary, or leaf-opposed (e.g., Coronopus).

The perianth has a distinct calyx and corolla with 8 parts in total, but occasionally the corolla is lacking. When the corolla is present, the flower is characteristically 3-whorled, with the 4 sepals divided into two layers (most obvious in the bud), with the outer pair median (sitting opposite and aligned with the flower midline) and the inner pair at 90 degrees to form a characteristic cross pattern. The calyx is free and regular, with some members dimorphic and the lateral (inner) pair may be basally saccate for nectar storage.

Flowers usually lack bracts and bracteoles, though occasionally they are present. They are minute to medium in size and fragrant or odorless. They are usually more or less regular or somewhat irregular, involving the perianth when the outer petals of the pseudanthium are sometimes radiate and larger.

Flowers are 2-merous and polycyclic (usually 6) or sometimes tetracyclic to pentacyclic. The floral receptacle is nearly always lacking both an androphore and a gynophore, except for the long, slender gynophore of Stanleyea. A hypogynous disk is nearly always present and may be extrastaminal, intrastaminal, or both. It may consist of separate members, usually in variable configurations of taxonomic interest, or it may be annular and confluent.

The corolla has 4 parts in 1 whorl, with free petals that are imbricate or contorted and often cruciform in white, yellow, orange, purple, or blue. Petals are usually clawed but are sometimes sessile (e.g., Geococcus).

Androecium of the Brassicaceae Family

The androecium of the Brassicaceae typically consists of 6 members, but it can occasionally have 2-4 members or, more rarely, 8-16 members. They are usually arranged in 2 whorls (2+4) or, rarely, 1. Members are usually branched, with the inner whorl of 4 deriving from only 2 primordia, or they may be unbranched. Members are free of the perianth and are conspicuously unequal, with the outer pair usually shorter, often showing a characteristic 4 long and 2 short pattern, although sometimes they are all equal. Members may be free of one another or coherent, with the inner 4 sometimes basally connate in pairs.

All members are exclusively fertile stamens that are nearly always tetradynamous, except when the outer pair is missing. They are arranged opposite the sepals. Filaments may or may not be appendiculate. Anthers are basifixed, non-versatile, and dehiscing via longitudinal slits; they are introrse, unilocular to bilocular, tetrasporangiate, and may be variously appendaged or unappendaged.

Gynoecium of the Brassicaceae Family

The gynoecium of the Brassicaceae family is always 2-carpeled, and the pistil is 1–2 celled. The gynoecium is syncarpous and always superior. The ovary is 1–2 locular, with locules secondarily divided by false septa, usually seen in the longitudinal splitting of the parietal placentas by the replum, but occasionally they have no false septa (e.g., Menkea). The ovary is usually sessile or rarely stipitate.

The gynoecium is non-stylate to stylate; when present, it has 1 terminal style that is more or less reduced. Stigmas 1–2 that are commissural (mostly when 2 or bilobed) or dorsal to the carpels (e.g., Matthiola, Moricandia), 1 or 2 lobed, more or less capitate, dry type, papillate, and Group II type.

Placentation is always parietal, but when bilocular, often the two placentas are each longitudinally divided by a false septum, with the replum separating the locules. There are 1–50 ovules per locule that are often pendulous or sometimes horizontal and have a ventral raphe; they are non-arillate, anatropous, bitegmic, and tenuinucellate or crassinucellate. 

Fruit of the Brassicaceae Family

Fruits of the Brassicaceae are primarily characterized by dehiscent valvular silicles or siliques, with valves typically falling or spreading upwards to reveal the replum, and sometimes exhibiting variations that include partial or complete lomentaceous forms. They may also be capsular-indehiscent when not dehiscent or lomentaceous (Cakile, Crambe, Coronopus, etc.) or rarely a schizocarp with 2 mericarps (sometimes in Coronopus).

Seeds have no or scant endosperm, are small to medium in size, and are usually wingless but sometimes winged (e.g., Matthiola, Isatis).

Distribution of the Brassicaceae Family

The Brassicaceae are a cosmopolitan family found worldwide, mostly in the northern temperate and Mediterranean regions, with some diversity also in the Southern Hemisphere, except for relatively few genera in Australia and southern Africa. It tolerates extreme cold, with many genera endemic to high alpine areas around the world and multiple genera found in Arctic Canada, Greenland, and the southern tip of South America. It also includes the curious Pringlea, a monospecific genus endemic to the sub-Antarctic islands just north of Antarctica and southeast of South Africa.

Distribution of the Brassicaceae in the American Continents

Canadian Brassicaceae Genera

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe in Canada

Alyssum 2 spp. intro to S Canada exc NB, NS, PE, and Labrador, and ephemeral on NL Island; Arabis 7 spp. mostly N temperate genus native to all of Canada, inc. Arctic (& Greenland), but exc. PE; Athysanus 1 sp. W NAM endemic genus native BC; Aubrieta 1 sp. intro BC; Aurinia 1 sp. intro to ON, ephemeral QC; Berteroa 1 sp. intro most of Canada exc. NU, PE, NL; Draba 58 spp. subcosmopolitan genus native to all of Canada, inc. the Arctic (& Greenland); Odontarrhena 2 spp. native to YT and intro to BC, AB, and ON and ephemeral QC; Tomostima 1 sp. Americas genus native to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe in Canada

Alliaria 1 sp. intro BC, ON, QC, NB, NS, NL Island; Aphragmus 1 sp. native to BC and the YK?; Brassica 5 spp. intro most of Canada (& Greenland) exc. NU; Cakile 2 spp. native to ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL (& Greenland) and intro BC; Cochlearia 2 spp. N temperate genus native to BC, YT, NU, NT, MB, ON, QC, NS, NL (& Greenland); Conringia 1 sp. BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, NL Island, PE?; Diplotaxis 3 spp. intro BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE?; Eruca 1 sp. intro to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, ephemeral QC; Erucastrum 1 sp. intro most of Canada exc. YT, NU, and possibly Labrador; Eutrema 2 spp. native to BC, AB, SK, MB, QC, Labrador, YT, NT, NU (& Greenland); Isatis 1 sp. intro BC, ON, NL Island, and ephemeral QC; Mutarda 1 sp. intro to S Canada exc. MB and Labrador; Myagrum 1 sp. intro QC?; Noccaea 2 spp. inc. 1 native to YT, NT(?) and 1 intro to ON and QC; Raphanus 1 sp. intro to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL (& Greenland); Rapistrum 2 spp. ephemeral intro to ON, QC, SK?; Sinapis 2 spp. intro to all of Canada (& Greenland) except NU; Sisymbrium 5 spp. native to BC, YT, NT, and intro to AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL Island (& Greenland); Thelypodium 2 spp. NAM endemic genus native to BC; Thlaspi 1 sp. intro most of Canada, inc. Arctic (& Greenland) exc. NU; Thysanocarpus 1 sp. W NAM endemic genus native to BC.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe in Canada

Arabidopsis 4 spp. mostly N temperate genus native to almost all of Canada (& Greenland) exc. NB, NS, and PE, and intro NL Island; Armoracia 1 sp. intro to most of S Canada exc. NL, and intro YT?; Barbarea 4 spp. native to most of Canada inc. the Arctic, but intro in PE, NS; Boechera 22 spp. mostly NAM genus native to most of Canada, inc. Arctic (& Greenland) but exc. NU, PE; Borodinia 3 spp. of mostly E NAM endemic genus native ON, QC (8^th spp. is Russian); Camelina 3 spp. introduced to all of Canada, including the Arctic, but excluding NU, Labrador, PE?; Capsella 1 sp. introduced to all of Canada, including the Arctic (& Greenland); Cardamine 27 spp. of cosmopolitan genus native to all of Canada, inc. Arctic (& Greenland); Crucihimalaya 2 spp. N temperate genus native to AB, SK, YT, NT, NU (and Greenland); Descurainia 7 spp. subcosmopolitan genus native to most of Canada, inc. the Arctic but intro in PE, NL (& Greenland); Erysimum 10 spp. N temperate genus native to most of Canada inc. the Arctic (& Greenland), but intro to Labrador and PE; Hornungia 1 sp. native to BC, NL, QC(?), and intro SK, MB; Lepidium 16 spp. native to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT, and intro QC, NB, NS, PE, NL (& Greenland); Malcolmia 1 sp. intro ON?; Nasturtium 3 spp. intro to BC, AB, SK, MB, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL Island, native ON; Neslia 1 sp. intro to all of Canada exc. Labrador, NU, PE?; Physaria 8 spp. native to most of Canada, including the Arctic (& Greenland), except ON, NB, NS, PE; Rorippa 17 spp. cosmopolitan genus native to all of Canada, inc. the Arctic (and introduced to Greenland); Sandbergia 1 sp. N NAM endemic genus native BC; Smelowskia 5 spp. native to BC, AB, YT, NT; Turritis 1 sp. native to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, intro YT, NT.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe in Canada

Iberis 2 spp. ephemeral to BC, ON, QC, NS, PE; Idahoa monospecific NW NAM endemic genus native to BC; Ionopsidium 1 sp. intro BC?; Lobularia 1 sp. intro BC, ON, QC; Lunaria 1 sp. intro BC, MB, ON, QC, ephemeral NS; Subularia 1 sp. native to most of Canada, including the Arctic (& Greenland), except AB and PE; Teesdalia 1 sp. intro to BC.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe in Canada

Braya 8 spp. native to most of Canada, including Arctic (& Greenland), but excluding SK, NB, PE, NS (subarctic and subalpine spp.); Bunias 1 sp. intro BC, QC, ephemeral NB, NS; Chorispora 1 sp. intro to BC and ephemeral SK, MB; Hesperis 1 sp. intro to BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE, NL Island, NT; Matthiola 2 spp. intro to AB, SK, ON, BC?; Parrya 2 spp. native to BC, YT, NT, and NU, with 1 sp. extirpated in BC; Strigosella 1 sp. intro SK.

USA Brassicaceae Genera

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe in the USA

Abdra 2 spp. USA endemic genus of OR, AZ, KS, OK, TX, MO, AR, LA, IL, IN, OH, KY, TN, VA, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC; Alyssum 8 spp. intro to much of the USA and AK but exc. AZ, TX, OK, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, DE, and NH; Arabis 8 spp. N temperate genus native to most of the USA, inc. AK but exc. TX, LA, SC, and FL, inc. 3 narrow endemics of CA (2) and WA (1); Athysanus 2 spp. W NAM endemic genus native WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, NV, UT, AZ; Aubrieta 1 sp. intro to CA, UT, MO; Aurinia 2 spp. intro WA, UT, CO, MI, OH, NY, VT, NH, MA, CT, VA; Berteroa 2 spp. intro most of the USA, inc. AK, but exc. LA, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC; Draba 99 spp. native and intro. to all of the USA and native AK; Odontarrhena 2 spp. inc. 1 native to AK and 1 intro. to OR, UT, CO; Tomostima 4 spp. Americas genus native to most of the USA exc WV, VA, MD, DE, VT, NH, ME.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe in the USA

Alliaria 1 sp. intro much of the USA, inc. AK but exc. CA, NV, AZ, NM, MT, WY, SD, TX, LA, MS, AL, FL; Aphragmus 1 sp. native to AK; Brassica  8 spp. intro all of USA, inc. AK and HI; Cakile 5 spp. intro WA, OR, AK, and CA and native in TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, WI, IL, IN, OH, MI, PA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, NH, ME; Calepina 1 sp. intro MD, VA, NC; Carrichtera monospecific intro CA; Chlorocrambe monospecific USA endemic of ID, OR, UT; Cochlearia 2 spp. N temperate genus native to WA, OR, CA, and AK; Coincya 1 sp. intro CA, NV, AZ, NM, TX, MI, NY, PA, NJ, MD, KY, NC; Conringia 1 sp. intro most of USA inc. AK exc. LA; Crambe 1 sp. intro OR and CA; Diplotaxis 4 spp. intro to most of the USA exc. WA, NV, WY, ND, OK, MO, MS, TN, GA, NC, WV, VT, NH; Dryopetalon 2 spp. S NAM endemic genus native AZ, NM, TX, rest endemic to Mexico; Eruca 2 spp. intro WA, OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, TX, MT, WY, ND, NE, KS, IA, MO, IL, MI, NC, WV, MD, NJ, PA, NY, CT, MA, VT; Erucastrum 1 sp. intro to most of the USA, inc. AK, but exc. NV, AZ, NM, CO, NE, OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, GA, RI; Eutrema 2 spp. native to CO, MT, and AK; Hesperidanthus 5 spp. S NAM endemic genus native CA (1 endemic to Inyo Mtns), UT (3 endemics), AZ, CO, NM, TX; Hirschfeldia monospecific intro to OR, CA, NV, ID?, AZ? and HI; Isatis 1 sp. intro to W USA from MT S to NM and all W exc. AZ and inc. IL, WV, VA, NJ, PA; Moricandia 1 sp. intro VA; Mostacillastrum 2 spp. Americas genus native to AZ, NM, TX; Mummenhoffia 1 sp. intro to MO, LA, IN, OH, PA, NJ, KY, TN, GA, NC, VA, WV, MD, DE; Mutarda 1 sp. intro to all of the USA, inc. AK and HI; Myagrum 1 sp. intro to OK, TX, OH; Noccaea 2 spp. inc. 1 native to W USA from MT S to NM and all W inc. TX and AK, and 1 sp. intro WA, KS, OK, IA, MO, AR, LA, IL, IN, OH, PA, NJ, NY, KY, TN, WV, VA, MD, NC; Orychophragmus 1 sp. intro VA; Phravenia monospecific S NAM endemic genus native TX; Raphanus 1 sp. intro to most of the USA inc. AK and HI and exc. SD, OK; Rapistrum 1 sp. intro to OR, CA, NV, NM, TX, LA, MO, WI, IL, IN, TN, SC, PA, NJ, NY, PA, MA, and HI; Sibara 2 spp. native to CA and NV, inc. 1 endemic to CA; Sinapis 2 spp. intro to all of the USA inc. AK and HI; Sisymbrium 10 spp. native to WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO, NV, UT, AZ, NM, and intro everywhere else, including AK and HI; Stanleya 7 spp. NAM endemic genus native to most of W USA from ND S to TX and all W exc. OK, WA, inc. 6 W USA endemics; Streptanthus 58 spp. NAM endemic genus native, inc. 56 endemics, to W USA from MT S to TX plus OK, KS, AR, LA; Terraria monospecific narrow endemic genus of UT; Thelypodiopsis 8 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to NV, UT, AZ, WY, CO, NM, TX, including 6 USA endemics; Thelypodium 16 spp. NAM endemic genus native to W USA from ND S to TX and all W exc. KS; Thlaspi 2 spp. intro to all of USA and AK but exc. AL; Thysanocarpus 4-7 spp. W NAM endemic genus native WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, UT, AZ, CO, NM; Warea 4 spp. SE USA endemic genus of AL, GA, FL, SC, NC.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe in the USA

Anelsonia monospecific W USA endemic genus of CA, NV, ID, MT; Arabidopsis 3 spp. intro to most of W USA exc. NV, ND, WY, CO, NM, and AZ and native to WA and most of the E USA exc. FL and intro to NH and ME; Armoracia 1 sp. intro most of USA exc. AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, MS, AL, GA, SC, VA; Barbarea 3 spp. native to W USA MT S to NM and all W plus SD, MN, WI, and AK, and intro most of E half of the USA exc. TX, LA; Boechera 80-100 spp. native to W USA from ND S to TX and all W exc. KS and OK and inc. MI, WI, MN, IA, IL, OH, NY, MA, VT, NH, ME, with a very high degree of narrow endemism; Borodinia 7 spp. mostly E NAM endemic genus native to E USA from ND S to TX and all E exc. ND, LA, RI (other sp. is Russian), inc. 4 endemic to E USA; Camelina 3 spp. intro most of the USA, inc. AK, exc. AL, FL; Capsella 1 sp. intro all of the USA, inc. AK and HI; Cardamine 41 spp. of cosmopolitan genus native (and intro?) all of the USA but native in AK and intro HI; Crucihimalaya 1 sp. N temperate genus native CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO, and AK; Cusickiella 2 spp. W USA endemic genus of WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, UT; Descurainia 8 spp. native and intro most of the USA, incl. AK but exc. AL, intro HI; Dimorphocarpa 3 spp. S NAM endemic native to NV, UT, AZ, CO, NM, KS, OK, TX, inc. 1 USA endemic; Dithyrea 2 spp. SW NAM endemic genus native CA, NV, AZ; Erysimum 22 spp. native and intro to most of the USA inc. AK, exc. GA; Halimolobos 6 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to W USA from MT S to NM and all W exc. OR and inc. TX; Hornungia 1 sp. native to W USA from MT S to NM and all W exc. NM; Iodanthus  monospecific USA endemic genus of KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, WI, IL, KY, TN, AL, IN, OH, WV, PA, NJ, CT; Leavenworthia 8 spp. SE USA endemic genus of TX, OK, MO, AR, IN, OH, VA, KY, TN, AL, GA; Lepidium 47+ spp. native and intro to all of the USA, inc. HI and intro AK; Lyrocarpa 1 sp. SW NAM endemic genus native CA, AZ; Malcolmia 2 spp. intro W USA MT S to NM and all W plus KS, TX, MN, WI, IL, NY, NH; Mancoa 1 sp. Americas genus native to TX; Nasturtium 4 spp. inc. 2 native to CA and FL (1 endemic) and 2 intro to most of the rest of the USA inc. AK and HI, exc ND; Nerisyrenia 3 spp. S NAM endemic genus native NM (1 endemic) and TX; Neslia 1 sp. intro WA, OR, ID, ND, SD, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH, PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME, and AK; Nevada monospecific narrow endemic genus of NV; Paysonia 8 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to KS, OK, TX, TN, AL, KY, inc. 7 endemics, 4 of which are single-state endemics; Pennellia 1 sp. Americas genus native AZ, CO, NM, TX; Phoenicaulis monospecific W USA endemic genus of WA, OR, CA, NV, ID; Physaria ~95 spp. native to most of USA from WI S to MS and all W plus IN, OH, TN, KY, AL, VA, and AK, with very high endemism, esp. in CO, MT, NM, and TX; Planodes 1 sp. S NAM endemic genus native to CA, KS, OK, TX, IA, MO, AR, LA, IL, IN, OH, WV, VA, KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC; Polyctenium monospecific W USA endemic genus of OR, CA, NV, ID; Rorippa 26 spp. intro and native in all of the USA inc. AK, and intro HI; Sandbergia 2 spp. N NAM endemic native WA, ID, MT, inc. 1 endemic; Selenia 4 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to NM, KS, OK, TX, MO, AR, inc. 3 USA endemics, 2 of which are endemic to TX; Smelowskia 7 spp. native to WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, CO, UT, and AK; Synthlipsis 1 sp. S NAM endemic genus native to TX; Tropidocarpum 3 spp. mostly NAM endemic genus native to CA (2 endemics), the other is disjunct in C Chile; Turritis 1 sp. native to much of USA exc. ND, OK, TX, AR, LA, KY, MS, AL, GA, SC, FL, MD, DE, NJ; Yosemitea monospecific endemic genus of CA, NV.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe in the USA

Iberis 5 spp. intro to OR, CA, MT, UT, CO, NM, MN, IA, WI, MI, OH, KY, TN, NC, WV, PA, NY, CT, MA, VT, NH, ME, and AK; Idahoa monospecific NW NAM endemic native WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, NV; Ionopsidium 1 sp. intro OR, CA; Lobularia 1 sp. intro to much of the USA, inc. HI but exc. ND, SD, OK, AR, KY, TN, AL, GA, SC, DE, VT; Lunaria 2 spp. intro to WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, UT, CO, MN, IL, AR, GA, NC, VA, TN, KY, IN, OH, WV, MD, DE, PA, NJ, MI, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, ME; Subularia 1 sp. native to WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, UT, WY, CO, MN, MI, NY, VT, NH, ME, and AK; Teesdalia 2 spp. intro WA, OR, CA, ID, MI, IN, NY, MA, CT, PA, NJ, MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, GA.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe in the USA

Braya 1 sp. native to MT, WY, CO, and AK (subalpine spp.); Bunias 2 spp. intro MI, WI, OH, VA, PA, NJ, CT, NY, MA, VT, NH; Chorispora  1 sp. intro much of USA exc. WI, KY, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, VT, NH, ME; Euclidium 1 sp. intro to WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, WY, CO, NV, UT, NE, MA; Hesperis 1 sp. intro to much of the USA inc. AK but exc. AZ, TX, OK, LA, MS, AL, FL, SC; Matthiola 2 spp. intro to OR, CA, ID, AZ, NM, TX, KS, IL, MI, NC; Parrya 2 spp. native to WY, UT, and AK; Strigosella 1 sp. intro to W USA from MT S to TX and all W exc WA, inc. IL, NY.

Mexico Brassicaceae Genera

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe in Mexico

Athysanus 2 spp. W NAM endemic genus native BCN + BCS; Draba ~80 spp. native to all of Mexico, with the vast majority narrow endemics of mountainous regions; Tomostima 3 spp. Americas genus native to N Mexico.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe in Mexico

Brassica 2-4 spp. intro to most of Mexico exc. Ver, Chip, Tab, Cmp, Yuc, Ver; Cakile 2 spp. native to NE, SE Mexico, and Ver and intro to NW Mexico; Chaunanthus 4 spp. Mexican endemic genus of NE, SW, C Mexico; Coincya 1 sp. intro NW Mexico; Diplotaxis 1-2 spp. intro N Mexico; Dryopetalon 9 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to N Mexico, inc. 7 endemic to N Mexico; Eruca 1 sp. intro to most of Mexico exc. Cam, Tab, Yuc, QR, Ver; Eutrema 1 sp. native to NE Mexico; Hesperidanthus 1 sp. S NAM endemic genus native to N+C+SW Mexico; Hirschfeldia monospecif intro in NW Mexico; Mostacillastrum 3 spp. Americas genus native to NE+C Mexico, inc. 1 endemic to Mexico; Mutarda 1 sp. intro to NW+C Mexico; Noccaea 2 spp. native to N+C Mexico, inc. 1 endemic; Phravenia monospecific S NAM endemic genus native to NE+C Mexico S to Pue; Raphanorhyncha monospecific endemic genus of NE Mexico; Raphanus 1 sp. intro to W+C Mexico; Rapistrum 1 sp. intro to NE+C Mexico; Romanschulzia 10 spp. Mexico & neoendemic genus endemic to NE, C, SW Mexico, and Ver; Sibara 4 spp. endemic to Mexico in BC, BCS, Son; Sinapis 1 sp. intro to NE+C Mexico; Sisymbrium 1-2 spp. intro to N+SW Mexico; Stanleya 1 sp. NAM endemic genus native to N Mexico; Streptanthus 3 spp. NAM endemic genus native to N Mexico; Thelypodiopsis 2 spp. S NAM endemic genus native NL, Tmp, Chi; Thelypodium 3 spp. native to N+C Mexico; Thlaspi 1 sp. intro C Mexico; Thysanocarpus 3 spp. W NAM endemic genus native BCN, BCS, Son.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe in Mexico

Boechera ~11 spp. native throughout N Mexico; Capsella 2 spp., including 1 intro to W Mexico and 1 narrow endemic of Mor; Cardamine 11 spp., inc. 3 endemics of cosmopolitan genus native throughout all of Mexico; Descurainia ~5 spp. subcosmopolitan genus native to all of Mexico, including 3 endemics; Dimorphocarpa 3 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to N Mexico, including 1 endemic to SLP; Dithyrea 2 spp. SW NAM endemic genus native to NW Mexico; Erysimum 3 spp. native throughout Mexico, inc. 1 narrow endemic of Guadalupe Is.; Exhalimolobos 6 spp. mostly neoendemic genus native to NE, SW, C Mexico, Ver, inc. 4 endemic to Mexico; Halimolobos 5 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to NE Mexico, inc. 2 endemics; Hornungia 1 sp. intro NW Mexico; Lepidium 15 spp. inc. several endemics native to all of Mexico; Lyrocarpa 3 spp. SW NAM endemic genus native to NW Mexico inc. 1 endemic BCS and 1 island endemic of Is. Angel de la Guarda; Mancoa 5 spp. Americas genus native to NE Mexico S to Jal, inc. 4 endemic to Mexico; Nasturtium 2 spp., including 1 native to C+SE Mexico and 1 intro to the rest of Mexico; Nerisyrenia 8 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to NE Mexico, inc. several endemics esp. in Coa; Ornithocarpa 2 spp. Mexican endemic genus of N+SW Mexico; Paysonia 1 sp. S NAM endemic genus native NE Mexico; Pennellia 5 spp. Americas endemic genus native to all of Mexico, including 3 endemics; Physaria ~9 spp. native to much of Mexico, except SE; Planodes 3 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to N+SW Mexico, inc. 1-2 endemics; Rorippa 11 spp. cosmopolitan genus native o all of Mexico, inc. 3 endemics; Selenia 1 sp. S NAM endemic native NE Mexico; Sphaerocardamum 4 spp. narrow endemic genus of NE Mexico; Synthlipsis 2 spp. S NAM endemic genus native to NE Mexico inc. 1 endemic Coa; Tropidocarpum 1 sp. mostly NAM endemic genus native to BCN, BCS. 

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe in Mexico

Asta monospecific narrow endemic genus of NE Mexico (SLP); Chorispora 1 sp. intro to NW Mexico; Lobularia 1 sp. intro NW+C Mexico; Scoliaxon monospecific endemic genus of NE Mexico.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe in Mexico

Matthiola 2 spp. intro to W Mexico.

Neotropical Brassicaceae Genera

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe in the Neotropics

Alyssum 1? sp. intro N Argentina, C Chile; Arabis 1 sp. native to C Chile; Draba 82 spp. native to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, NE+S Argentina, and intro to NE Argentina, with the vast majority being endemic to alpine areas; Tomostima  2 spp. Americas genus native to Peru (1 endemic), Argentina, C+S Chile, Uruguay.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe in the Neotropics

Brassica 5 spp. intro CAM (exc. Costa Rica), Antilles, SAM (exc. Guyana, Suriname, N Brazil); Cakile 1 sp. native to Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, and intro NE Argentina and Uruguay; Dictyophragmus 3 spp. SAM endemic genus of Peru and NW Argentina; Diplotaxis 1 sp. intro Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, N+C Chile, Argentina, Uruguay; Englerocharis 6 spp. W SAM endemic genus of Peru and Bolivia; Eruca 1 sp. intro El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, C Chile, Argentina; Erucastrum 1 sp. intro Ecuador; Hirschfeldia monospecific intro to Bolivia, N+C Chile, Argentina, Uruguay; Isatis 1 sp. intro Peru, C Chile; Ivania 2 spp. narrow endemic genus of N+C Chile; Machaerophorus monospecific narrow endemic genus of Peru; Mostacillastrum 29 spp. Americas genus native to Haiti, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, N+C Chile, Argentina; Mutarda 1 sp. intro to Cuba, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, N+C Chile, and Argentina; Neuontobotrys 14 spp. SAM-endemic genus of Peru, Bolivia, N+C Chile, NW+S Argentina; Noccaea 1-2 spp. native to NW+S Argentina and C+S Chile; Parodiodoxa monospecific narrow endemic genus of NW Argentina; Petroravenia monospecific narrow endemic of NW Argentina; Polypsecadium 15 spp. SAM endemic genus of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, S Brazil; Raphanus 1 sp. intro to Guatemala, El Salvador, Antilles, Bahamas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, C, S, SE Brazil; Rapistrum 1 sp. intro to Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, S+SE Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay; Romanschulzia 4 spp. Mexico and neoendemic genus native to Guatemala (1 endemic), Costa Rica (1 endemic), and Panama; Sarcodraba 1 sp. S SAM endemic genus of NW Argentina, other 3 spp. in Patagonia; Sibara 6 spp. S SAM endemic in Argentina (2), and N+C Chile (4); Sinapis 2 spp. intro to El Salvador, Antilles, Colombia, Guyana, C, S, SE Brazil, Paraguay, NE+S Argentina; Sisymbrium 5 spp. inc. 1 native to Peru and 4 spp. intro to Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, S+SE Brazil; Thlaspi 1 sp. intro Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Bolivia, SE Brazil, NE Argentina; Weberbauera 22 spp. SAM endemic genus of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, NW and S Argentina; Zuloagocardamum monospecific narrow endemic genus of NW Argentina.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe in the Neotropics

Arabidopsis 1 sp. intro to Uruguay and C Chile; Armoracia 1 sp. intro Jamaica; Barbarea 1 sp. intro Haiti, Dominican Republic, and C Chile; Camelina 2 spp. intro to N Argentina, C Chile, Uruguay, and S Brazil; Capsella 1 sp. intro to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Antilles, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and S+SE Brazil; Cardamine 14 spp. native to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and S+SE Brazil, and 3 spp. intro to Cuba, Jamaica, Leeward + Windward Is., Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, and C+NE Brazil; Descurainia 5 spp. cosmopolitan genus native to Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay; Erysimum 2 spp. inc. 1 sp. native to Guatemala and Costa Rica, 1 sp. intro. to Ecuador and Argentina; Exhalimolobos 6 spp. Mexico and neoendemic genus native to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Uruguay; Hornungia 1 sp. intro Bolivia, Chile, Argentina; Lepidium 30 spp., including 29 native to CAM, the Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina (1 endemic to N Argentina), Paraguay, Uruguay, and E Brazil and 1 sp. intro to C Brazil, Suriname, and French Guiana; Mancoa 4 spp. Americas endemic genus native to Peru, Bolivia, C Chile, and N Argentina; Nasturtium 2 spp., inc. 1 native to Guatemala and 1 intro to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, S Brazil, Chile; Neslia 1 sp. intro to NE Argentina, Cuba; Pennellia 6 spp. Americas endemic genus native to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bolivia, C Chile, and Argentina; Physaria 1 sp. native to Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay; Rorippa 15 spp. inc 12 native and 3 intro to CAM (exc. Belize), the Antilles, and SAM exc N Chile, French Guiana, C+NE Brazil; Tropidocarpum 1 sp. mostly NAM endemic genus disjunct endemic to C Chile.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe in the Neotropics

Aimara monospecific endemic N Chile; Alshehbazia 3 spp. SAM endemic genus of Peru, Bolivia, N+S Chile, NW+S Argentina; Aschersoniodoxa 3 spp. SAM endemic genus of Peru, Bolivia, and NW Argentina; Atacama monospecific narrow endemic genus of N Chile; Brayopsis 3 spp. SAM endemic genus of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and NW Argentina; Coincya 1 sp. intro to Colombia; Cremolobus 5 spp. Andes endemic genus of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, N Chile, NW Argentina; Dactylocardamum monospecific narrow endemic genus of Peru; Eudema 10 spp. narrow W SAM endemic genus of Ecuador and Peru; Gongylis monospecific narrow endemic genus of Peru; Iberis 2 spp. intro to Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, S Argentina; Lobularia 1 sp. intro Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, N Argentina, Chile, Uruguay; Mathewsia 7 spp. narrow W SAM endemic genus of Peru, N+C Chile; Menonvillea 21 spp. narrow endemic genus of Chile and NW(+S) Argentina; Schizopetalon 11 spp. W SAM endemic genus of N+C Chile, NW Argentina.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe in the Neotropics

Chorispora 1 sp. intro NW+S Argentina; Matthiola 2 spp. introduced to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, N Chile, Juan Fernandez Is., S Argentina; Strigosella 1 sp. intro Argentina.

Patagonia Brassicaceae Genera

Aethionemoideae Subfamily in Patagonia

Aethionema 1 sp. intro to S Argentina.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Arabodae Supertribe in Patagonia

Alyssum 1 sp. intro throughout Patagonia; Arabis 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Draba 4 spp. native throughout the region; Tomostima 1 sp. Americas genus native to Patagonia.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Brassicodae Supertribe in Patagonia

Alliaria 1 sp. intro S Argentina; Brassica 1-2 spp. intro in all of Patagonia inc. Falkland Is.; Chilocardamum 4 spp. narrow endemic genus of S Argentina; Cochlearia 1 sp. intro to S Argentina and Falkland Is.; Diplotaxis  1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Eruca 1 sp. intro S Argentina; Hirschfeldia monospecific intro to C Chile and S Argentina; Hollermayera monospecific endemic genus of C+S Chile; Mostacillastrum ~12 spp. Americas genus native to S Argentina; Mutarda 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Neuontobotrys 1-2 spp. SAM endemic genus native to C Chile and S Argentina; Noccaea 1 sp. native to the region; Phlebolobium monospecific narrow endemic of the Falkland Is.; Polypsecadium 1 sp. SAM endemic genus native to Patagonia; Raphanus 1 sp. intro to Patagonia; Rapistrum 1 sp. intro Patagonia; Sarcodraba 3 spp. S SAM endemic genus endemic to Patagonia, other species is in NW Argentina; Sibara 1 sp. native to S Argentina; Sinapis 2 spp. intro to S Argentina; Sisymbrium 1 sp. intro to Patagonia and the Falkland Is.; Thlaspi 1 sp. intro S Chile, S Argentina, South Georgia Is.; Weberbauera 2 spp. SAM endemic genus native to Patagonia.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Camelinodae Supertribe in Patagonia

Arabidopsis 1 sp. intro throughout Patagonia; Barbarea 1 sp. intro throughout the Patagonia region; Camelina 1 sp. intro in S Argentina; Capsella 1 sp. intro to all of Patagonia, inc. Falkland Is.; Cardamine ~17 spp. cosmopolitan genus native all throughout Patagonia, inc. the Falkland Is. and intro South Georgia Island, includes several endemic to the region; Delpinophytum monospecific endemic genus of S Argentina; Descurainia 1-2 spp. native to the region; Erysimum 1 sp. intro S Argentina, Falkland Is.; Exhalimolobos 1-2 spp. native to S Argentina; Hornungia 1 sp. intro Patagonia; Lepidium ~10 spp. native throughout Patagonia and the Falkland Is., inc. several endemics; Malcolmia 1 sp. intro S Argentina; Nasturtium 1 sp. intro to the Patagonia region; Neslia 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Pennellia 2 spp. native to C Chile, C+S Argentina; Physaria 1 sp. native to S. Argentina; Rorippa 2 spp. cosmopolitan genus native Patagonia; Trichotolinum monospecific endemic genus of S Argentina.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Heliophilodae Supertribe in Patagonia

Alshehbazia 1 sp. SAM endemic genus native to S Chile and S Argentina; Iberis 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Lobularia 1 sp. intro C+S Chile; Lunaria 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Menonvillea 4 spp. SAM endemic genus native to the region, inc. 3 endemics; Onuris 5 spp. Patagonian endemic genus in C+S Chile, S Argentina; Teesdalia 1 sp. intro S Chile; Xerodraba 5 spp. endemic genus of Patagonia.

Brassicoideae Subfamily: Hesperodae Supertribe in Patagonia

Chorispora 1 sp. intro S Argentina; Dichasianthus 1 sp. intro S Argentina; Hesperis 1 sp. intro to the region, inc. the Falkland Is.; Matthiola 1 sp. intro to S Argentina; Strigosella 1 sp. intro S Argentina.

Additional Information and References

• Visit Lyrae’s Dictionary of Botanical Terms to learn the terminology of botanists. Note that if you hover over most of the words in the articles, you can also get definitions from them there.
• Willis, Lyrae (Unpublished). Plant Families of North America. This is where all of the family descriptions come from. Below should be most of my references for this, along with my own personal observations throughout North America.
• Canadensys: Acadia University, Université de Montréal Biodiversity Centre, University of Toronto Mississauga, University of British Columbia. http://data.canadensys.net/explorer (accessed 2020 – current)
• FNA 1993+. Flora of North America. https://floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page. Accessed 2022-current.
• German DA, Hendriks KP, Koch MA, Lens F, Lysak MA, Bailey CD, Mummenhoff K, Al-Shehbaz IA. An updated classification of the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae). PhytoKeys. 2023 Mar 6;220:127-144. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.220.97724. PMID: 37251613; PMCID: PMC10209616. **This is the latest data on the correct deliniation of the supertribal classification of the Brassicaceae.
• GBIF.org (2020+), GBIF Home Page. Available from: https://www.gbif.org
• iNaturalist.org 2020+. https://www.inaturalist.org/. Accessed 2020-current. If you like plants or nature in general, please join the iNaturalist community and start sharing your observations with others. The data we track is invaluable for scientists like me wanting to track population changes over time.
• Koch MA, Kiefer M, German DA, Al-Shehbaz IA, Franzke A, Mummenhoff K, Schmickl R. 2012. BrassiBase: Tools and biological resources to study characters and traits in the Brassicaceae – version 1.1 TAXON 61(5): 1001-1009. brassibase.cos.uni-heidelberg.de. This is considered THE authoritative source on the Brassicaceae.
• Naturalista: CONABIO http://www.naturalista.mx (Accessed 2020–2022).
• Neotropikey: Milliken, W., Klitgård, B., & Baracat, A. eds. 2009+. Neotropikey: Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. www.kew.org/neotropikey.com (accessed 2020 – current).
• Patagonia Wildflowers: Wildflower Identification Site. https://patagoniawildflowers.org/ Accessed throughout the fall of 2020.
• POWO 2019+. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Accessed 2020-current.
• Stevens, P. F. 2001+. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 14, July 2017 [more or less continuously updated since]. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/.
• USDA, NRCS. 2020+. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 2 June 2020). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC, USA; Accessed 2020-present.
• Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. (1992). The Families of Flowering Plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 2nd May 2020. delta-intkey.com. Accessed spring through fall of 2020.
• WFO (2022+): World Flora Online. Published on the Internet: http://www.worldfloraonline.org. Accessed Spring 2022 – current

My Current Plant Family Education Fundraiser

I am currently seeking funding to expand my website and SEO capabilities as I keep adding new families, and I am also looking to invest in a new macro lens, as I will soon be adding floral dissections to some of the families. Donate to support native plant education using the GoFundMe link, also at the bottom of the page.

Copyright Information

The information and the photos on this site are free to use for educational purposes, with proper attribution. For other uses, please contact me first.

You can cite this site as Willis, Lyrae (2020+). Lyrae’s Nature Blog – Plant Families of North America. https://lyraenatureblog.com/

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