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hoary rockcress

sicklepod rockcress

Habit Plants short-lived perennial; with non-woody caudices. Plants biennial or short-lived perennial; without woody caudices.
Stems

(1)2–6.3 dm, pubescent with many short-stalked, 3–8-rayed trichomes.

3–8 dm; lower parts densely pubescent with simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed trichomes to 1.5 mm; upper parts glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

Basal leaves

oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm wide;

margins usually dentate, not ciliate;

surfaces densely pubescent with short-stalked, 5–12-rayed trichomes.

oblanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 3–12 mm wide;

margins entire or rarely dentate, ciliate proximally;

surfaces densely pubescent with simple and short-stalked, 2–5-rayed trichomes.

Cauline leaves

7–45(65), concealing stem proximally, bases of some leaves auriculate; uppermost pubescent.

(9)15–35, often concealing stem proximally, bases auriculate; uppermost glabrous or ciliate.

Inflorescences

10–40(64)-flowered, fruiting pedicels arched, recurved above horizontal to ascending bases, 4–10 mm, with appressed, branched trichomes.

12–50-flowered, fruiting pedicels ascending or horizontal; straight or slightly recurved, 3–10(18) mm, with spreading, mostly simple trichomes, rarely glabrous.

Flowers

sexual, ascending to descending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals 5–9 × 0.8–1.8 mm, white to lavender;

pollen ellipsoid;

ovules 38–64 per ovary;

styles 0.01–0.1 mm.

sexual, ascending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals 7–13 × 2–5 mm, lavender to purple, rarely white;

pollen ellipsoid;

ovules 90–170 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm.

Fruits

closely pendent, rarely appressed to rachis, not secund, mostly straight, 3–6.5 cm × 1.9–2.2 mm;

margins parallel, pubescent.

ascending or rarely horizontal, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually curved, 5–13 cm × 1.7–2 mm;

margins parallel, glabrous.

Seeds

uniseriate, 1.4–1.8 × 1–1.4 mm;

wings continuous, 0.1–0.3 mm wide.

uniseriate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm;

wings continuous, 0.1–0.2 mm wide.

2n

=14.

=14.

Boechera puberula

Boechera sparsiflora

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rocky slopes, ledges, gravelly hillsides in sagebrush, pinyon-juniper forests. Flowering Apr–Jul. 800–3000 m. BR, BW, Casc, ECas, Lava, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; southeast to UT. Native.

Clay hills, meadows, rocky slopes, sandy soil in sagebrush and mountain shrub communities, open conifer forests. Flowering Apr–Jun. 400–2500 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Owy, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, southeast to UT. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 456
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 457
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Sibling taxa
B. acutina, B. atrorubens, B. breweri, B. calderi, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. covillei, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. hastatula, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. koehleri, B. lemmonii, B. lyallii, B. microphylla, B. paddoensis, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. pendulocarpa, B. pinetorum, B. platysperma, B. pratincola, B. rectissima, B. retrofracta, B. rollei, B. sparsiflora, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens
B. acutina, B. atrorubens, B. breweri, B. calderi, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. covillei, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. hastatula, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. koehleri, B. lemmonii, B. lyallii, B. microphylla, B. paddoensis, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. pendulocarpa, B. pinetorum, B. platysperma, B. pratincola, B. puberula, B. rectissima, B. retrofracta, B. rollei, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens
Synonyms Arabis puberula Arabis sparsiflora, Arabis sparsiflora var. sparsiflora, Boechera sparsiflora var. sparsiflora
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