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Boechera subpinnatifida

ashy rockcress

Cusick's rockcress

Habit Plants long-lived perennial; with woody caudices. Plants long-lived perennial, often cespitose; with mostly woody caudices.
Stems

1–4(5) dm; lower parts with short-stalked, 2–6-rayed trichomes; upper parts sparsely pubescent.

1–2.5(3.8) dm; lower parts with simple trichomes only; upper parts sparsely pubescent or glabrous.

Basal leaves

narrowly oblanceolate, 1–4(5) mm wide;

margins prominently dentate to subpinnatifid; entire on those of sterile shoots;

surfaces densely pubescent with short-stalked; (2)4–9-rayed trichomes, ciliate near petiole bases with simple or 2-rayed trichomes.

linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 0.5–2 mm wide;

margins entire, ciliate with simple trichomes;

surfaces moderately pubescent with simple and long-stalked, 2-rayed trichomes.

Cauline leaves

(10)20–60, often concealing stem throughout, bases uppermost auriculate and sparsely to moderately pubescent.

10–30, often concealing stem proximally, bases auriculate or not; uppermost sparsely pubescent.

Inflorescences

8–30-flowered, fruiting pedicels reflexed, strongly recurved, 5–15 mm, with appressed, branched trichomes.

5–14-flowered, unbranched, fruiting pedicels ascending; straight, 4–15(20) mm, glabrous or with few simple trichomes.

Flowers

sexual, divaricate-ascending to pendent at anthesis;

sepals glabrous;

petals 9–14 × 1.5–3 mm, purple or rarely lavender;

pollen ellipsoid;

ovules 24–42 per ovary;

styles 0.5–1 mm.

sexual, ascending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals 6–10 × 2–3 mm, white to lavender, glabrous;

pollen ellipsoid;

ovules 56–106 per ovary;

styles 0.1–0.5 mm.

Fruits

pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund; straight to slightly curved; (3.5)5–8 cm × 2–3 mm;

margins parallel, pubescent.

ascending to divaricate-ascending, not appressed to rachis, not secund; straight or curved, 4–8(9.5) cm × 2.3–3 mm;

margins parallel, glabrous.

Seeds

uniseriate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

wings continuous or at both ends, 0.4–0.8 mm wide.

uniseriate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm;

wings continuous, 0.1–0.2 mm wide.

2n

=14.

Boechera subpinnatifida

Boechera cusickii

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

Talus, rock outcrops, gravelly soil, sagebrush-grassland communities. Flowering Mar–Jun. 100–1800 m. Lava, Sisk. CA, ID, NV; southeast to UT. Native.

Rocky slopes, sagebrush hills, basaltic bluffs, gravelly hill­sides, crevices, outcrops of volcanic rock. Flowering Apr–May. 600–1700 m. BW, Casc, Col, Lava, Owy. ID, NV, WA. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 457
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 451
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. puberula, B. rectissima, B. retrofracta, B. rollei, B. sparsiflora, B. stricta, B. suffrutescens
B. acutina, B. atrorubens, B. breweri, B. calderi, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. covillei, 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. sparsiflora, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens
Synonyms Arabis subpinnatifida Arabis cusickii
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