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Boechera subpinnatifida

ashy rockcress

spreading-pod rockcress

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

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

(1.5)3–9 dm; lower parts glabrous or with sessile, 2–4-rayed and few simple trichomes; upper parts 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.

oblanceolate, 2–10 mm wide;

margins entire or rarely denticulate, ciliate with simple trichomes;

surfaces pubescent with sessile or subsessile, 2–6-rayed trichomes.

Cauline leaves

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

(10)15–56, concealing stem proximally, bases auriculate; uppermost glabrous.

Inflorescences

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

12–40(65)-flowered, fruiting pedicels divaricate-ascending to horizontal; straight, 5–12 mm, glabrous.

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.

apomictic, divaricate-ascending at anthesis;

sepals glabrous or with scattered trichomes;

petals 6–9 × 1.5–3 mm, purple or rarely lavender;

pollen spheroid;

ovules 114–142 per ovary;

styles 0.05–0.2 mm.

Fruits

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

margins parallel, pubescent.

divaricate-ascending to horizontal, not appressed to rachis, not secund; straight; (4.5)5.5–11 cm × 1.7–2.5 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 to subbiseriate, 1.4–2 × 1–1.5 mm;

wings continuous, 0.1–0.2 mm wide.

2n

=14.

=21.

Boechera subpinnatifida

Boechera divaricarpa

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.

Talus slopes, rock outcrops, gravelly hillsides in sagebrush, shrublands, open conifer forests. Flowering Jun–Jul. 1500–2800 m. BR, BW, Casc, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; northeast to MT, east to WY. 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. cusickii, B. davidsonii, 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 x divaricarpa, Arabis x divaricarpa var. divaricarpa
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