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Boechera subpinnatifida

ashy rockcress

reflexed rockcress, secund rockcress

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

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

1.5–7(10.5) dm; lower parts densely pubescent with short-stalked, 2–8-rayed trichomes; upper parts sparsely pubescent.

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, 2–7 mm wide;

margins entire or shallowly dentate;

surfaces densely pubescent with short-stalked, 5–10-rayed trichomes, occasionally ciliate at petiole bases.

Cauline leaves

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

15–40, concealing stem proximally, bases auriculate or very rarely not; uppermost pubescent.

Inflorescences

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

15–80(140)-flowered, fruiting pedicels recurved at bases.

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, pendent at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals 4–8 × 0.8–2.2 mm, white to lavender;

pollen ellipsoid;

ovules (60)70–116 per ovary.

Fruits

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

margins parallel, pubescent.

strongly reflexed, usually appressed to rachis, occasionally somewhat secund; straight, 3.5–9 cm × 0.9–1.8 mm;

margins parallel, glabrous or pubescent.

Seeds

uniseriate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

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

uniseriate, 1–1.4 × 0.9–1.2 mm;

wings continuous; to 0.1 mm wide.

2n

=14.

=14.

Boechera subpinnatifida

Boechera retrofracta

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.

Open hillsides, sagebrush, sandy slopes, rock outcrops, oak woodlands, gravel bars, sandy banks in grasslands, open conifer forests. Flowering Apr–Aug. 700–2800 m. BR, BW, Casc, ECas, Lava, Owy, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to AK, northeast to Quebec, east to WY, southeast to UT. Native.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 457
Ihsan Al-Shehbaz
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 456
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. 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. rollei, B. sparsiflora, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens
Synonyms Arabis subpinnatifida Arabis holboellii, Arabis holboellii var. retrofracta, Arabis secunda, Boechera holboellii, Boechera holboellii var. secunda
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