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flixweed

western tansymustard

Habit Finely stellate, grayish annual, the stems 3-10 dm. tall, usually branched above and also occasionally branched below. Greenish to grayish annual, finely and sometimes glandular above, the usually freely-branched stem 1-7 dm. tall.
Leaves

Leaves alternate, mainly cauline, numerous, 2-10 cm. long, oblong-ovate to oblanceolate, repeatedly compound into linear segments 1 mm. long.

Leaves alternate, mainly cauline, broadly lanceolate to oblanceolate, the lower petiolate, 3-10 cm. long, bipinnate-pinnatifid to pinnate-pinnatifid, somewhat toothed, the segments linear or a little broader; upper leaves reduced, usually pinnatifid into linear segments.

Flowers

Inflorescence of bractless racemes that are often half the length of the plant; pedicles slender, about 10 mm. long;

sepals 4, spreading, 2-2.5 mm. long, greenish;

petals 4, yellowish, filiform, spatulate, shorter than the sepals;

stamens 6, well exerted;

stigma sessile.

Inflorescence of bractless racemes; pedicles 3-18 mm. long, spreading and often bent to ascending;

sepals 4, 1-2 mm. long, spreading;

petals 4, pale to bright yellow, 1.5-3.5 mm. long;

stamens 6;

style inconspicuous.

Fruits

Siliques nearly erect, terete, linear, 2-3 cm. long and 1-1.5 mm. broad, somewhat lumpy, rounded at the tip;

seeds in 1 series.

Siliques 4-20 mm. long and about 1.5 mm. broad, narrowly elliptic in outline, rounded at the tip;

seeds in 2 series at mid-length.

Descurainia sophia

Descurainia pinnata

Flowering time March-July April-July
Habitat Weed of dry waste ground and other disturbed areas. Weedy native of fairly dry, open ground.
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
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[BONAP county map]
Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Eurasia Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
D. incana, D. incisa, D. longepedicellata, D. nelsonii, D. pinnata
D. incana, D. incisa, D. longepedicellata, D. nelsonii, D. sophia
Subordinate taxa
D. pinnata ssp. brachycarpa
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