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Georgia rockcress

Olympics rockcress

Habit Biennials; sparsely to moderately hirsute (at least basally), trichomes simple, mixed with fewer, short-stalked, forked ones, subsessile cruciform or 3-rayed stellate trichomes commonly on abaxial blade surfaces, sometimes plants glabrous distally. Perennials; (caudex branched, covered with persistent petiolar remains); moderately pubescent, trichomes simple or short-stalked, forked, (to 0.6 mm).
Stems

simple or few from base (rosette), erect, unbranched or branched (few) distally, 3–7 dm, (hirsute basally, glabrous distally).

simple or few from base (caudex), erect, unbranched, 0.7–1.1 dm, (pubescent throughout, trichomes short-stalked, forked).

Basal leaves

petiole 0.5–2 cm, (ciliate or not);

blade spatulate, oblanceolate, or obovate, 1.5–6 cm × 5–15 mm, margins dentate, apex obtuse or acute, abaxial surface moderately to sparsely pubescent, trichomes subsessile stellate, adaxial surface subglabrate or sparsely stellate.

petiole 0.3–0.6 cm, (sparsely ciliate);

blades oblanceolate to obovate, 0.4–1cm × 2–7 mm, margins entire or repand, (ciliate), apex obtuse, surfaces sparsely pubescent, trichomes simple and forked.

Cauline leaves

7–26;

blade oblong, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 1.5–7 cm × 3–18 mm, base auriculate to subamplexicaul, margins dentate or entire, apex acute or obtuse, pubescent as basal leaves except distalmost leaves often glabrous.

4–6;

blade oblong, 0.6–0.8 cm × 2–3 mm, base not auriculate, margins entire, (ciliate), apex obtuse.

Racemes

often simple.

simple, (dense).

Flowers

sepals oblong, 2.5–4.5 × 1–1.5 mm, lateral pair subsaccate basally;

petals white, narrowly spatulate or oblanceolate, 6–9 × 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse;

filaments 3–4.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.8–1 mm.

sepals (greenish), ovate, 1.5 × 0.5 mm, lateral pair not saccate basally, (glabrous);

petals white, oblanceolate, 3.5–4 × 1 mm, apex rounded.

Fruiting pedicels

erect to erect-ascending, 7–16 mm, (glabrous).

erect, (subappressed to rachis), 5–6.5 mm, (glabrous).

Fruits

erect to erect-ascending, (often subappressed to rachis), smooth, 4–7 cm × 0.7–0.8 mm;

valves each with midvein extending full length or to middle;

ovules 38–44 per ovary;

style 0.7–1.8 mm.

erect, (appressed to rachis), slightly torulose, 2–2.3 cm × 1 mm;

valves each with distinct midvein extending full length;

ovules 28–34 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.3 mm, (stout).

Seeds

narrowly winged throughout, oblong, 0.9–1.9 × 0.5–0.7 mm;

wing to 0.1 mm wide distally.

winged distally, oblong, ca. 1 × 0.5 mm;

wing ca. 0.1 mm wide.

Arabis georgiana

Arabis olympica

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Aug.
Habitat Stream banks, roadsides Talus slopes near glacier
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) ca. 1400 m (ca. 4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Arabis georgiana is most closely related to A. pycnocarpa, from which it is easily distinguished by having narrower fruits, longer petals, and subsessile cruciform or 3-rayed trichomes on abaxial surfaces of basal leaves. It is known only in Alabama from Bibb and Elmore counties and in Georgia from Stewart County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Arabis olympica, which is known from two collections, J. B. Flett s.n. (holotype, US; isotype, WS) and N. Buckingham 1577 (WS) that were made from Jefferson and Clallam counties, respectively, was reduced by R. C. Rollins (1936, 1941, 1993) to a variety of A. furcata. An examination of the type collections of both species reveals that they are distinct. Although the fruits and seeds of A. olympica are not fully mature, they are clearly different in width and orientation from those of A. furcata at the same developmental stage. The striking differences in fruit width and orientation, stem indument, and seed and flower size support their maintenance as distinct species. Although both species grow in Washington, the range of A. olympica seems to be restricted to Clallam and Jefferson counties and is disjunct from Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima counties, where A. furcata grows.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 261. FNA vol. 7, p. 263.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Arabis Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Arabis
Sibling taxa
A. aculeolata, A. alpina, A. blepharophylla, A. caucasica, A. crucisetosa, A. eschscholtziana, A. furcata, A. mcdonaldiana, A. modesta, A. nuttallii, A. olympica, A. oregana, A. patens, A. pycnocarpa
A. aculeolata, A. alpina, A. blepharophylla, A. caucasica, A. crucisetosa, A. eschscholtziana, A. furcata, A. georgiana, A. mcdonaldiana, A. modesta, A. nuttallii, A. oregana, A. patens, A. pycnocarpa
Synonyms A. furcata var. olympica
Name authority R. M. Harper: Torreya 3: 88. (1903) Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 208. (1913)
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