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Georgia rockcress

spreading 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. Biennials or, rarely, perennials; (short-lived, with caudex); usually densely hirsute (at least basally), trichomes simple (to 1 mm), sometimes mixed with stalked, forked ones.
Stems

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

simple or several from base (rosette), erect, often branched distally, (1.8–)2.5–4.5(–5.5) dm, (hirsute at least basally).

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 (0.7–)2–5 cm;

blade usually ovate to oblanceolate, rarely cordate, (0.8–)1.5–3 cm × 5–17 mm, margins dentate or serrate, surfaces sparsely to densely pubescent, trichomes simple or 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.

(5–)8–20(–27), (overlapping or not);

blade ovate to oblong or lanceolate, (2–)3–7.5(–9) cm × (10–)13–25(–35) mm, base amplexicaul, margins usually dentate or serrate, sometimes entire, surfaces hirsute.

Racemes

often simple.

branched.

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 oblong, 2.5–4.5 × 1–1.5 mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;

petals white, spatulate, (5–)6–9 × 2–3.5 mm, apex obtuse;

filaments 3–5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.8–1.2 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

ascending to divaricate-ascending, (7–)10–20(–24) mm, (glabrous or sparsely pubescent).

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.

divaricate to erect-ascending, (not appressed to rachis), torulose, 2.2–4.6 cm × 0.8–1.2mm;

valves each with prominent midvein extending to middle or full length;

ovules 16–28 per ovary;

style 0.5–2 mm, (slender).

Seeds

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

wing to 0.1 mm wide distally.

narrowly winged distally, oblong, 1–1.6 × 0.6–0.8 mm;

wing 0.05–0.1 mm.

Arabis georgiana

Arabis patens

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Stream banks, roadsides Rocky wooded slopes, shady stream banks, limestone ledges and bluffs
Elevation 0-200 m (0-700 ft) 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
DC; IN; KY; MD; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 261. FNA vol. 7, p. 262.
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. olympica, A. oregana, A. pycnocarpa
Synonyms Boechera patens
Name authority R. M. Harper: Torreya 3: 88. (1903) Sullivant: Amer. J. Sci. Arts 42: 49. (1842)
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