Arabis oregana |
Arabis alpina |
|
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Oregon rock-cress |
alpine rockcress, arabis alpina |
|
Habit | Perennials; (caudex simple or branched, with some persistent petiolar remains); sparsely to moderately pubescent, trichomes bulbous-based, simple and long-stalked, forked, (to 2 mm), these often mixed with fewer 3-rayed, stalked stellate ones. | Perennials; (stoloniferous, with vegetative rosettes, loosely cespitose to somewhat pulvinate); sparsely to moderately pubescent, trichomes stalked, cruciform, stellate, mixed with simple and forked-stalked ones. |
Stems | simple or few from base (caudex), erect, unbranched distally, (0.6–)1.7–4.5(–5) dm, (usually pubescent throughout, rarely subglabrate, coarsely hirsute, trichomes simple, mixed with forked ones). |
usually simple from base, erect to ascending, often branched proximally, (0.6–)1–2(–2.5) dm. |
Basal leaves | petiole 0.5–2(–3) cm, (ciliate); blade oblanceolate to obovate, (1–)2–5(–9) cm × (5–)8–18(–22) mm, margins entire or repand to dentate, (ciliate), apex obtuse, surfaces pubescent or glabrous, trichomes simple and forked, sometimes mixed with 3-rayed stellate ones. |
petiole 0–1 cm; blade spatulate, oblanceolate, oblong, or obovate, (0.4–)1–4(–5) cm × (3–)6–15(–20) mm, margins dentate to denticulate, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces usually pubescent, rarely subglabrate, trichomes stellate with simple rays. |
Cauline leaves | 3–6 (or 7); blade oblong, 1–3(–6) cm × 2–7(–15) mm, base not auriculate, margins entire or dentate, (ciliate or not), apex obtuse, surfaces pubescent as basal leaves or glabrous. |
3–5(–6); blade oblong or ovate, 1–3 cm × 5–15 mm, base subcordate or auriculate, margins usually dentate, rarely subentire, apex acute or obtuse. |
Racemes | simple, (dense). |
simple, (lax). |
Flowers | sepals (purple), oblong, (5–)6–8 × 1.5–2 mm, lateral pair saccate basally; petals purple or pink, spatulate, (10–)12–15(–16) × (3–)4–5 mm, apex obtuse; filaments (4–)5–8 mm; anthers narrowly oblong, 1.2–1.8 mm. |
sepals oblong, 2.5–4(–4.7) × 1–2 mm, lateral pair conspicuously saccate basally; petals white, spatulate to obovate, 5–8(–9) × 2–3.5 mm, apex obtuse; filaments 3–5 mm; anthers oblong, 0.7–1.2 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | ascending to erect, 5–10 mm, (pubescent or glabrous). |
ascending to divaricate, 4–10(–12) mm. |
Fruits | erect or nearly so, slightly torulose, (3–)4.5–6 cm × 1.5–2 mm; valves each with prominent midvein; ovules 24–30 per ovary; style 0.5–1 mm. |
ascending to spreading, torulose, 1.7–3.5(–4) cm × 1–1.7 mm; valves each with midvein absent or obscure, along proximal 1/2; ovules 34–50 per ovary; style 0.3–0.6 mm. |
Seeds | narrowly winged distally or not winged, oblong, 1.8–2.2 × ca. 1 mm; wing ca. 0.1 mm wide. |
narrowly winged throughout, ovate, 1–1.4 × 0.9–1.1 mm; wing 0.1–0.2 mm wide. |
2n | = 32. |
= 16. |
Arabis oregana |
Arabis alpina |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–May. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist granitic soil, rocky hillsides, chaparrals, steep banks | Crevices of limestone rocks, along streams, calcareous alpine meadows, Salix scrub on slopes with scree |
Elevation | 500-1000(-1400) m (1600-3300(-4600) ft) | 0-2400 m (0-7900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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NY; WA; NL; NU; QC; Greenland; Europe; sw Asia; n Africa; tropical Africa
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Discussion | Arabis oregana is known from Napa and Siskiyou counties (California) and Jackson County (Oregon). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Arabis alpina, the generic type, is variable. It is cultivated extensively for its attractive flowers, and it sometimes escapes from cultivation. There is disagreement as to whether one or more species should be recognized in this complex. European, some African, and most North American plants are recognized as A. alpina; most of the larger-flowered, southwestern Asian plants, which are most commonly cultivated, are recognized as A. caucasica or as A. alpina subsp. caucasica (Willdenow) Briquet. In my opinion, the morphological differences between the two (see key, couplet 3) support recognition of two species, as did R. C. Rollins (1993) and G. A. Mulligan (1996). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 264. | FNA vol. 7, p. 259. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Arabis | Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Arabis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. purpurascens, A. furcata var. purpurascens | A. alpina var. glabrata |
Name authority | Rollins: Rhodora 43: 349. (1941) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 664. (1753) |
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