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common sandweed, dwarf athysanus, sandweed

Habit Plants sparsely to densely pubescent proximally, sometimes glabrous distally.
Stems

(0.2–)0.5–3(–5) dm.

Basal leaves

petiole 0.1–0.5 cm;

blade oblanceolate, obovate, or oblong, 0.3–1.5(–2) cm × (1–)2–6(–8) mm, margins entire or dentate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces uniformly pubescent, trichomes cruciform and 3-rayed, adaxially sometimes mixed with coarse, simple ones.

Cauline leaves

1–6;

blade similar and equaling or smaller than basal.

Flowers

sepals 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.7 mm;

petals oblong, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1 mm;

filaments 0.4–0.6 mm;

anthers (0.05–)0.1–0.2(–0.25) mm.

Fruiting pedicels

slender, (1.5–)2–4(–6) mm.

Fruits

usually orbicular to obovate, rarely broadly oblong, 1-locular, not twisted;

valves thin, veins sometimes prominent, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes simple, to 0.5 mm, hooked (sometimes restricted to margins, or mixed with smaller, sessile, cruciform or 3-rayed ones);

septum absent;

ovules 2(–4) per ovary;

style 0.05–0.2 mm.

Seeds

1, (0.8–)0.9–1.1(–1.2) × (0.5–)0.7–0.9(–1) mm.

2n

= 26.

Athysanus pusillus

Phenology Flowering Feb–Jun.
Habitat Open grassy slopes, grassy glades in woodlands, chaparral, sandy and gravelly flats, flood plains, rock outcrops, cliffs and ledges, on limestone, serpentine, sandstone, granitic and basaltic substrates
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
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Discussion

Records of Athysanus pusillus for Montana appear to be solely from Ravalli County, and for Nevada from Storey and Washoe counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 267.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Athysanus
Sibling taxa
A. unilateralis
Synonyms Thysanocarpus pusillus, A. pusillus var. glabrior, Thysanocarpus oblongifolius
Name authority (Hooker) Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 72. (1885)
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