Boechera puberula |
Boechera falcatoria |
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Blue Mountain rockcress, hoary rock-cress, silver rockcress |
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Habit | Perennials; short-lived; sexual; caudex not woody. | Perennials; short- to long-lived; apomictic; caudex sometimes woody. |
Stems | usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, (1–)2–6.3 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 3–8-rayed, 0.1–0.3(–0.5) mm, similarly pubescent distally. |
usually 2–7 per caudex branch, arising from margin of rosette near ground surface, 0.5–2(–3) dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple and stalked, 2-rayed, 0.3–0.8 mm, glabrous distally. |
Basal leaves | blade oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm wide, margins usually dentate, not ciliate, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 5–12-rayed, 0.05–0.2 mm. |
blade narrowly oblanceolate, 1–3 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate, trichomes to 1 mm, surfaces pubescent, trichomes stalked, 2–4-rayed, 0.3–0.8 mm. |
Cauline leaves | 7–45(–65), concealing stem proximally; blade auricles absent or 0.7–3 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent. |
3–7(–10), not concealing stem; blade auricles 0.2–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous. |
Racemes | 10–40(–64)-flowered, usually unbranched. |
6–15-flowered, unbranched. |
Flowers | ascending to descending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals white to lavender, 5–9 × 0.8–1.8 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. |
ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals white or lavender, 5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; pollen spheroid. |
Fruiting pedicels | pendent, recurved distal to horizontal to ascending base, 4–10 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched. |
horizontal to divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–9 mm, glabrous. |
Fruits | closely pendent, rarely appressed to rachis, sometimes somewhat secund, usually straight, edges parallel, 3–6.5 cm × 1.9–2.2 mm; valves pubescent throughout; ovules 38–64 per ovary; style 0.05–0.1 mm. |
horizontal to divaricate-ascending, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually strongly curved, edges parallel, 3.5–6.5 cm × 1.7–2 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 50–84 per ovary; style 0.05–0.5 mm. |
Seeds | uniseriate, 1.4–1.8 × 1–1.4 mm; wing continuous, 0.1–0.3 mm wide. |
uniseriate, 1.5–2 × 1.1–1.5 mm; wing continuous, 0.1–0.2 mm wide. |
2n | = 14. |
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Boechera puberula |
Boechera falcatoria |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering May–Jun. |
Habitat | Ledges, rocky slopes, gravelly hillsides in sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, and mountain shrub communities | Rock outcrops and gravelly soil in sagebrush and mountain shrub communities |
Elevation | 1300-2900 m (4300-9500 ft) | 2000-2200 m (6600-7200 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; NV; OR; UT
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UT |
Discussion | Boechera puberula is a diploid species that appears to intergrade with both B. retrofracta and B. subpinnatifida. The glabrous-fruited specimens discussed by R. C. Rollins (1993) represent apomictic hybrids with other species, primarily B. pendulocarpa. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Although the exact parentage of Boechera falcatoria, an apomictic hybrid, remains in doubt, it is virtually certain that B. cusickii contributed at least one genome. Boechera falcatoria has been confused with both B. pendulina and B. perennans, but is amply distinct from both (see M. D. Windham and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2007 for detailed comparison). Despite the proximity of the type locality to both Idaho and Nevada, the species is known only from northwestern Box Elder County. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 399. | FNA vol. 7, p. 376. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera | Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Arabis puberula, Arabis arida, Arabis beckwithii, Arabis lignipes var. impar, Arabis sabulosa, Arabis subpinnatifida var. beckwithii, Arabis subpinnatifida var. impar, B. beckwithii | Arabis falcatoria |
Name authority | (Nuttall) Dorn: Brittonia, 55: 3. (2003) | (Rollins) Dorn: Brittonia 55: 3. (2003) |
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