Boechera pulchra |
Boechera subpinnatifida |
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beautiful rockcress |
ashy rock-cress, Klamath rockcress |
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Habit | Perennials; long-lived; sexual; caudex woody. | Perennials; long-lived; sexual; caudex woody (often with persistent, crowded leaf bases). |
Stems | usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of leaf tufts, elevated above ground surface on woody base, (1.5–)3–7.5 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, usually 4–7-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm, similarly pubescent distally. |
usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 1–4(–5) dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 2–6-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm, sparsely pubescent distally. |
Basal leaves | blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, 1–3 mm wide, margins entire, not ciliate, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 4–9-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm. |
blade narrowly oblanceolate, 1–4(–5) mm wide, margins prominently dentate to subpinnatifid (leaf margins of sterile shoots often entire), ciliate near petiole base, trichomes (simple or 2-rayed), 0.4–0.6 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, (2–)4–9-rayed, 0.05–0.2 mm. |
Cauline leaves | 10–30, often concealing stem proximally; blade auricles absent or, rarely, to 0.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent. |
(10–)20–60, often concealing stem throughout; blade auricles 0.5–3 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves moderately to sparsely pubescent. |
Racemes | 8–25-flowered, usually unbranched. |
8–30-flowered, usually unbranched. |
Flowers | descending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals usually purple, rarely white, 9–16 × 2–4(–5) mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous (trichomes scattered abaxially); pollen ellipsoid. |
divaricate-ascending to pendent at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals usually purple, rarely lavender, 9–14 × 1.5–3 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. |
Fruiting pedicels | reflexed, abruptly recurved at base, otherwise straight, 8–16 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched. |
reflexed, strongly recurved, 5–15 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched. |
Fruits | strongly reflexed, often appressed to rachis, sometimes somewhat secund, straight, edges parallel, 3.3–8 cm × 2.5–4 mm; valves pubescent throughout; ovules 68–106 per ovary; style 0.1–0.3 mm. |
pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight to slightly curved, edges parallel, (3.5–)5–8 cm × (1.6–)2–3 mm; valves pubescent throughout; ovules 24–42 per ovary; style 0.5–1 mm. |
Seeds | biseriate, 1.7–2.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm; wing continuous, 0.25–0.65 mm wide. |
uniseriate, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm; wing continuous or at both ends, 0.4–0.8 mm wide. |
2n | = 14. |
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Boechera pulchra |
Boechera subpinnatifida |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jun. | Flowering Mar–May. |
Habitat | Rocky, gravelly or sandy slopes in chaparral, sagebrush and desert scrub communities | Rock outcrops, talus, gravelly soil, often in sagebrush-grassland communities |
Elevation | 800-2800 m (2600-9200 ft) | 800-2400 m (2600-7900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California)
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CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
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Discussion | Boechera pulchra is a distinctive diploid separated from related sexual species (B. formosa and B. lincolnensis) by abruptly recurved fruiting pedicels and purple flowers, and from apomictic hybrids (e.g., B. xylopoda) by having fruits densely pubescent throughout. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Originally thought to be restricted to northern California and adjacent Oregon, Boechera subpinnatifida is a sexual species that recently has been found in central Idaho, northern Nevada, and northwestern Utah. It appears to intergrade with both B. puberula and B. retrofracta, and species boundaries within this complex need further study. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 400. | FNA vol. 7, p. 409. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera | Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Arabis pulchra | Arabis subpinnatifida |
Name authority | (M. E. Jones ex S. Watson) W. A. Weber: Phytologia 51: 370. (1982) | (S. Watson) Al-Shehbaz: Novon 13: 389. (2003) |
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