Boechera saximontana |
Boechera retrofracta |
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dangling suncress, reflexed rock-cress, secund rock-cress |
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Habit | Perennials; short-lived; apomictic; caudex usually not woody. | Biennials or perennials; short-lived; sexual; caudex present or absent. |
Stems | usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 0.7–3 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 2–6-rayed, 0.06–0.25 mm, glabrous distally. |
usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 1.5–7(–10.5) dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 2–8-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm, sparsely pubescent distally. |
Basal leaves | blade narrowly oblanceolate, 1–3 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate near petiole base, trichomes (simple and spurred), to 0.4 mm, surfaces sparsely to densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 4–8-rayed, 0.04–0.15 mm. |
blade oblanceolate, 2–7 mm wide, margins entire or shallowly dentate, sometimes ciliate at petiole base, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 5–10-rayed, 0.05–0.2 mm. |
Cauline leaves | 5–9, rarely concealing stem proximally; blade auricles to 0.3–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous. |
15–40, concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 0.5–2.5 mm or, rarely, absent, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent. |
Racemes | 5–13-flowered, usually unbranched. |
15–80(–140)-flowered, usually unbranched. |
Flowers | ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals lavender, 4–5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous; pollen spheroid. |
pendent at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals white to lavender, 4–8 × 0.8–2.2 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. |
Fruiting pedicels | divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–8 mm, glabrous. |
reflexed, abruptly recurved at base, otherwise usually straight, 7–12(–18) mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched. |
Fruits | divaricate-ascending, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight, edges parallel, (2.5–)3–4.7 cm × 1.2–1.7 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 78–112 per ovary; style 0.1–0.5 mm. |
strongly reflexed, usually appressed to rachis, sometimes somewhat secund, straight, edges parallel, 3.5–9 cm × 0.9–1.8 mm; valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent throughout; ovules 60–116 per ovary; style 0.5–2 mm. |
Seeds | uniseriate to sub-biseriate, 1.1–1.4 × 0.7–0.9 mm; wing continuous, 0.05–0.12 mm wide. |
uniseriate, 1–1.4 × 0.9–1.2 mm; wing continuous, to 0.1 mm wide. |
2n | = 14. |
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Boechera saximontana |
Boechera retrofracta |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Jul. | Flowering Apr–Aug. |
Habitat | Rocky soil in sagebrush and open conifer forests | Rock outcrops, open hillsides, gravel bars and sandy banks in grassland, sagebrush, oak woodlands, and open conifer forests |
Elevation | 2400-2900 m (7900-9500 ft) | 300-3300 m (1000-10800 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; WY |
AK; CA; ID; MI; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK
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Discussion | Boechera saximontana is an apomictic taxon that has been treated as a variety of either Arabis microphylla (R. C. Rollins 1941) or A. (Boechera) williamsii (Rollins 1993; R. D. Dorn 2001). It is easily distinguished from typical collections of those species (see M. D. Windham and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2007b for detailed comparison), but it is likely that one (or both) were involved in its hybrid origin. It is known from Blaine, Custer, and Lemhi counties in Idaho, and Big Horn and Fremont counties in Wyoming. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Though often treated as a variety of Arabis (Boechera) holboellii (e.g., R. C. Rollins 1993; G. A. Mulligan 1996; N. H. Holmgren 2005b), B. retrofracta is easily distinguished from that species by having narrower (0.9–1.8 versus 2–2.5 mm), mostly non-secund fruits that are almost always appressed to rachises. The two taxa have allopatric distributions, with B. retrofracta found on the North American continent (mostly west of the Great Plains) and B. holboellii apparently confined to Greenland. Boechera retrofracta has formed hybrids with at least 12 other species. Besides differing in macromorphological characters, all those hybrids are distinct from B. retrofracta in the strict sense in having wider (20–30 versus 13–16 µm), spheroid pollen grains with asymmetric colpi. Arabis kochii Blankinship is an illegitimate name, sometimes found in synonymy with Boechera retrofracta. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 404. | FNA vol. 7, p. 402. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Arabis microphylla var. saximontana, Arabis pendulocarpa var. saximontana, Arabis williamsii var. saximontana, B. williamsii var. saximontana | Arabis retrofracta, Arabis arcuata var. secunda, Arabis exilis, Arabis holboellii var. retrofracta, Arabis holboellii var. secunda, Arabis lignipes, Arabis retrofracta var. multicaulis, Arabis secunda, Arabis sparsiflora subsp. secunda, Arabis tenuis, B. exilis, B. holboellii var. secunda |
Name authority | (Rollins) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 12: 248. (2007) | (Graham) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Taxon 31: 125. (1982) |
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