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serpentine rockcress

Habit Perennials; short-lived; apomictic; caudex usually not woody. Perennials; long-lived; (cespitose); sexual; caudex woody.
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, 0.5–1.8 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 5–8-rayed, 0.1–0.2, sparsely to moderately 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 narrowly oblanceolate, 1–2 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate along petiole, trichomes (branched), to 0.5 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 5–8-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm.

Cauline leaves

5–9, rarely concealing stem proximally;

blade auricles to 0.3–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous.

4–14, rarely concealing stem proximally;

blade auricles 0.1–0.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves densely pubescent.

Racemes

5–13-flowered, usually unbranched.

10–20-flowered, unbranched.

Flowers

ascending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals lavender, 4–5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous;

pollen spheroid.

ascending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals purple, 6–8 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pollen ellipsoid.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–8 mm, glabrous.

divaricate-descending or horizontal, nearly straight, 3–7 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.

usually divaricate-descending or horizontal, rarely widely pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight or slightly curved, edges parallel, 3–4.5 cm × 2.5–3 mm;

valves sparsely pubescent to glabrate;

ovules 20–24 per ovary;

style 1.5–2 mm.

Seeds

uniseriate to sub-biseriate, 1.1–1.4 × 0.7–0.9 mm;

wing continuous, 0.05–0.12 mm wide.

uniseriate, 2–2.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm;

wing continuous, to 0.2 mm wide.

Boechera saximontana

Boechera serpenticola

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Rocky soil in sagebrush and open conifer forests Serpentine ridges and talus
Elevation 2400-2900 m (7900-9500 ft) ca. 1100 m (ca. 3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; WY
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
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.)

Boechera serpenticola has been confused with B. subpinnatifida but is easily distinguished by its entire (versus subpinnatifid to dentate) leaves, shorter (6–8 versus 9–14 mm) petals, and longer (1.5–2 versus 0.5–1 mm) styles. It is known only from Shasta and Trinity counties in north-central California.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 404. FNA vol. 7, p. 406.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera
Sibling taxa
B. acutina, B. arcuata, B. atrorubens, B. bodiensis, B. breweri, B. burkii, B. calderi, B. californica, B. canadensis, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. collinsii, B. consanguinea, B. constancei, B. covillei, B. crandallii, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. dentata, B. depauperata, B. dispar, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. duchesnensis, B. elkoensis, B. evadens, B. falcatoria, B. falcifructa, B. fecunda, B. fendleri, B. fernaldiana, B. formosa, B. fructicosa, B. glareosa, B. glaucovalvula, B. goodrichii, B. gracilenta, B. gracilipes, B. grahamii, B. gunnisoniana, B. harrisonii, B. hastatula, B. hoffmannii, B. holboellii, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. inyoensis, B. johnstonii, B. koehleri, B. laevigata, B. languida, B. lasiocarpa, B. lemmonii, B. lignifera, B. lincolnensis, B. lyallii, B. macounii, B. microphylla, B. missouriensis, B. nevadensis, B. ophira, B. oxylobula, B. paddoensis, B. pallidifolia, B. parishii, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. peirsonii, B. pendulina, B. pendulocarpa, B. perennans, B. perstellata, B. pinetorum, B. pinzliae, B. platysperma, B. polyantha, B. porphyrea, B. pratincola, B. puberula, B. pulchra, B. pusilla, B. pygmaea, B. quebecensis, B. rectissima, B. repanda, B. retrofracta, B. rigidissima, B. rollei, B. rollinsiorum, B. rubicundula, B. schistacea, B. serotina, B. serpenticola, B. shevockii, B. shockleyi, B. sparsiflora, B. spatifolia, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens, B. texana, B. tiehmii, B. tularensis, B. ultra-alsa, B. villosa, B. williamsii, B. xylopoda, B. yorkii
B. acutina, B. arcuata, B. atrorubens, B. bodiensis, B. breweri, B. burkii, B. calderi, B. californica, B. canadensis, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. collinsii, B. consanguinea, B. constancei, B. covillei, B. crandallii, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. dentata, B. depauperata, B. dispar, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. duchesnensis, B. elkoensis, B. evadens, B. falcatoria, B. falcifructa, B. fecunda, B. fendleri, B. fernaldiana, B. formosa, B. fructicosa, B. glareosa, B. glaucovalvula, B. goodrichii, B. gracilenta, B. gracilipes, B. grahamii, B. gunnisoniana, B. harrisonii, B. hastatula, B. hoffmannii, B. holboellii, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. inyoensis, B. johnstonii, B. koehleri, B. laevigata, B. languida, B. lasiocarpa, B. lemmonii, B. lignifera, B. lincolnensis, B. lyallii, B. macounii, B. microphylla, B. missouriensis, B. nevadensis, B. ophira, B. oxylobula, B. paddoensis, B. pallidifolia, B. parishii, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. peirsonii, B. pendulina, B. pendulocarpa, B. perennans, B. perstellata, B. pinetorum, B. pinzliae, B. platysperma, B. polyantha, B. porphyrea, B. pratincola, B. puberula, B. pulchra, B. pusilla, B. pygmaea, B. quebecensis, B. rectissima, B. repanda, B. retrofracta, B. rigidissima, B. rollei, B. rollinsiorum, B. rubicundula, B. saximontana, B. schistacea, B. serotina, B. shevockii, B. shockleyi, B. sparsiflora, B. spatifolia, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens, B. texana, B. tiehmii, B. tularensis, B. ultra-alsa, B. villosa, B. williamsii, B. xylopoda, B. yorkii
Synonyms Arabis microphylla var. saximontana, Arabis pendulocarpa var. saximontana, Arabis williamsii var. saximontana, B. williamsii var. saximontana
Name authority (Rollins) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 12: 248. (2007) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 82. (2006)
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