Boechera saximontana
Boechera sparsiflora
elegant rockcress, sickle-pod rock-cress, slender rockcress, stretching suncress
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, 3–8 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple mixed with fewer short-stalked, 2-rayed ones, 0.4–1.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally.
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 or linear-oblanceolate, 3–12 mm wide, margins usually entire, rarely dentate, ciliate proximally, trichomes (usually simple), to 1 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–5-rayed, 0.3–0.8 mm.
5–9, rarely concealing stem proximally;
blade auricles to 0.3–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous.
(9–)15–35, often concealing stem proximally;
blade auricles 3–10 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous, sometimes margins ciliate.
5–13-flowered, usually unbranched.
12–50-flowered, usually unbranched.
ascending at anthesis;
sepals pubescent;
petals lavender, 4–5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous;
pollen spheroid.
ascending at anthesis;
sepals sparsely pubescent;
petals usually lavender to purple, rarely white, 7–13 × 2–5 mm, glabrous;
pollen ellipsoid.
divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–8 mm, glabrous.
usually ascending, rarely almost horizontal, straight or slightly recurved, 3–10(–18) mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes spreading, usually simple.
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 ascending, rarely almost horizontal, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually curved, edges parallel, 5–13 cm × 1.7–2 mm;
valves glabrous;
ovules 90–170 per ovary;
style 0.05–0.3 mm.
uniseriate to sub-biseriate, 1.1–1.4 × 0.7–0.9 mm;
wing continuous, 0.05–0.12 mm wide.
uniseriate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm;
wing continuous, 0.1–0.2 mm wide.
= 14.
Boechera saximontana
Boechera sparsiflora
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.)
As circumscribed by R. C. Rollins (1993), Boechera sparsiflora included six varieties encompassing three sexual diploids and a number of apomictic hybrids. The most distinctive of those elements are recognized here as the separate species B. arcuata, B. atrorubens, B. californica, and B. pauciflora. The narrow circumscription of B. sparsiflora adopted here includes only sexual diploids. It is distinguished from other taxa previously assigned to it by having proximal stems densely pubescent with predominantly simple (some 2-rayed) trichomes to 1.5 mm, usually glabrous distal stems, and ascending fruiting pedicels with spreading, usually simple trichomes (rarely glabrous).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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