Boechera saximontana |
Boechera spatifolia |
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spoonleaf rockcress |
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Habit | Perennials; short-lived; apomictic; caudex usually not woody. | Perennials; short- to long-lived; sexual; caudex usually not woody (rarely with persistent, crowded leaf bases). |
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. |
simple or few to several per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 1.5–3.5(–5) dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple mixed with short-stalked ones, 2-rayed, 0.3–0.7 mm. |
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, 1.5–3(–4) mm wide, margins entire, strongly ciliate at least along petiole, trichomes (simple), to 1 mm, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2-rayed, 0.3–0.7 mm. |
Cauline leaves | 5–9, rarely concealing stem proximally; blade auricles to 0.3–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous. |
5–15(–20), often concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 0.5–1.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves usually glabrous. |
Racemes | 5–13-flowered, usually unbranched. |
10–30-flowered, usually unbranched. |
Flowers | ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals lavender, 4–5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous; pollen spheroid. |
divaricate-ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals usually white, rarely pale lavender, 3–3.7(–4) × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. |
Fruiting pedicels | divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–8 mm, glabrous. |
horizontal or slightly descending, curved or angled downward, 6–10(–15) mm, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent, trichomes spreading, simple. |
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. |
pendent, not appressed to rachis, rarely slightly secund, straight or gently curved, edges parallel, 3.3–5.7 cm × 1.2–1.8 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 90–126 per ovary; style 0.1–0.4 mm. |
Seeds | uniseriate to sub-biseriate, 1.1–1.4 × 0.7–0.9 mm; wing continuous, 0.05–0.12 mm wide. |
biseriate, 0.7–0.9 × 0.5–0.6 mm; wing distal or, sometimes, absent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide. |
2n | = 14. |
|
Boechera saximontana |
Boechera spatifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Jul. | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Rocky soil in sagebrush and open conifer forests | Rocky slopes and gravelly soil in sagebrush, pinyon-juniper woodlands, open conifer forests and subalpine meadows |
Elevation | 2400-2900 m (7900-9500 ft) | 1800-2800 m (5900-9200 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; WY |
CO; NM
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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.) |
Boechera spatifolia is a sexual diploid that usually has been treated as a variety of Arabis (Boechera) fendleri but appears to be sufficiently distinct to warrant recognition at species level (see M. D. Windham and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2006 for detailed comparison). There is little geographic overlap between the two, with B. spatifolia confined to the mountains of central Colorado and north-central New Mexico and B. fendleri ranging from western New Mexico and the Four Corners region through northern Arizona to southern Nevada. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 404. | FNA vol. 7, p. 408. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Arabis microphylla var. saximontana, Arabis pendulocarpa var. saximontana, Arabis williamsii var. saximontana, B. williamsii var. saximontana | Arabis spatifolia, Arabis fendleri var. spatifolia, B. fendleri subsp. spatifolia, B. fendleri var. spatifolia |
Name authority | (Rollins) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 12: 248. (2007) | (Rydberg) Windham & Al-Shehbaz: Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 84. (2006) |
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