Boechera spatifolia
Boechera shockleyi
spoonleaf rockcress
Shockley's Rock cress
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.
usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, (0.8–)2–5 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 7–12-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm, densely to sparsely pubescent distally.
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.
blade oblanceolate, 3–10 mm wide, margins entire, not ciliate, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 7–12-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm.
5–15(–20), often concealing stem proximally;
blade auricles 0.5–1.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves usually glabrous.
14–60, concealing stem for most of length;
blade auricles 0.5–4 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves densely pubescent.
10–30-flowered, usually unbranched.
20–70-flowered, usually unbranched.
divaricate-ascending at anthesis;
sepals pubescent;
petals usually white, rarely pale lavender, 3–3.7(–4) × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous;
pollen ellipsoid.
ascending at anthesis;
sepals pubescent;
petals lavender, 6–9 × 0.8–1.2 mm, glabrous;
pollen ellipsoid.
horizontal or slightly descending, curved or angled downward, 6–10(–15) mm, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent, trichomes spreading, simple.
divaricate-ascending, straight, 7–28 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched.
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.
divaricate-ascending, not appressed to rachis, not secund, usually curved, rarely straight, edges parallel, 4.5–11 cm × 1.5–2 mm;
valves glabrous or sparsely pubescent throughout;
ovules 140–190 per ovary;
style 0.05–0.6 mm.
biseriate, 0.7–0.9 × 0.5–0.6 mm;
wing distal or, sometimes, absent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide.
sub-biseriate, 1–1.3 × 0.7–0.8 mm;
wing distal or, rarely, absent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide.
= 14.
Boechera spatifolia
Boechera shockleyi
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.)
Boechera shockleyi is a distinctive sexual species recognizable by the combination of strongly overlapping cauline leaves, a dense covering of minute, 7–12-rayed trichomes, and relatively long, curved, divaricate-ascending fruits with sub-biseriate seeds. It is most similar to B. inyoensis, but differs from that species in its narrower (0.8–1.2 versus 1.2–2 mm) petals, eciliate basal leaves with smaller (0.1–0.2 versus 0.2–0.7 mm) trichomes, greater number (140–190 versus 74–134) of ovules per ovary, and shorter (1–1.3 versus 1.7–2 mm) seeds with distal (versus continuous) wings.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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