Nasturtium gambelii
Gambel's water cress, Gambel's yellowcress
5–12 dm.
petiole narrowly winged, base auriculate or not;
blade 9–17-foliolate, 3–10 cm;
lateral leaflets sessile, rachis narrowly winged, blade about same size as terminal;
terminal leaflet blade linear to narrowly oblong or lanceolate, 0.5–2.5 cm × 2–8(–10) mm, base decurrent with adjacent pair of leaflets, margins often dentate, rarely sinuate-repand, apex acute.
sepals 3–4 × 1–1.5 mm;
petals white, spatulate or oblanceolate, 6–8 × 2–2.5 mm, (base to 2 mm), apex obtuse to acute;
filaments 5–7 mm;
anthers 1–1.2 mm.
divaricate or descending, straight, 9–25 mm.
2–3 cm × 1–1.2 mm;
ovules 24–40 per ovary;
style 1–2.5 mm.
uniseriate, reddish brown, ovate, 1–1.2 × 0.6–0.8 mm, minutely reticulate with 300–450 areolae on each side.
Nasturtium gambelii
Of conservation concern.
Nasturtium gambelii is known from southern California in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. It is likely to be found also in undisturbed, freshwater habitats elsewhere in southern California and in Mexico and Central America. Intermediates between N. gambelii and N. officinale have been found in southern California, suggesting hybridization between them. Experimental work is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
