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Physaria alpestris

alpine twin-pod, Washington bladder-pod, Washington twin-pod

Calder's bladderpod

Habit Perennials; caudex usually simple, rarely branched, (cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, trichomes several-rayed, rays (1- or) 2-bifurcate, (low-umbonate, tubercles relatively few, small). Perennials; caudex simple or branched; densely pubescent throughout, trichomes (sessile or subsessile), rays distinct or slightly fused at base, furcate or bifurcate, (strongly umbonate, tuberculate, tubercles often relatively larger, fewer over center).
Stems

several from base, decumbent to ascending, (unbranched), 0.5–1.5 dm.

simple or few to several from base, usually erect to spreading, sometimes prostrate, 0.5–2 dm.

Basal leaves

(petiole slender);

blade obovate, 3–5 cm (width 10–20 mm, base tapering abruptly to petiole), margins entire, (apex rarely slightly acute).

blade oblanceolate, 2–3 cm, margins entire.

Cauline leaves

blade oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm (width 3–5 mm), margins entire.

(sessile or proximal shortly petiolate);

blade narrowly oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm, margins entire.

Racemes

subcorymbose.

loose.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 8–10 mm;

petals spatulate, 12–14 mm.

sepals ovate to elliptic, (3–)4–5(–6) mm, (median pair often thickened apically, cucullate);

petals obovate, (6–)7–10 mm (nearly as wide, abruptly narrowed to claw, ca. 1 mm wide).

Fruiting pedicels

(divaricate, straight), 5–10 mm.

(erect to divaricate or ascending, sometimes curved), (5–)10–20(–40) mm, (stout).

Fruits

didymous, mostly highly inflated (strongly flattened at least in 1/2 toward replum), 14–18 × 14–18 mm, (papery, basal sinus slightly notched, apical open, shallow);

valves (retaining seeds after dehiscence), evenly pubescent;

replum lanceolate, 7–10 mm, width 1.5–2.5 mm, as wide as or wider than fruit, apex acute to acuminate;

ovules 8–10 per ovary;

style 5–7 mm.

subglobose to ellipsoid, compressed (usually angustiseptate), to 8 mm; (valves not retaining seeds after dehiscence);

replum as wide as or wider than fruit;

ovules 10–14 per ovary;

style 1–2 mm.

Seeds

flattened, (2–3 mm).

plump.

2n

= 48–52, 52, 64, 67–70.

= 20.

Physaria alpestris

Physaria calderi

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Alpine scree, rocky ridges, talus slopes, volcanic sands and gravel, serpentine gravel, granitic slopes, mountain shrub, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine communities Dry rocky summits, limestone flats and slopes, alpine knolls
Elevation (700-)1300-2400 m ((2300-)4300-7900 ft) 600-1500 m (2000-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; NT; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Physaria calderi is known from the Ogilvie and Richardson mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 624. FNA vol. 7, p. 629.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria
Sibling taxa
P. acutifolia, P. alpina, P. angustifolia, P. arctica, P. arenosa, P. argyraea, P. arizonica, P. aurea, P. bellii, P. brassicoides, P. calcicola, P. calderi, P. carinata, P. chambersii, P. cinerea, P. condensata, P. congesta, P. cordiformis, P. curvipes, P. densiflora, P. didymocarpa, P. dornii, P. douglasii, P. eburniflora, P. engelmannii, P. eriocarpa, P. fendleri, P. filiformis, P. floribunda, P. fremontii, P. garrettii, P. geyeri, P. globosa, P. gooddingii, P. gordonii, P. gracilis, P. grahamii, P. hemiphysaria, P. hitchcockii, P. humilis, P. integrifolia, P. intermedia, P. kingii, P. klausii, P. lata, P. lepidota, P. lesicii, P. lindheimeri, P. ludoviciana, P. macrocarpa, P. mcvaughiana, P. montana, P. multiceps, P. navajoensis, P. nelsonii, P. newberryi, P. obcordata, P. obdeltata, P. occidentalis, P. oregona, P. ovalifolia, P. pachyphylla, P. pallida, P. parviflora, P. parvula, P. pendula, P. pinetorum, P. prostrata, P. pruinosa, P. pulvinata, P. purpurea, P. pycnantha, P. rectipes, P. recurvata, P. reediana, P. rollinsii, P. saximontana, P. scrotiformis, P. sessilis, P. spatulata, P. subumbellata, P. tenella, P. thamnophila, P. tumulosa, P. valida, P. vicina, P. vitulifera
P. acutifolia, P. alpestris, P. alpina, P. angustifolia, P. arctica, P. arenosa, P. argyraea, P. arizonica, P. aurea, P. bellii, P. brassicoides, P. calcicola, P. carinata, P. chambersii, P. cinerea, P. condensata, P. congesta, P. cordiformis, P. curvipes, P. densiflora, P. didymocarpa, P. dornii, P. douglasii, P. eburniflora, P. engelmannii, P. eriocarpa, P. fendleri, P. filiformis, P. floribunda, P. fremontii, P. garrettii, P. geyeri, P. globosa, P. gooddingii, P. gordonii, P. gracilis, P. grahamii, P. hemiphysaria, P. hitchcockii, P. humilis, P. integrifolia, P. intermedia, P. kingii, P. klausii, P. lata, P. lepidota, P. lesicii, P. lindheimeri, P. ludoviciana, P. macrocarpa, P. mcvaughiana, P. montana, P. multiceps, P. navajoensis, P. nelsonii, P. newberryi, P. obcordata, P. obdeltata, P. occidentalis, P. oregona, P. ovalifolia, P. pachyphylla, P. pallida, P. parviflora, P. parvula, P. pendula, P. pinetorum, P. prostrata, P. pruinosa, P. pulvinata, P. purpurea, P. pycnantha, P. rectipes, P. recurvata, P. reediana, P. rollinsii, P. saximontana, P. scrotiformis, P. sessilis, P. spatulata, P. subumbellata, P. tenella, P. thamnophila, P. tumulosa, P. valida, P. vicina, P. vitulifera
Synonyms Lesquerella alpestris Lesquerella calderi, Lesquerella arctica subsp. calderi
Name authority Suksdorf: W. Amer. Sci. 15: 58. (1906) (G. A. Mulligan & A. E. Porsild) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 322. (2002)
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