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Physaria alpestris

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

Lincoln County 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, (not thickened); densely pubescent, trichomes (short-stalked), several-rayed, rays distinct, furcate or bifurcate, (tuberculate, much less so over center, often nearly smooth on lower layer).
Stems

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

simple from base, spreading or erect, (unbranched), ca. 1 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).

(petiole long, slender);

blade elliptic to obovate, 3–4 cm, (base narrowing to petiole), margins entire.

Cauline leaves

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

(shortly petiolate);

blade elliptic to obovate, 1–2 cm, margins entire.

Racemes

subcorymbose.

dense.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 8–10 mm;

petals spatulate, 12–14 mm.

sepals narrowly elliptic or oblong, ca. 4.5 mm, (median pair thickened apically, cucullate);

petals narrowly spatulate, 7–8 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

(divaricate, straight), 5–10 mm.

(sigmoid), 5–8 mm.

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.

(erect, substipitate), globose, ellipsoid, or obovoid, not or slightly compressed, 3–4 mm;

valves sparsely pubescent, sometimes few trichomes inside;

ovules 10–12 per ovary;

style 3–5 mm.

Seeds

flattened, (2–3 mm).

flattened.

2n

= 48–52, 52, 64, 67–70.

Physaria alpestris

Physaria lata

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Alpine scree, rocky ridges, talus slopes, volcanic sands and gravel, serpentine gravel, granitic slopes, mountain shrub, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine communities Limestone soils and rocky places, pinyon-juniper-oak woodland and montane coniferous forest
Elevation (700-)1300-2400 m ((2300-)4300-7900 ft) 2100-2900 m (6900-9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Additional research is needed to determine whether Physaria lata is a variant of P. pinetorum, with which it sometimes grows.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 624. FNA vol. 7, p. 648.
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. 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. 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 lata
Name authority Suksdorf: W. Amer. Sci. 15: 58. (1906) (Wooton & Standley) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 325. (2002)
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