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Physaria alpestris

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

Kane County twinpod

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, (with deep roots, thickened); densely (silvery) pubescent throughout (densely covering leaves with several appressed layers), less dense on stems, trichomes (stellate-scalelike), rays fused (webbed) in proximal 1/2 or to tips, (umbonate, nearly smooth to moderately tuberculate).
Stems

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

simple from base, erect or outer ones slightly decumbent toward base, (from below or in basal leaves, unbranched), (0.5–)0.8–1.6(–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).

(erect, petiole long, slender);

blade spatulate to broadly oblanceolate, (3–)5–7(–12) cm, (base gradually tapering to petiole), margins entire, (apex rounded or obtuse).

Cauline leaves

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

blade oblanceolate, similar to basal, (base cuneate), margins entire.

Racemes

subcorymbose.

dense.

Flowers

sepals oblong, 8–10 mm;

petals spatulate, 12–14 mm.

sepals (erect), linear to linear-oblong, somewhat boat-shaped, 7–10 mm;

petals (erect at anthesis), lingulate, 11–15 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade).

Fruiting pedicels

(divaricate, straight), 5–10 mm.

(divaricate-ascending, straight or slightly curved), 10–15 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.

(purplish in age), strongly didymous, semiorbicular, highly inflated, 10–18 × 14–19 mm, (papery), basal sinus usually shallow, rarely absent, apical sinus deep, narrowly V-shaped;

valves retaining seeds after dehiscence, sides flat, back rounded, margins keeled, base and apex obtuse;

replum narrowly oblong to linear, as wide as or wider than fruit, base slightly narrowed, apex obtusely rounded;

ovules 4 per ovary;

style 3–5 mm, (slender).

Seeds

flattened, (2–3 mm).

slightly flattened.

2n

= 48–52, 52, 64, 67–70.

Physaria alpestris

Physaria lepidota

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Alpine scree, rocky ridges, talus slopes, volcanic sands and gravel, serpentine gravel, granitic slopes, mountain shrub, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine communities
Elevation (700-)1300-2400 m ((2300-)4300-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Trichomes: rays fused nearly to tips; fruits with deep sinuses, or shallow basally, deep apically.
subsp. lepidota
1. Trichomes: rays fused in proximal 1/2; fruits with sinuses absent or shallow basally, deep apically.
subsp. membranacea
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. lata, 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
Subordinate taxa
P. lepidota subsp. lepidota, P. lepidota subsp. membranacea
Synonyms Lesquerella alpestris
Name authority Suksdorf: W. Amer. Sci. 15: 58. (1906) Rollins: Brittonia 33: 335, figs. 1, 2. (1981)
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