Physaria chambersii |
|
---|---|
Chambers' bladder-pod, Chambers' physaria, Chambers' twinpod, double bladderpod |
|
Habit | Perennials; caudex usually simple, sometimes branched, (thick, cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, trichomes few-rayed, rays furcate, sometimes slightly fused at base, (umbonate, lightly tuberculate to nearly smooth). |
Stems | several from base, erect or decumbent (arising laterally, unbranched), 0.5–1.5 mm. |
Basal leaves | (petiole slender); blade obovate to orbicular, 3–6 cm (width 10–20 mm), margins entire or dentate. |
Cauline leaves | blade spatulate, 1–2 cm (width 3–6 mm), margins entire, (apex often acute). |
Racemes | congested. |
Flowers | sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5–8(–9) mm; petals narrowly oblanceolate, 9–12 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade). |
Fruiting pedicels | (divaricate, slightly sigmoid), 8–15 mm. |
Fruits | (often purplish in age), didymous, subreniform, strongly inflated, 9–18 × 11–21(–30) mm, (papery, base obtuse to slightly cordate, apical sinus V-shaped or convex, open crests rounded); valves (2-keeled on side away from replum, each 3-sided, keels rounded, sides flat or slightly convex, retaining seeds after dehiscence), evenly and densely pubescent; replum oblong, as wide as or wider than fruits, apex obtuse; ovules 4–12 per ovary; style (4–)6–8 mm (exceeding sinus). |
Seeds | flattened. |
2n | = 8, 10, 16, 24. |
Physaria chambersii |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Clay hillsides, limestone gravel, dolomite ridges, roadbanks, loose gravel, reddish clay, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper areas |
Elevation | 1500-3200 m (4900-10500 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
|
Discussion | Physaria chambersii has been divided into three varieties based on whether the fruit is stipitate (var. canaani) or not, and whether the caudex elongates (var. sobolifera) or not (var. chambersii). In this species and in some others, e.g., P. newberryi, the latter character often depends on substrate and microclimate. Shifting substrates, such as moving sand and talus, often cause caudices to elongate. The species can be confused with 57. P. newberryi. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 631. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | P. chambersii var. canaani, P. chambersii var. sobolifera |
Name authority | Rollins: Rhodora 41: 403, plate 556, figs. 15–18. (1939) |
Web links |