Physaria chambersii |
Physaria arctica |
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Chambers' bladder-pod, Chambers' physaria, Chambers' twinpod, double bladderpod |
arctic bladderpod |
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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). | Perennials; caudex simple or branched, (woody, cespitose); ± densely pubescent, trichomes (sessile or short-stalked), several-rayed, rays distinct, furcate or bifurcate, (somewhat umbonate, finely tuberculate to ± smooth). |
Stems | several from base, erect or decumbent (arising laterally, unbranched), 0.5–1.5 mm. |
simple or few to several from base, erect to spreading or prostrate, 0.5–2(–3) dm. |
Basal leaves | (petiole slender); blade obovate to orbicular, 3–6 cm (width 10–20 mm), margins entire or dentate. |
(usually ± rosulate); blade obovate to oblanceolate, (1–)2–6(–15) cm, margins entire. |
Cauline leaves | blade spatulate, 1–2 cm (width 3–6 mm), margins entire, (apex often acute). |
(sessile or shortly petiolate); blade oblanceolate or lingulate, 0.5–1.5(–3) cm, margins entire. |
Racemes | congested. |
loose. |
Flowers | sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5–8(–9) mm; petals narrowly oblanceolate, 9–12 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade). |
sepals ovate to elliptic, (3–)4–5(–6) mm, (median pair often thickened apically, cucullate); petals spatulate, 5–6(–7) mm, (blade gradually narrowed to claw). |
Fruiting pedicels | (divaricate, slightly sigmoid), 8–15 mm. |
(erect to divaricate or ascending), (5–)10–20(–40) mm, (stout). |
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). |
subglobose to ellipsoid, uncompressed, 4–6(–9) mm; valves (not retaining seeds after dehiscence), glabrous or sparsely pubescent outside, trichomes sessile; replum as wide as or wider than fruit; ovules (8–)10–14(–16) per ovary; style 1–2.5(–4) mm. |
Seeds | flattened. |
plump. |
2n | = 8, 10, 16, 24. |
= 60. |
Physaria chambersii |
Physaria arctica |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Clay hillsides, limestone gravel, dolomite ridges, roadbanks, loose gravel, reddish clay, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper areas | Typically on sand and gravel from calcareous bedrock, river bars and terraces, cliff ledges, scree and talus slopes, often growing after disturbance |
Elevation | 1500-3200 m (4900-10500 ft) | 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
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AK; AB; BC; MB; NL; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; circumarctic (except n Europe, ne Russia) |
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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 631. | FNA vol. 7, p. 626. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria | Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. chambersii var. canaani, P. chambersii var. sobolifera | Alyssum arcticum, Lesquerella arctica, Lesquerella arctica subsp. purshii, Vesicaria arctica, Vesicaria leiocarpa |
Name authority | Rollins: Rhodora 41: 403, plate 556, figs. 15–18. (1939) | (Wormskjöld ex Hornemann) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 321. (2002) |
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