Physaria intermedia |
Physaria pulvinata |
|
---|---|---|
mid-bladderpod |
cushion bladderpod |
|
Habit | Perennials; caudex (buried), branched, (thickened with persistent leaf bases, cespitose); densely pubescent (usually grayish-green), trichomes (sessile or short stalked, spreading), several-rayed, rays furcate or bifurcate, slightly fused at base, (tuberculate or finely tuberculate). | Perennials; caudex (buried), branched, (dense, forming hard mats); densely pubescent, trichomes (subsessile), 8–13-rayed, rays usually furcate, distinct, (umbonate, usually tuberculate, less so over umbo). |
Stems | several from base, erect to decumbent, (unbranched, stout, densely leafy sterile shoots sometimes present), (0.5–)4–2.5 dm. |
several (to several hundred) from base, erect, (each terminating in a tufted cluster of leaves), to 7 dm. |
Basal leaves | (clustered at stem base); blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, 2–5 cm, margins entire, usually involute, sometimes flattened, (apex obtuse to subacute). |
(petiole not differentiated from blade); blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, (0.8–)1–1.5 cm, (base cuneate), margins entire. |
Cauline leaves | blade linear-oblanceolate to linear, 1–3.5(–4.5) cm, margins entire, usually involute. |
similar to basal, blade sometimes linear, (apex acute). |
Racemes | compact, (often nearly subumbellate). |
dense, (often ± subumbellate, somewhat elongated in fruit). |
Flowers | sepals (yellowish or greenish yellow), ovate or oblong, 4.5–7.5(–9) mm, (lateral pair sometimes cucullate, median pair tapering at both ends, thickened apically, cucullate); petals spatulate or oblong, 6.5–10.5(–15) mm, (base sometimes widened, apex rounded or retuse). |
sepals narrowly elliptic, 2.5–3.5(–4) mm, (not keeled); petals narrowly spatulate, 4–7 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | (often expanded distally, ascending or recurved, usually straight or slightly curved, rarely nearly sigmoid), 4–15 mm, (stout). |
(strongly sigmoid), 5–10 mm. |
Fruits | (sessile or substipitate), subglobose to slightly ovoid, usually inflated, rarely compressed or obcompressed, 4–6(–10) mm, (apex acute, slightly flattened); valves sparsely pubescent, trichomes appressed; ovules (8–)12–16(–20) per ovary; style (2–)3–4.5(–5.5) mm. |
ellipsoid, compressed, 4–6 mm; valves densely pubescent, trichomes appressed; ovules 2 per ovary; style 2–3.5 mm. |
Seeds | flattened. |
flattened, (oval). |
2n | = 18, 20, 36. |
|
Physaria intermedia |
Physaria pulvinata |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering late May–Jun. |
Habitat | Dry sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil, claylike hillsides, open chiprock, dry stream beds, gravel bars, open knolls, open pinyon-juniper woods, open stands of sagebrush, Gambel oak or ponderosa pine communities, calcareous substrates | Gray, argillaceous shale outcrops with sagebrush and junipers |
Elevation | 1600-2400 m (5200-7900 ft) | 2300-2600 m (7500-8500 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; UT
|
CO |
Discussion | N. H. Holmgren (2005b) pointed out that the lectotype and other material from New Mexico, where Physaria intermedia is very infrequent, is quite similar to P. parvula from northern Colorado and northeastern Utah; it is also quite similar to, but less robust than, P. pulvinata from southwestern Colorado. The material from Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and Utah may represent an unnamed taxon; further study is needed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Physaria pulvinata is known from an area surrounded by a pygmy forest of Utah juniper in Dolores and San Miguel Counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 644. | FNA vol. 7, p. 659. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria | Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Lesquerella alpina var. intermedia, Lesquerella intermedia | |
Name authority | (S. Watson) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 324. (2002) | O’Kane & Reveal: Brittonia 58: 74, fig. 1. (2006) |
Web links |