Physaria kingii
Physaria chambersii
King bladderpod, King's bladder-pod
Chambers' bladder-pod, Chambers' physaria, Chambers' twinpod, double bladderpod
few to several from base, prostrate to decumbent or erect, 0.5–2(–4) dm.
several from base, erect or decumbent (arising laterally, unbranched), 0.5–1.5 mm.
blade suborbicular to narrowly or broadly oblanceolate to broadly elliptic or rhombic, (1.2–)2–6(–8) cm, (base usually abruptly narrowed to petiole), margins entire, sinuate, or lobed.
(petiole slender);
blade obovate to orbicular, 3–6 cm (width 10–20 mm), margins entire or dentate.
(proximal petiolate, distal sessile);
blade obovate or elliptic to spatulate, 0.5–2 cm, margins entire.
blade spatulate, 1–2 cm (width 3–6 mm), margins entire, (apex often acute).
(usually not secund), dense, (sometimes elongated in fruit).
congested.
sepals lanceolate, 4–6(–7) mm;
petals (yellow, cream-yellow, cream-white, or white), obovate to oblanceolate, 6–13 mm, (claw weakly differentiated from blade).
sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5–8(–9) mm;
petals narrowly oblanceolate, 9–12 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade).
(erect to divaricate-ascending or recurved, erect in distal 1/3, usually sigmoid, sometimes straight or slightly curved), 4.5–10(–15) mm.
(divaricate, slightly sigmoid), 8–15 mm.
(sessile or substipitate), subglobose, obovoid, or ellipsoid, compressed (sometimes slightly angustiseptate), 3–9 mm, (rigid, apex truncate, retuse, or rounded-acute);
valves sparsely or densely pubescent, sometimes sparsely pubescent inside; (septum sometimes fenestrate, perforate, or obsolete);
ovules 4–16 per ovary;
style 1–9 mm.
(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).
flattened (sometimes slightly).
flattened.
= 8, 10, 16, 24.
Physaria kingii
Physaria chambersii
Subspecies 7 (7 in the flora).
The Physaria kingii complex is in need of further study. It is widespread in the western United States, mostly in montane environments. This treatment recognizes a highly variable species with generally well-marked, geographically coherent subspecies. Hybridization may be involved in some of the subspecies, especially in subsp. kaibabensis, where molecular data indicate intra-individual genetic variation (pers. obs.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
1. Fruits slightly wider than long, apices truncate or retuse, valves pubescent inside | → 2 |
1. Fruits as wide as or longer than wide, apices rounded-acute, valves glabrous inside | → 3 |
2. Basal leaf blades: margins ± entire (sometimes slightly lobed or widened at base); California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon. | subsp. kingii |
2. Basal leaf blades: margins sinuate or lobed, or, sometimes, lyrate; Wallowa and Elkhorn mountains, Oregon. | subsp. diversifolia |
3. Fruiting pedicels recurved. | subsp. cobrensis |
3. Fruiting pedicels not recurved (divaricate-ascending or ± erect, straight or sigmoid) | → 4 |
4. Petals cream-white or white; styles 1-2 mm; Kaibab Plateau, n Arizona. | subsp. kaibabensis |
4. Petals yellow (occasionally cream-yellow or cream-white on Kaibab Plateau, Arizona); styles (4-)4.5-9 mm; n Arizona (including Kaibab Plateau), California, Nevada, Utah | → 5 |
5. Plants erect; styles 6-9 mm; ovules 4-8 per ovary; se California. | subsp. bernardina |
5. Plants ascending, erect, decumbent, or prostrate; styles (4-)4.5-7 mm; ovules (6-)8-16 per ovary; n Arizona, e California, s Nevada, Utah | → 6 |
6. Plants prostrate, decumbent, or erect; racemes not or somewhat secund in fruit; ovules usually 8-16 per ovary; n Arizona, e California, s Nevada, Utah. | subsp. latifolia |
6. Plants ascending; racemes secund in fruit; ovules (6-)8-12 per ovary; n Utah. | subsp. utahensis |
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
