The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

roundleaf bladderpod

bladder-pod, double bladderpod, twin-pod

Habit Perennials; caudex simple or branched, (thickened by persistent leaf bases); densely pubescent (foliage usually scabrous), trichomes (sessile or short-stalked), several-rayed, rays furcate near base, (usually strongly umbonate, roughly tuberculate, less so over umbo). Annuals, biennials, or perennials; (caudex often present, enlarged, usually branched); not scapose; usually pubescent, trichomes usually sessile, sometimes subsessile or shortly stalked, usually stellate, sometimes stellate-scalelike, rarely simple.
Stems

few to several from base, erect or outer decumbent, 0.5–2.5 dm.

erect, spreading, decumbent, or prostrate, unbranched or branched distally.

Leaves

basal and cauline; petiolate or sessile;

basal usually rosulate, petiolate, blade margins usually entire, sometimes repand to pinnatifid;

cauline petiolate or sessile, blade margins usually entire, sometimes repand to dentate.

Basal leaves

blade suborbicular to elliptic or ovate or deltate, 0.5–2(–6.5) cm, margins entire or shallowly dentate.

Cauline leaves

(proximal shortly petiolate, distal usually sessile);

blade narrowly elliptic or obovate, (0.5–)1–2.5(–4) cm, margins entire.

Racemes

compact, (± subumbellate to densely corymbiform, elongated or not).

(few- to several-flowered, proximalmost flowers rarely bracteate), elongated or not in fruit.

Flowers

sepals ± elliptic, 4.5–7(–8.5) mm, (median pair thickened apically);

petals (sometimes white), suborbicular to obovate or obdeltate, 6.5–15 mm, (base narrowing to broad claw, apex sometimes emarginated).

sepals erect or spreading, linear, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong, ovate, or deltate, lateral pair usually saccate basally, sometimes subsaccate or not saccate;

petals usually yellow, sometimes orange (occasionally drying purplish or maroon), rarely white or purple, spatulate, obovate, ovate, oblanceolate, or obdeltate, (longer than sepals), claw differentiated or not from blade, (apex usually rounded, rarely slightly emarginate);

stamens tetradynamous;

filaments usually not dilated basally;

anthers ovate to narrowly oblong, (apex usually obtuse);

nectar glands confluent, subtending bases of stamens, median glands present or absent.

Fruiting pedicels

(usually spreading at right angles, sometimes nearly erect, ± straight), 5–15(–20) mm, (stout).

erect, horizontal, divaricate, spreading, ascending, or sigmoid, usually slender, sometimes stout.

Fruits

(sessile or shortly stipitate, less than 1 mm), subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, inflated or slightly compressed (terete or subterete), (4–)5–8(–9) mm;

valves (not retaining seeds after dehiscence), glabrous;

replum as wide as or wider than fruit;

ovules 8–16 per ovary;

style 4–8(–9) mm.

silicles, sessile, subsessile or, rarely, shortly stipitate, globose, subglobose, orbicular, suborbicular, ellipsoid, elliptic, lanceolate, obcordate, obdeltate, oblong, obpyriform, ovate, ovoid, or obovoid, not torulose, inflated or not, terete, latiseptate, or angustiseptate;

valves each often with obscure midvein, (usually not retaining seeds after dehiscence), usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous, or, rarely, pubescent inside;

replum rounded to narrowly oblong;

septum usually complete, sometimes perforate, or, rarely, reduced to a rim (often with apical midvein extending to center);

ovules (2–)4–32(–40[–80]) per ovary;

style distinct;

stigma entire.

Seeds

flattened.

biseriate, often flattened, sometimes plump, rarely lenticular, usually not winged, rarely narrowly winged or margined, often suborbicular;

seed coat (smooth), mucilaginous or not when wetted;

cotyledons accumbent.

x

= 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15.

Physaria ovalifolia

Physaria

Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; n Mexico; s South America (Argentina, s Bolivia); Asia (ne Russia)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Species 106 (88 in the flora).

Seeds of Physaria contain hydroxy fatty acids, and some species, notably P. fendleri, are being intensively studied as a source of specialized, high-quality lubricants. The genus is notable for its relatively large number of local, often endangered, and edaphically-determined (usually calciphilic) endemics. Most of the genus Lesquerella (except for the auriculate-leaved species placed in Paysonia O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz) was recently united with Physaria, which is now much larger but monophyletic and morphologically coherent (I. A. Al-Shehbaz and S. L. O’Kane 2002). Where details of the trichomes are sparse, this is due to an absence of electron microscopy for these taxa (although the number of primary rays and some details are often visible at 10–30× with glancing light). The number of rays of the ubiquitous unicellular, stellate trichomes refers to the primary divisions immediately proximal to the center of the trichome. These primary rays are then typically furcate or bifurcate, often imperfectly so (2 + 1 branches, rather than 2 + 2). Trichome rays are usually appressed or parallel to surfaces on a short stalk; when the rays flare from surfaces, this is noted in the descriptions. Umbonate trichomes have a distinctive raised mound at the center; unless otherwise stated, trichomes are not umbonate. Tubercles are bumps or granules scattered along the rays and often over the center of the trichome. Flowering is likely to occur earlier than indicated in the descriptions, because specimens are typically (and optimally) collected when the fruits are nearly or fully mature, rather than when plants are only in flower. Raceme descriptions refer to mature infructescences unless otherwise noted. In Physaria, didymous is used as a term for fruit shape. A didymous fruit is inflated and appears as two balloons pressed together. The overall fruit shape is otherwise difficult to define and authors have traditionally referred to it this way. Replum shape and placement of the valve orifice are reported for only those taxa that were traditionally placed in Physaria, in the strict sense, where replum shape is sometimes helpful in separating species. The valves of didymous-fruited Physaria typically do not release their seeds; the valves and seeds disperse as a unit; species previously placed in Lesquerella freely release their seeds. The number of ovules reported, easily ascertained by counting funiculi, is most often greater than the number of seeds that occupy the fruit, either because of abortion or lack of fertilization. Species with mucilaginous seeds typically occupy steep and/or unstable habitats; when wetted, mucilaginous seeds can be “glued” onto optimal, local habitats.

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

Key
1. Caudices branched (well-developed); petals usually yellow, rarely white, 6.5-12(-14) mm, usually 1.5 times or less as long as sepals; racemes usually not elongated (subumbellate).
subsp. ovalifolia
1. Caudices usually simple; petals white, (9-)11-15 mm, often 2 times as long as sepals; racemes usually elongated.
subsp. alba
1. Fruits papery (coriaceous in P. bellii, P. rollinsii), inflated (often double, didymous); valves retaining seeds after dehiscence, basal sinus usually present, sometimes absent; replum narrower than fruit (traditional Physaria in the strict sense)
→ 2
1. Fruits firm, not or slightly inflated (not didymous); valves not retaining seeds after dehiscence, basal sinus absent; replum usually as wide as or wider than fruit (traditional Lesquerella in the strict sense)
→ 23
2. Fruits somewhat inflated, not didymous, angustiseptate.
P. geyeri
2. Fruits inflated, strongly didymous at least apically, not angustiseptate (except P. alpestris)
→ 3
3. Petals white.
P. eburniflora
3. Petals yellow (sometimes drying purplish) or yellow and purple-tinged
→ 4
4. Trichomes stellate-scalelike [rays fused (webbed)]
→ 5
4. Trichomes stellate
→ 6
5. Fruits strongly didymous, highly inflated, basal sinus shallow; sc Utah.
P. lepidota
5. Fruits slightly didymous, slightly inflated, basal sinus absent; Piceance Basin, Colorado.
P. obcordata
6. Fruiting pedicels recurved; fruits nearly pendent; basal leaf blades: margins dentate or pinnatifid (rarely subentire).
P. floribunda
6. Fruiting pedicels not recurved; fruits erect, spreading, ascending, not pendent; basal leaf blades: margins entire, few-toothed, dentate, repand, or lyrate-lobed
→ 7
7. Fruit valves keeled (2-keeled on side away from replum)
→ 8
7. Fruit valves rounded or irregular, not keeled
→ 9
8. Valves with sides flat or slightly convex, keels rounded, apical sinus V-shaped or convex; styles (4-)6-8 mm.
P. chambersii
8. Valves with sides concave, keels sharp-angled, apical sinus concave; styles 2-9 mm.
P. newberryi
9. Styles less than 3 mm; fruits: basal sinus absent.
P. oregona
9. Styles greater than 3 mm; fruits: basal sinus present or absent
→ 10
10. Fruits strongly angustiseptate (at least toward replum); replums: apex acute to acuminate.
P. alpestris
10. Fruits not angustiseptate; replums: apex usually obtuse
→ 11
11. Petals 10-12(-15) mm; fruits irregularly angled and roughened, not strongly inflated; plants of alpine Colorado.
P. alpina
11. Petals 6-14 mm; fruits irregular in shape, or suborbicular, subglobose, cordate, or angular, usually inflated; plants usually not alpine (if so, fruits rounded, strongly inflated)
→ 12
12. Fruits: basal sinus obscure or absent, apical sinus deeper
→ 13
12. Fruits: basal and apical sinuses well-developed, usually ± equal
→ 16
13. Fruit valves: trichomes with spreading rays (ovaries and immature fruits fuzzy)
→ 14
13. Fruit valves: trichomes with appressed or spreading rays (ovaries and immature fruits silvery, not fuzzy)
→ 15
14. Blades of younger basal leaves tapered to petioles; apical sinus of fruits usually broad (often giving fruits a flared appearance).
P. brassicoides
14. Blades of all basal leaves abruptly narrowed to petioles; apical sinus of fruits narrow.
P. saximontana
15. Plants compact; stems decumbent; fruiting pedicels straight.
P. rollinsii
15. Plants not usually compact; stems decumbent to ascending; fruiting pedicels sigmoid.
P. vitulifera
16. Ovules mostly 4 per ovary
→ 17
16. Ovules (4-)8(-12) per ovary
→ 20
17. Fruit valves: trichomes with ascending rays (appearing fuzzy)
→ 18
17. Fruit valves: trichomes with appressed rays (not appearing fuzzy)
→ 19
18. Replum obovate to broadly oblong; Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming.
P. didymocarpa
18. Replum oblong to oblanceolate; c, ec Utah.
P. grahamii
19. Basal leaf blades: base abruptly narrowed to petioles, margins usually entire, rarely with scattered teeth, apex rounded or obtuse (sometimes with apical mucro).
P. acutifolia
19. Basal leaf blades: base gradually tapering to petioles, margins shallowly dentate, apex obtuse.
P. bellii
20. Plants compact (from condensed rosette); racemes barely exceeding leaves
→ 21
20. Plants loose (cespitose); racemes greatly exceeding leaves
→ 22
21. Basal leaves mostly horizontal, blades 0.5-1.5 cm × 40-80 mm; replums 3-4 mm.
P. condensata
21. Basal leaves ascending or erect, blades (1.5-)5-7 cm × 12-20 mm; replums 1-1.8 mm.
P. dornii
22. Leaf blade margins usually dentate or repand, bases ± abruptly narrowing to petioles.
P. didymocarpa
22. Leaf blade margins entire, bases mostly abruptly tapering to petioles.
P. integrifolia
23. Fruit valves glabrous outside
→ 24
23. Fruit valves pubescent outside
→ 50
24. Annuals or biennials (usually with a fine taproot)
→ 25
24. Perennials or, rarely, biennials (with caudex, except P. gordonii)
→ 33
25. Petals white.
P. pallida
25. Petals yellow (sometimes drying purplish), yellow and purple-tinged, or orange
→ 26
26. Basal and cauline leaves similar in shape
→ 27
26. Basal and cauline leaves different in shape
→ 29
27. Fruits sessile or shortly stipitate.
P. angustifolia
27. Fruits stipitate (gynophores 0.5-2 mm)
→ 28
28. Gynophores 0.5-1 mm; fruiting pedicels sigmoid.
P. gordonii
28. Gynophores 1-2 mm; fruiting pedicels straight or slightly curved.
P. gracilis
29. Fruiting pedicels recurved.
P. recurvata
29. Fruiting pedicels usually erect, straight, ascending, or sigmoid
→ 30
30. Ovules 4 per ovary.
P. filiformis
30. Ovules 8-20 per ovary
→ 31
31. Fruit valves papillose outside, densely pubescent inside.
P. sessilis
31. Fruit valves smooth outside, glabrous inside
→ 32
32. Pedicels straight or slightly curved; trichomes with a U-shaped notch on one side.
P. densiflora
32. Pedicels sigmoid, horizontal, or recurved; trichomes without a U-shaped notch.
P. lindheimeri
33. Arctic and subarctic (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Greenland, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Yukon)
→ 34
33. Dry temperate or subtropical areas (not Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Greenland, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Yukon)
→ 35
34. Petals spatulate, blade gradually narrowed to claw, 5-6(-7) mm; fruits mostly uncompressed.
P. arctica
34. Petals obovate, blade abruptly narrowed to claw, (6-)7-10 mm; fruits usually compressed (angustiseptate).
P. calderi
35. Plants pulvinate-cespitose, or forming mounds, mats, or tufts
→ 36
35. Plants not cespitose, not forming mounds, mats, or tufts
→ 38
36. Petioles and leaf blades differentiated (or slightly so); plants forming soft mats or tufts.
P. hitchcockii
36. Petioles and leaf blades undifferentiated; plants forming hard mats
→ 37
37. Seeds strongly mucilaginous when wetted; petals deep yellow and slightly orange in center, blade and claw joined at right angle; sepals elliptic; San Juan and McKinley counties, New Mexico, Apache County, Arizona.
P. navajoensis
37. Seeds not mucilaginous when wetted; petals yellow, blade and claw joined in an arch; sepals elliptic or oblong; Kane County, Utah.
P. tumulosa
38. Trichome rays fused (webbed) 1/2 or most of their length
→ 39
38. Trichome rays not fused or only basally
→ 40
39. Basal and cauline leaf blade shapes similar.
P. fendleri
39. Basal and cauline leaf blade shapes different.
P. mcvaughiana
40. Petals white, sometimes purple-veined (fading purplish)
→ 41
40. Petals yellow or yellow and orange (sometimes fading purplish)
→ 42
41. Basal leaf blades suborbicular to elliptic, or ovate or deltate, 0.5-2(-6.5) cm; petals 8-15 mm.
P. ovalifolia
41. Basal leaf blades elliptic or obovate to oblong, 4-15 cm; petals 4.5-10(-12) mm.
P. purpurea
42. Fruits obcordate or obdeltate, compressed (angustiseptate).
P. hemiphysaria
42. Fruits globose, subglobose, ellipsoid, ovoid, or obovoid, slightly compressed or terete
→ 43
43. Trichomes asymmetrical with a deep notch (on one side).
P. engelmannii
43. Trichomes symmetrical without a notch
→ 44
44. Fruiting pedicels recurved; fruits ± pendent
→ 45
44. Fruiting pedicels not recurved (sigmoid, straight, or curved); fruits not pendent
→ 46
45. Biennials or short-lived perennials, without a woody caudex.
P. aurea
45. Perennials, with a woody caudex.
P. thamnophila
46. Ovules 16-32 per ovary; cauline leaves densely overlapping, erect and often appressed.
P. argyraea
46. Ovules 4-24(-26) per ovary; cauline leaves not overlapping, not erect and not appressed
→ 47
47. Basal leaf blades and petioles differentiated, blades suborbicular, elliptic, ovate, deltate, or obovate to rhombic
→ 48
47. Basal leaf blades and petioles not differentiated (tapering), blades obovate, oblong, rhombic to elliptic, or spatulate to oblanceolate
→ 49
48. Cauline leaf blades elliptic or obovate; racemes not elongated (subumbellate to densely corymbiform).
P. ovalifolia
48. Cauline leaf blades obovate to rhombic; racemes elongated.
P. pruinosa
49. Stems prostrate; cauline leaves densely overlapping.
P. gordonii
49. Stems ascending to erect; cauline leaves (relatively few), not or loosely over- lapping.
P. pinetorum
50. Petals white or cream-white
→ 51
50. Petals yellow or orange (sometimes drying purplish)
→ 52
51. Basal leaf blades not abruptly narrowed to petioles; Kaibab Plateau, n Arizona.
P. kingii
51. Basal leaf blades abruptly narrowed to petioles; Montrose and Ouray counties, Colorado.
P. vicina
52. Basal and cauline leaf blades similar in shape (usually narrow), blades less than 5 mm wide, not differentiated from (tapering to) petioles
→ 53
52. Basal and cauline leaves dissimilar in shape, blades sometimes greater than 5(-6.5) mm wide, differentiated from petioles
→ 66
53. Plants forming dense, hard mats, caudices highly branched (sw Colorado).
P. pulvinata
53. Plants not forming dense, hard mats, caudices usually simple or few-branched
→ 54
54. Fruiting pedicels usually recurved, sometimes divaricate-spreading or nearly horizontal
→ 55
54. Fruiting pedicels ascending, sigmoid, erect, spreading, recurved
→ 56
55. Annuals or perennials (short-lived); basal leaf blades flat, margins entire or dentate; racemes secund.
P. arenosa
55. Perennials; basal leaf blades involute, margins usually entire (rarely shallowly dentate); racemes not secund.
P. ludoviciana
56. Fruit valves: trichomes with erect or spreading rays (± fuzzy in appearance)
→ 57
56. Fruit valves: trichomes with appressed rays
→ 60
57. Basal leaf blades obovate to orbicular, margins folded; petioles differentiated from blades; caudices thickened (± 1 cm diam.); Sheep Mountain, Pioneer Range, Montana.
P. eriocarpa
57. Basal leaf blades linear to oblanceolate, margins not folded; petioles not differentiated from blades; caudices not thickened; Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
→ 58
58. Styles 2.5-4 mm (as long as or longer than mature fruits); fruits 2.5-3(-4) mm.
P. nelsonii
58. Styles (0.5-)1-3(-4) mm (shorter than mature fruits); fruits 3.5-7 mm
→ 59
59. Stems simple or few to several from branched caudices (each with a sub-basal tuft of leaves); n Arizona, s Utah.
P. arizonica
59. Stems few to several from few-branched or unbranched caudices (each laterally from a basal tuft of rosette leaves); Idaho, se Montana.
P. pycnantha
60. Basal blades usually involute, sometimes flattened, linear to linear-oblanceolate, or narrowly spatulate
→ 61
60. Basal blades flattened, not involute, linear, linear-oblanceolate, spatulate to nearly rhombic, oblanceolate, or elliptic
→ 62
61. Sepals 4.5-7.5(-9) mm; styles (2-)3-4.5(-5.5) mm; pedicels straight or curved-ascending; n Arizona, n New Mexico, c, s Utah.
P. intermedia
61. Sepals 3.5-7 mm; styles 2-4 mm; pedicels sigmoid to curved- ascending; nw Colorado, ne Utah, sw Wyoming.
P. parvula
62. Racemes not or barely exceeding basal leaves; fruits compressed (latiseptate) on margins and at apices
→ 63
62. Racemes exceeding basal leaves; fruits not compressed (or barely so on distal margins and apices) or strongly compressed (latiseptate) throughout
→ 64
63. Plants strongly condensed; stems lateral from a tight hemispherical tuft of leaves; Piceance Basin of Colorado.
P. congesta
63. Plants not condensed (loosely cespitose); stems lateral and also from within a basal tuft of leaves; nw Colorado, sw Nebraska, se Wyoming.
P. reediana
64. Fruits compressed throughout (strongly latiseptate, more so at apices); Montana, Wyoming (Big Horn Mountains).
P. curvipes
64. Fruits not compressed at apices or distal margins; Arizona, s Colorado, n New Mexico, s Utah
→ 65
65. Basal leaf blades linear; cauline leaves not secund; plants compact.
P. calcicola
65. Basal leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate to broadly elliptic; cauline leaves usually secund; plants not compact (loose, spreading).
P. rectipes
66. Silicles strongly latiseptate (the valves strongly compressed parallel to the septum)
→ 67
66. Silicles not compressed or slightly to strongly angustiseptate (the valves compressed perpendicular to the septum) or very slightly latiseptate
→ 68
67. Annuals or biennials; stems branched or unbranched; e Arizona, w New Mexico.
P. gooddingii
67. Perennials; stems usually unbranched; California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, n Utah, Washington.
P. occidentalis
68. Fruits usually strongly compressed (angustiseptate, if slightly so, fruits obdeltate or obcordate)
→ 69
68. Fruits usually not compressed (or slightly so at apices, if slightly compressed, fruits not obcordate or obdeltate)
→ 72
69. Fruits elliptic to orbicular; Idaho, Montana, Wyoming.
P. carinata
69. Fruits cordate to obdeltate, obcordate, or obovate; California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah
→ 70
70. Fruiting pedicels recurved; fruits obdeltate, usually pendent; septums nearly obsolete.
P. obdeltata
70. Fruiting pedicels spreading, sigmoid, or recurved; fruits obcordate to obdeltate, not pendent; septums complete
→ 71
71. Fruiting pedicels sigmoid; fruits strongly flattened; racemes sometimes elongated.
P. cordiformis
71. Fruiting pedicels spreading, or, occasionally, loosely sigmoid or recurved; fruits slightly flattened; racemes not elongated (dense, congested).
P. hemiphysaria
72. Annuals or, rarely, biennials.
P. tenella
72. Perennials
→ 73
73. Fruit valves sparsely pubescent or glabrous; plants of arctic and boreal regions of Canada and Greenland.
P. arctica
73. Fruit valves ± densely pubescent; plants usually of the continental United States (P. spatulata occurring to sw Canada)
→ 74
74. Fruiting pedicels recurved (P. lesicii sometimes with many pedicels arching); fruits pendent
→ 75
74. Fruiting pedicels usually not recurved (sigmoid, horizontal, divaricate-ascending, ascending, or spreading); fruits horizontal to erect
→ 80
75. Inner stems erect; fruits: septum complete
→ 76
75. Inner stems usually prostrate or decumbent; fruits: septum complete, fenestrate, strongly perforate, or obsolete (except P. parviflora)
→ 77
76. Cauline leaves 1-3.5 cm wide, not spreading (somewhat appressed to stem); fruit valves sparsely pubescent; ovules 4-6 per ovary.
P. aurea
76. Cauline leaves less than 6(-8) mm wide, spreading; fruit valves densely pubescent; ovules 8-12 per ovary.
P. pendula
77. Fruits: septum complete; ovules 4 per ovary; nw Colorado.
P. parviflora
77. Fruits: septum fenestrate, perforate, or obsolete; ovules 4-12(-16) per ovary; Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
→ 78
78. Fruits papery, strongly inflated; basal leaf blades orbicular to broadly obovate, abruptly narrowing to petioles.
P. macrocarpa
78. Fruits rigid, not or slightly inflated; basal leaf blades elliptic, rhombic, ovate, suborbicular, or broadly oblanceolate to broadly elliptic, or rhombic, gradually tapering to petioles
→ 79
79. Fruits sometimes slightly obcompressed; styles 1-2 mm; racemes secund.
P. fremontii
79. Fruits slightly compressed (angustiseptate); styles 2.4-9 mm; racemes usually not secund.
P. kingii
80. Fruit valves: trichome rays strongly ascending, spreading (appearing fuzzy).
P. klausii
80. Fruit valves: trichome rays appressed or somewhat spreading
→ 81
81. Fruits globose, (1-)2-2.8 mm; styles 2-3.5(-4) mm.
P. globosa
81. Fruits globose, subglobose, orbicular, suborbicular, ovoid, obovoid, lanceolate, ellipsoid, or obpyriform, (2.5-)3-12 mm; styles 1.5-9 mm
→ 82
82. Basal leaf blades broadly elliptic to suborbicular, distinctly rhombic, or deltate, petioles well-differentiated from blades
→ 83
82. Basal leaf blades ± spatulate, narrowly oblanceolate, or elliptic (if wider, blades gradually tapering to petioles), petioles usually weakly differentiated from blades
→ 89
83. Stems prostrate or decumbent
→ 84
83. Stems (inner) ascending to erect
→ 85
84. Fruits wider than long, sparsely pubescent inside; Bitterroot Mountains, Montana.
P. humilis
84. Fruits longer than wide, glabrous or sparsely pubescent inside; Idaho, Utah, sw Wyoming.
P. prostrata
85. Racemes lax, elongated; fruits not compressed apically
→ 86
85. Racemes dense, (subcorymbose to subumbellate, few-flowered); fruits compressed apically
→ 87
86. Stems to 4.5 dm; basal leaf blades: margins entire, sinuate, coarsely dentate, or lyrate-pinnatifid.
P. douglasii
86. Stems 1-1.5 dm; basal leaf blades: margins entire.
P. lesicii
87. Basal leaf blades rhombic; sw Colorado, ne Utah, sw Wyoming.
P. subumbellata
87. Basal leaf blades oblanceolate to orbicular (usually noticeably thickened)
→ 88
88. Fruits with slight apical constriction; Pryor Mountains, Montana.
P. pachyphylla
88. Fruits compressed at margins, rounded apically; Arizona.
P. cinerea
89. Fruits often somewhat compressed, elliptic to lanceolate, apices ± acute
→ 90
89. Fruits compressed or not, subglobose to ovoid (rarely obdeltate), apices rounded, truncate, or obtuse
→ 92
90. Sepals 5-8.5 mm, median pair cucullate at apex; petals narrowly spatulate to obovate; ovules (8-)12-20(-24) per ovary.
P. montana
90. Sepals 3.5-5 mm, median pair not cucullate at apex; petals lingulate to narrowly oblanceolate; ovules 4-8 per ovary
→ 91
91. Fruiting pedicels 4-7 mm; styles shorter than fruits.
P. curvipes
91. Fruiting pedicels 10-20 mm; styles ± equal to fruits.
P. spatulata
92. Fruit valves: trichomes spreading rays (appearing fuzzy).
P. garrettii
92. Fruit valves: trichomes appressed rays
→ 93
93. Fruits inflated, slightly didymous, becoming purplish; sw Colorado.
P. scrotiformis
93. Fruits not inflated, not didymous, remaining greenish; Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
→ 94
94. Caudices thickened; fruit apices somewhat compressed.
P. valida
94. Caudices not thickened; fruit apices not compressed (or fruits slightly compressed throughout)
→ 95
95. Basal leaves with relatively long, slender petioles; sw New Mexico.
P. lata
95. Basal leaves with relatively short, stout petioles; Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
→ 96
96. Caudices simple; ovules 4-16 per ovary.
P. kingii
96. Caudices branched (underground); ovules usually 4 per ovary.
P. multiceps
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 655. FNA vol. 7, p. 616. Author: Steve L. O’Kane Jr..
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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. ovalifolia subsp. alba, P. ovalifolia subsp. ovalifolia
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. 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
Synonyms Lesquerella ovalifolia, Lesquerella engelmannii subsp. ovalifolia Vesicaria section P., Coulterina, Lesquerella
Name authority (Rydberg) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 326. (2002) (Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray: Gen. Amer. Bor. 1: 162. (1848)
Web links