FNA: Physaria parvula vs. Physaria pulvinata

	Physaria parvula	Physaria pulvinata
	pygmy bladderpod	cushion bladderpod
Habit	Perennials; caudex (buried), usually branched, sometimes simple, (cespitose); densely pubescent, trichomes (appressed), 4–7-rayed, rays distinct, furcate or bifurcate near base.	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	few to several from base, erect, (unbranched, slender), 0.3–1.5(–3) dm.	several (to several hundred) from base, erect, (each terminating in a tufted cluster of leaves), to 7 dm.
Basal leaves	(tufted, erect); blade linear to very narrowly spatulate, 1–3(–4) cm, margins entire (involute).	(petiole not differentiated from blade); blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, (0.8–)1–1.5 cm, (base cuneate), margins entire.
Cauline leaves	similar to basal.	similar to basal, blade sometimes linear, (apex acute).
Racemes	relatively dense.	dense, (often ± subumbellate, somewhat elongated in fruit).
Flowers	sepals (greenish yellow), elliptic, 3.5–7 mm; petals spatulate, 5–6 mm, (not clawed).	sepals narrowly elliptic, 2.5–3.5(–4) mm, (not keeled); petals narrowly spatulate, 4–7 mm.
Fruiting pedicels	(ascending, curved or sigmoid), 2–10 mm.	(strongly sigmoid), 5–10 mm.
Fruits	(erect), ovoid (or longer than broad), usually inflated, 4–5 mm, (apex acute, slightly flattened); valves pubescent, trichomes appressed; ovules 4–8 per ovary; style 2–4 mm.	ellipsoid, compressed, 4–6 mm; valves densely pubescent, trichomes appressed; ovules 2 per ovary; style 2–3.5 mm.
Seeds	flattened, (mucilaginous).	flattened, (oval).
2n	= 10, 20.

	Physaria parvula	Physaria pulvinata
Phenology	Flowering May–Jul.	Flowering late May–Jun.
Habitat	Exposed windblown ridges, gravelly hills, open rocky knolls, gravelly hilltops, clay hillsides, granitic sand, reddish soil, sagebrush, mountain scrub, and pinyon-juniper areas	Gray, argillaceous shale outcrops with sagebrush and junipers
Elevation	1800-2800 m (5900-9200 ft)	2300-2600 m (7500-8500 ft)
Distribution	CO; UT; WY [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CO [BONAP county map]
Discussion		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. 657.	FNA vol. 7, p. 659.
Parent taxa	Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria	Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria
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. ovalifolia, P. pachyphylla, P. pallida, P. parviflora, 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	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. 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 parvula, Lesquerella alpina subsp. parvula, Lesquerella alpina var. parvula
Name authority	(Greene) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 326. (2002)	O’Kane & Reveal: Brittonia 58: 74, fig. 1. (2006)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: SW CO Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Physaria pulvinata

pygmy bladderpod

cushion bladderpod

Habit

Perennials; caudex (buried), usually branched, sometimes simple, (cespitose); densely pubescent, trichomes (appressed), 4–7-rayed, rays distinct, furcate or bifurcate near base.

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

few to several from base, erect, (unbranched, slender), 0.3–1.5(–3) dm.

several (to several hundred) from base, erect, (each terminating in a tufted cluster of leaves), to 7 dm.

Basal leaves

(tufted, erect);

blade linear to very narrowly spatulate, 1–3(–4) cm, margins entire (involute).

(petiole not differentiated from blade);

blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, (0.8–)1–1.5 cm, (base cuneate), margins entire.

Cauline leaves

similar to basal.

similar to basal, blade sometimes linear, (apex acute).

Racemes

relatively dense.

dense, (often ± subumbellate, somewhat elongated in fruit).

Flowers

sepals (greenish yellow), elliptic, 3.5–7 mm;

petals spatulate, 5–6 mm, (not clawed).

sepals narrowly elliptic, 2.5–3.5(–4) mm, (not keeled);

petals narrowly spatulate, 4–7 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

(ascending, curved or sigmoid), 2–10 mm.

(strongly sigmoid), 5–10 mm.

Fruits

(erect), ovoid (or longer than broad), usually inflated, 4–5 mm, (apex acute, slightly flattened);

valves pubescent, trichomes appressed;

ovules 4–8 per ovary;

style 2–4 mm.

ellipsoid, compressed, 4–6 mm;

valves densely pubescent, trichomes appressed;

ovules 2 per ovary;

style 2–3.5 mm.

Seeds

flattened, (mucilaginous).

flattened, (oval).

= 10, 20.

Physaria parvula

Physaria pulvinata

Phenology

Flowering May–Jul.

Flowering late May–Jun.

Habitat

Exposed windblown ridges, gravelly hills, open rocky knolls, gravelly hilltops, clay hillsides, granitic sand, reddish soil, sagebrush, mountain scrub, and pinyon-juniper areas

Gray, argillaceous shale outcrops with sagebrush and junipers

Elevation

1800-2800 m (5900-9200 ft)

2300-2600 m (7500-8500 ft)

Distribution

CO; UT; WY

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

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. 657.

FNA vol. 7, p. 659.

Parent taxa

Brassicaceae > tribe Physarieae > Physaria

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. ovalifolia, P. pachyphylla, P. pallida, P. parviflora, 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

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. 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 parvula, Lesquerella alpina subsp. parvula, Lesquerella alpina var. parvula

Name authority

(Greene) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 326. (2002)

O’Kane & Reveal: Brittonia 58: 74, fig. 1. (2006)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Flora of North America species comparison

Physaria parvula

Physaria pulvinata

Physaria parvula

Physaria pulvinata