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Rollins' twinpod

Physaria alpestris

alpine twin-pod, Washington bladder-pod, Washington twin-pod

Habit Perennials; (compact); caudex usually simple, (cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, trichomes 6–8-rayed, rays furcate near base, fused at base, (umbonate, strongly tuberculate throughout). Perennials; caudex usually simple, rarely branched, (cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, trichomes several-rayed, rays (1- or) 2-bifurcate, (low-umbonate, tubercles relatively few, small).
Stems

several from base, decumbent, (unbranched, slender), 0.5–1 dm.

several from base, decumbent to ascending, (unbranched), 0.5–1.5 dm.

Basal leaves

(strongly rosulate);

blade usually oblanceolate or broader, sometimes triangular, 2–3.5 cm (width 5–10 mm), margins entire or with 1 or 2 broad teeth, (apex acute).

(petiole slender);

blade obovate, 3–5 cm (width 10–20 mm, base tapering abruptly to petiole), margins entire, (apex rarely slightly acute).

Cauline leaves

blade oblanceolate, 1–1.5 cm (width 2–4 mm), margins entire, (apex acute).

blade oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm (width 3–5 mm), margins entire.

Racemes

congested, (elongated moderately in fruit).

subcorymbose.

Flowers

sepals linear, 5–7 mm;

petals spatulate, 8–10 mm, (apex often somewhat truncate).

sepals oblong, 8–10 mm;

petals spatulate, 12–14 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

(spreading, straight or somewhat sigmoid), 5–8 mm.

(divaricate, straight), 5–10 mm.

Fruits

(erect), didymous, suborbicular, inflated, 2–5(–8) × 4–8(–10)mm, (coriaceous, base slightly cordate or nearly obtuse, sinus obsolete or absent, apical sinus broad and deep);

valves (retaining seeds after dehiscence), pubescent, trichomes appressed, (silvery on ovaries and immature fruit);

replum obovate to oblong, as wide as or wider than fruit, rarely somewhat constricted basally, apex obtuse;

ovules 4 per ovary;

style 5–7 mm.

didymous, mostly highly inflated (strongly flattened at least in 1/2 toward replum), 14–18 × 14–18 mm, (papery, basal sinus slightly notched, apical open, shallow);

valves (retaining seeds after dehiscence), evenly pubescent;

replum lanceolate, 7–10 mm, width 1.5–2.5 mm, as wide as or wider than fruit, apex acute to acuminate;

ovules 8–10 per ovary;

style 5–7 mm.

Seeds

slightly flattened.

flattened, (2–3 mm).

2n

= 8.

= 48–52, 52, 64, 67–70.

Physaria rollinsii

Physaria alpestris

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sagebrush, granitic talus, open knolls, limestone chiprock, steep slopes, clay banks, near granite boulders Alpine scree, rocky ridges, talus slopes, volcanic sands and gravel, serpentine gravel, granitic slopes, mountain shrub, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine communities
Elevation 2300-2500(-3900) m (7500-8200(-12800) ft) (700-)1300-2400 m ((2300-)4300-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 661. FNA vol. 7, p. 624.
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. parvula, P. pendula, P. pinetorum, P. prostrata, P. pruinosa, P. pulvinata, P. purpurea, P. pycnantha, P. rectipes, P. recurvata, P. reediana, 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. 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 alpestris
Name authority G. A. Mulligan: Canad. J. Bot. 44: 1663, fig. 2, plate 1, fig. 4. (1966) Suksdorf: W. Amer. Sci. 15: 58. (1906)
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