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Mackenzie River yellowcress

alpine yellowcress

Habit Perennials; (rhizomatous); glabrous throughout. Perennials; (terrestrial or of wet habitat, not submerged, caudex branched or simple, well-developed); usually glabrous.
Stems

(simple from base), erect, branched distally, 1–4 dm.

usually decumbent to prostrate, rarely erect, much-branched basally and distally, (0.3–)0.4–1.9(–2.6) dm (rarely pilose basally).

Basal leaves

rosulate;

[petiole (1.5–)3–7.7(–12) cm];

blade [(2.5–)4–14(–22) cm × (10–)20–40(–70) mm], margins dentate to crenate.

not rosulate;

[petiole (0.3–)0.9–2(–2.5) cm];

blade [(0.6–)1–3.2(–4) cm × (2–)3–8(–15) mm], margins usually dentate to pinnatifid, rarely repand.

Cauline leaves

petiolate or subsessile;

blade ovate to lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm × 4–13 mm (smaller distally), base cuneate, not auriculate, margins dentate.

petiolate or subsessile;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, smaller distally, base cuneate, attenuate, not auriculate, margins entire, crenate, or repand.

Racemes

elongated.

elongated.

Flowers

sepals (deciduous after anthesis), erect, oblong, 4–5 × 1–1.5 mm;

petals whitish, oblanceolate, 6–8 × 2.5–3 mm;

median filaments 3–4.2 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.8–1.2 mm.

sepals ascending, oblong, 1–1.7(–2) × 0.6–0.8 mm;

petals yellow, spatulate, (1.3–)1.5–2 × 0.5–0.8 mm;

median filaments 0.8–1.2 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate to horizontal, straight, 12–20(–26) mm.

ascending to horizontal or slightly reflexed, straight or curved, (2–)3–6(–8) mm.

Fruits

siliques, straight or slightly curved, linear, 14–26 × 2–2.8 mm;

ovules 28–40 per ovary;

style 0.3–1 mm.

often siliques, sometimes silicles, straight or slightly curved, oblong to lanceolate or ovoid, 3–7(–8) × 1.4–2.1(–2.7) mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 26–42 per ovary;

style (0.3–)0.5–1(–1.2) mm.

Seeds

uniseriate, brown, ovoid, 1.6–2 mm (1.2–1.5 mm diam.), colliculate.

biseriate, yellow-brown, ovoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.7 mm (0.4–0.5 mm diam.), reticulate.

2n

= 32.

= 16.

Rorippa crystallina

Rorippa alpina

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Meadows, marshes, peaty soils, ditches Lakeshores, pond margins, streamsides, dried snow ponds, meadows, seep areas
Elevation 1400-3800 m (4600-12500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In his original description of Rorippa crystallina, Rollins considered the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the plant to be a unique feature, but this was later found to be an artifact of treating the plants with formaldehyde (R. L. Stuckey 1972; R. C. Rollins 1993). Characterization of the species as native to Canada was questioned by G. A. Mulligan and W. L. Cody (1995), who believed that it was probably introduced from China. There is no species of mustard from elsewhere in the world that closely resembles R. crystallina, and it should be considered a Canadian endemic.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 499. FNA vol. 7, p. 496.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Rorippa Brassicaceae > tribe Cardamineae > Rorippa
Sibling taxa
R. alpina, R. amphibia, R. aquatica, R. austriaca, R. barbareifolia, R. calycina, R. columbiae, R. curvipes, R. curvisiliqua, R. dubia, R. indica, R. microtitis, R. palustris, R. ramosa, R. sessiliflora, R. sinuata, R. sphaerocarpa, R. subumbellata, R. sylvestris, R. tenerrima, R. teres
R. amphibia, R. aquatica, R. austriaca, R. barbareifolia, R. calycina, R. columbiae, R. crystallina, R. curvipes, R. curvisiliqua, R. dubia, R. indica, R. microtitis, R. palustris, R. ramosa, R. sessiliflora, R. sinuata, R. sphaerocarpa, R. subumbellata, R. sylvestris, R. tenerrima, R. teres
Synonyms Nasturtium crystallinum Nasturtium obtusum var. alpinum, Radicula alpina, R. curvipes var. alpina, R. obtusa var. alpina
Name authority Rollins: Rhodora 64: 326, plate 1271. (1962) (S. Watson) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 176. (1900)
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