Rorippa crystallina |
Rorippa alpina |
|
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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 |
NT |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
|
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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
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) |
Web links |