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Johnson's false candytuft

pearshape smelowskia

Habit Plants densely white-canescent throughout; caudex simple. Plants sometimes canescent throughout; caudex simple.
Stems

several from base, unbranched or branched proximally, 0.4–1.6 dm, trichomes simple, 1–1.5 mm, mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.

usually several, rarely simple from base, usually unbranched, rarely branched, 0.5–2.4(–3) dm, trichomes simple, to 1.3 mm, mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.

Basal leaves

petiole 0.8–1.3 cm, ciliate, trichomes simple;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.8–1.8 cm × 3–7 mm, (terminal segments 0.2–0.7 cm × 1–4 mm), margins usually entire or apically 3-toothed or -lobed, rarely palmately 3-lobed, (terminal segments linear to ovate), apex obtuse (surfaces densely villous, silvery, trichomes primarily simple, 1–1.8 mm).

petiole 1–4 cm, often ciliate, trichomes simple;

blade broadly ovate to oblong in outline, (terminal segments oblong to or ovate), 1–2.2 cm × 8–15 mm, (terminal segments 0.4–1 cm × 1.5–3 mm), margins pinnatifid, apex obtuse.

Cauline leaves

subsessile;

blade similar to basal, smaller distally, margins entire.

shortly petiolate or sessile;

blade similar to basal, smaller distally.

Racemes

elongated in fruit.

considerably elongated in fruit.

Flowers

sepals 3–3.5 mm;

petals lavender to purplish, suborbicular to obovate, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, narrowed to claw, ca. 2 mm, apex rounded;

anthers oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm.

sepals 1.2–2.2 mm;

petals purple, lavender, or white, suborbicular to obovate, 2.5–4.5 × 1–2.5 mm, narrowed to claw, 1–2 mm, apex rounded;

anthers ovate, 0.3–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

ascending, (often forming less than 40˚ angle, straight), proximalmost bracteate, 11–27 mm, pubescent, trichomes primarily simple (to 1.5 mm).

ascending to divaricate-ascending, (often forming less than 40˚ angle), proximalmost bracteate, 5–15(–20) mm, pubescent, trichomes simple (to 1.4 mm), mixed with smaller, dendritic ones.

Fruits

ascending, ellipsoid to obovoid-ellipsoid, subterete, 5–6 × 2–3 mm, base and sometimes apex cuneate;

valves each with obscure midvein;

ovules 4 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.3 mm.

ascending, pyriform, subterete, 5–9 × 2.5–4 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded;

valves each with prominent midvein;

ovules 4 per ovary;

style 0.4–1.2 mm.

Seeds

2.2–2.7 × ca. 1 mm.

(oblong-lanceolate) 2.5–3.2 × 1–1.5 mm.

2n

= 12.

Smelowskia johnsonii

Smelowskia pyriformis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Steep talus slopes, loose rocks, limestone rubble, talus Loose talus, scree slopes, shale ridgetops, limestone volcanic rubble, mixed sandstone-siltstone-carbonate scree
Elevation 0-600 m (0-2000 ft) 600-1700 m (2000-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Smelowskia johnsonii is known only from the Bering Strait District, Alaska. It is a distinctive species resembling only superficially the villous forms of S. borealis with simple trichomes. From the latter, S. johnsonii is easily distinguished by having subterete (versus angustiseptate) fruits 2–3 (versus 4–8) mm wide, non-secund (versus secund) and straight (versus often curved) fruiting pedicels, 4 (versus 10–18) ovules per ovary, and simple or apically 3 (or 5)-toothed or -lobed (versus palmately (3 or) 5 (or 7)-lobed) basal leaf blades. It is readily distinguished from all species of the genus by having leaves densely silvery pubescent, with primarily simple trichomes 1–1.8 mm.

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

Of conservation concern.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 673. FNA vol. 7, p. 675.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Smelowskieae > Smelowskia Brassicaceae > tribe Smelowskieae > Smelowskia
Sibling taxa
S. americana, S. borealis, S. media, S. ovalis, S. porsildii, S. pyriformis
S. americana, S. borealis, S. johnsonii, S. media, S. ovalis, S. porsildii
Name authority G. A. Mulligan: Canad. Field-Naturalist 115: 341. (2001) W. H. Drury & Rollins: Rhodora 54: 108, fig. 3B. (1952)
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