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Tulare County rock cress

Habit Perennials; usually long-lived; sexual; caudex woody, (often with persistent, crowded leaf bases). Perennials; long-lived; sexual; caudex woody.
Stems

usually 2–5 per caudex branch, arising from margin of rosette near ground surface, or arising laterally proximal to sterile shoots, 0.2–0.8 dm, pubescent proximally, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2- or 3-rayed, to 0.4 mm, glabrescent distally.

usually 2–5 per caudex branch, arising from margin of rosette, elevated above ground surface on woody base, 0.8–2.5(–4) dm, glabrous throughout.

Basal leaves

blade linear, 0.8–1.5 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate, trichomes (simple and spurred), to 0.8 mm, surfaces moderately pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2–4-rayed, 0.05–0.4 mm.

blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 1.2–2.5 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate proximally, trichomes (simple), 0.3–0.7 mm, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 2- or 3-rayed, 0.2–0.5 mm.

Cauline leaves

2–4, not concealing stem;

blade auricles absent, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent.

2–5(–9), not concealing stem;

blade auricles 0.2–0.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous.

Racemes

2–5-flowered, unbranched.

5–12-flowered, usually unbranched.

Flowers

erect at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals white, 3.5–5 × 0.7–1 mm, glabrous;

pollen ellipsoid.

divaricate-ascending at anthesis;

sepals glabrous;

petals white to lavender, 4–6 × 1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pollen ellipsoid.

Fruiting pedicels

erect to ascending, straight, 2–7 mm, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes subappressed, branched.

reflexed, curved, 5–9 mm, glabrous.

Fruits

erect to ascending, often appressed to rachis, not secund, straight, edges parallel, (1.3–)2–3.3 cm × 4–5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 8–12 per ovary;

style 0.05–0.4 mm.

pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight, edges parallel, 1.8–4.5 cm × 1.5–2 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 24–36 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.5 mm.

Seeds

uniseriate, 3–5 × 2.5–4.5 mm;

wing continuous, 0.8–2 mm wide distally.

uniseriate, 0.9–1.2 × 0.7–0.9 mm;

not winged.

2n

= 14.

Boechera pygmaea

Boechera schistacea

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Barren flats of arkosic gravel Rocky slopes and gravelly soil in sagebrush, open conifer forests, and subalpine meadows
Elevation 2400-3200 m (7900-10500 ft) 2400-3200 m (7900-10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Despite the distinctive morphology of Boechera pygmaea, there is evidence that it is capable of producing fertile hybrids with B. stricta. It is known only from Inyo and Tulare counties in the southern Sierra Nevada.

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

Boechera schistacea is a sexual diploid that appears to intergrade with B. pendulina where their geographic ranges overlap in southwestern Utah.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 401. FNA vol. 7, p. 404.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera Brassicaceae > tribe Boechereae > Boechera
Sibling taxa
B. acutina, B. arcuata, B. atrorubens, B. bodiensis, B. breweri, B. burkii, B. calderi, B. californica, B. canadensis, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. collinsii, B. consanguinea, B. constancei, B. covillei, B. crandallii, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. dentata, B. depauperata, B. dispar, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. duchesnensis, B. elkoensis, B. evadens, B. falcatoria, B. falcifructa, B. fecunda, B. fendleri, B. fernaldiana, B. formosa, B. fructicosa, B. glareosa, B. glaucovalvula, B. goodrichii, B. gracilenta, B. gracilipes, B. grahamii, B. gunnisoniana, B. harrisonii, B. hastatula, B. hoffmannii, B. holboellii, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. inyoensis, B. johnstonii, B. koehleri, B. laevigata, B. languida, B. lasiocarpa, B. lemmonii, B. lignifera, B. lincolnensis, B. lyallii, B. macounii, B. microphylla, B. missouriensis, B. nevadensis, B. ophira, B. oxylobula, B. paddoensis, B. pallidifolia, B. parishii, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. peirsonii, B. pendulina, B. pendulocarpa, B. perennans, B. perstellata, B. pinetorum, B. pinzliae, B. platysperma, B. polyantha, B. porphyrea, B. pratincola, B. puberula, B. pulchra, B. pusilla, B. quebecensis, B. rectissima, B. repanda, B. retrofracta, B. rigidissima, B. rollei, B. rollinsiorum, B. rubicundula, B. saximontana, B. schistacea, B. serotina, B. serpenticola, B. shevockii, B. shockleyi, B. sparsiflora, B. spatifolia, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens, B. texana, B. tiehmii, B. tularensis, B. ultra-alsa, B. villosa, B. williamsii, B. xylopoda, B. yorkii
B. acutina, B. arcuata, B. atrorubens, B. bodiensis, B. breweri, B. burkii, B. calderi, B. californica, B. canadensis, B. cascadensis, B. cobrensis, B. collinsii, B. consanguinea, B. constancei, B. covillei, B. crandallii, B. cusickii, B. davidsonii, B. dentata, B. depauperata, B. dispar, B. divaricarpa, B. drepanoloba, B. duchesnensis, B. elkoensis, B. evadens, B. falcatoria, B. falcifructa, B. fecunda, B. fendleri, B. fernaldiana, B. formosa, B. fructicosa, B. glareosa, B. glaucovalvula, B. goodrichii, B. gracilenta, B. gracilipes, B. grahamii, B. gunnisoniana, B. harrisonii, B. hastatula, B. hoffmannii, B. holboellii, B. horizontalis, B. howellii, B. inyoensis, B. johnstonii, B. koehleri, B. laevigata, B. languida, B. lasiocarpa, B. lemmonii, B. lignifera, B. lincolnensis, B. lyallii, B. macounii, B. microphylla, B. missouriensis, B. nevadensis, B. ophira, B. oxylobula, B. paddoensis, B. pallidifolia, B. parishii, B. pauciflora, B. paupercula, B. peirsonii, B. pendulina, B. pendulocarpa, B. perennans, B. perstellata, B. pinetorum, B. pinzliae, B. platysperma, B. polyantha, B. porphyrea, B. pratincola, B. puberula, B. pulchra, B. pusilla, B. pygmaea, B. quebecensis, B. rectissima, B. repanda, B. retrofracta, B. rigidissima, B. rollei, B. rollinsiorum, B. rubicundula, B. saximontana, B. serotina, B. serpenticola, B. shevockii, B. shockleyi, B. sparsiflora, B. spatifolia, B. stricta, B. subpinnatifida, B. suffrutescens, B. texana, B. tiehmii, B. tularensis, B. ultra-alsa, B. villosa, B. williamsii, B. xylopoda, B. yorkii
Synonyms Arabis pygmaea Arabis schistacea
Name authority (Rollins) Al-Shehbaz: Novon 13: 388. (2003) (Rollins) Dorn: Brittonia 55: 3. (2003)
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