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Snake Range bladderpod

Chambers' bladder-pod, Chambers' physaria, Chambers' twinpod, double bladderpod

Habit Perennials; caudex simple; densely pubescent, trichomes 5–7-rayed, rays bifurcate or trifurcate. Perennials; caudex usually simple, sometimes branched, (thick, cespitose); (silvery) pubescent throughout, trichomes few-rayed, rays furcate, sometimes slightly fused at base, (umbonate, lightly tuberculate to nearly smooth).
Stems

several from base, erect or outer usually decumbent toward base, (from below a terminal tuft of mostly erect leaves, unbranched), 1–2 dm.

several from base, erect or decumbent (arising laterally, unbranched), 0.5–1.5 mm.

Basal leaves

blade ovate to elliptic, 2–4 cm, (base gradually narrowed to petiole), margins entire, (surfaces densely pubescent with trichome layers).

(petiole slender);

blade obovate to orbicular, 3–6 cm (width 10–20 mm), margins entire or dentate.

Cauline leaves

(remote, proximal shortly petiolate);

blade spatulate to oblanceolate, similar to basal, (base often cuneate), margins entire.

blade spatulate, 1–2 cm (width 3–6 mm), margins entire, (apex often acute).

Racemes

elongated.

congested.

Flowers

sepals linear-oblong, 5–7 mm, (lateral pair subsaccate);

petals (erect), lingulate, 8–10 mm, (claw barely differentiated from blade).

sepals narrowly lanceolate, 5–8(–9) mm;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 9–12 mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade).

Fruiting pedicels

(recurved), 7–10 mm.

(divaricate, slightly sigmoid), 8–15 mm.

Fruits

(usually pendent, sessile), subglobose, slightly flattened (angustiseptate), 4–5 mm;

valves densely pubescent, trichomes somewhat spreading;

ovules 8–12 per ovary;

style 4–5 mm.

(often purplish in age), didymous, subreniform, strongly inflated, 9–18 × 11–21(–30) mm, (papery, base obtuse to slightly cordate, apical sinus V-shaped or convex, open crests rounded);

valves (2-keeled on side away from replum, each 3-sided, keels rounded, sides flat or slightly convex, retaining seeds after dehiscence), evenly and densely pubescent;

replum oblong, as wide as or wider than fruits, apex obtuse;

ovules 4–12 per ovary;

style (4–)6–8 mm (exceeding sinus).

Seeds

plump, (mucilaginous when wetted).

flattened.

2n

= 8, 10, 16, 24.

Physaria pendula

Physaria chambersii

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Limestone gravel and cobbles, typically with junipers Clay hillsides, limestone gravel, dolomite ridges, roadbanks, loose gravel, reddish clay, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper areas
Elevation 1700-2100 m (5600-6900 ft) 1500-3200 m (4900-10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NV
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

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

Physaria chambersii has been divided into three varieties based on whether the fruit is stipitate (var. canaani) or not, and whether the caudex elongates (var. sobolifera) or not (var. chambersii). In this species and in some others, e.g., P. newberryi, the latter character often depends on substrate and microclimate. Shifting substrates, such as moving sand and talus, often cause caudices to elongate. The species can be confused with 57. P. newberryi.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 657. FNA vol. 7, p. 631.
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. 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
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. 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 pendula P. chambersii var. canaani, P. chambersii var. sobolifera
Name authority (Rollins) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz: Novon 12: 326. (2002) Rollins: Rhodora 41: 403, plate 556, figs. 15–18. (1939)
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