Boechera goodrichii

Biennials or perennials; short-lived; apomictic; caudex present or absent. Stems usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 2.6–7.4 (–10.2) dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 4–8-rayed, 0.1–0.5 mm, sometimes mixed with 2-rayed or 3-rayed ones, to 1 mm, usually sparsely pubescent distally, rarely glabrous. Basal leaves: blade oblanceolate, 3–8 (–10) mm wide, margins entire or shallowly dentate, ciliate near petiole base, trichomes (simple), to 1 mm, surfaces moderately to densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 4–8-rayed, 0.15–0.4 mm. Cauline leaves: 22–72, concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 1–4 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Racemes 25–112-flowered, usually unbranched. Fruiting pedicels divaricate-descending, straight or gently curved, (10–) 15–28 mm, usually sparsely pubescent, rarely glabrous, trichomes appressed, branched. Flowers divaricate-ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals white to lavender, 6–8 × 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; pollen spheroid. Fruits pendent, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight or gently curved, edges parallel, 4.5–6.5 cm × 1.5–3 mm; valves glabrous; ovules 100–136 per ovary; style to 0.2 mm. Seeds biseriate or sub-biseriate, 1–1.4 × 0.9–1 mm; wing continuous, 0.05–0.15 mm.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Rocky slopes in sagebrush, pinyon-juniper woodlands, oak thickets
Elevation: 1300-2300 m

Nev., Utah.

Discussion

Morphological evidence suggests that Boechera goodrichii is an apomictic species that arose through hybridization between B. gracilipes and B. retrofracta. Some specimens of it originally were identified as Arabis holboellii var. pinetorum (= B. pinetorum), but they are most similar to B. consanguinea (see M. D. Windham and I. A. Al-Shehbaz 2007, 2007b for detailed comparison).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa