Physaria arenosa
Novon 12: 321. 2002.
Perennials or, rarely, annuals; caudex simple or branched; ± densely pubescent, trichomes (sessile or short-stalked), few-rayed, rays (usually spreading), distinct or slightly fused at base, furcate or bifurcate, (tuberculate). Stems simple or few from base, prostrate or straggling to erect, (sometimes purplish, usually unbranched), (0.5–)1–2(–3) dm. Basal leaves: blade oblanceolate, 1.5–5(–7) cm, margins entire or shallowly dentate, (flat). Cauline leaves: blade elliptic to linear, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3) cm, margins usually entire. Racemes (secund), dense, (elongated in fruit). Fruiting pedicels (usually sharply recurved, sometimes divaricate-spreading or nearly horizontal), 5–15(–20) mm, (stout). Flowers: sepals elliptic or oblong, 4–6(–7) mm, (lateral pair subsaccate, median pair thickened apically, cucullate); petals (often red or lavender when dried), obovate, 6–8.5(–9.5) mm, (narrowing to broad claw). Fruits subglobose, obovoid, or broadly ellipsoid, slightly inflated, (3.5–)4–5.5(–6.5) mm; valves densely pubescent outside, trichomes spreading or closely appressed, rarely sparsely pubescent inside; ovules (4–)8(–10) per ovary; style (slender), 3–5.5(–6.5) mm. Seeds slightly flattened.
Distribution
wc North America.
Discussion
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Perennials or, rarely, annuals, short-lived; fruit valves: trichomes spreading. | Physaria arenosa subsp. arenosa |
| 1 | Perennials, long-lived; fruit valves: trichomes closely appressed. | Physaria arenosa subsp. argillosa |