Physaria occidentalis

(S. Watson) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz

Novon 12: 326. 2002.

Common names: Western bladderpod
Basionym: Vesicaria occidentalis S. Watson Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 353. 1885
Synonyms: Lesquerella occidentalis (S. Watson) S. Watson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 7. Treatment on page 654. Mentioned on page 621.

Perennials; caudex simple or branched, (thickened, sometimes subterranean); densely pubescent, trichomes (sessile or short-stalked), 5–7-rayed, raysdistinct, bifurcate, (moderately to prominently tuberculate). Stems few to several from base, prostrate to decumbent or erect, (usually unbranched), 0.3–1.5(–3) dm. Basal leaves: (petiole slender); blade suborbicular to obovate or elliptic, 1–8 cm, (base narrowing gradually or abruptly to petiole), margins sinuate-dentate or entire. Cauline leaves: (proximal shortly petiolate, distal sessile); blade oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) cm, margins entire or remotely dentate. Racemes dense or loose. Fruiting pedicels (sigmoid or curved), 5–10(–15) mm. Flowers: sepals elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 4.5–7 mm, (median pair cucullate); petals spatulate, 7–9(–14) mm, (claw undifferentiated from blade). Fruits (erect), ellipsoid to obovoid, compressed at apex and sometimes margins (strongly latiseptate), (5–)6–9 mm, (apex acute, often beaked); valves densely pubescent, trichomes appressed or spreading, sometimes sparsely pubescent inside, trichomes 4- or 5-rayed; ovules 4–12 per ovary; style (2–)3–6.5 mm, (often sparsely pubescent). Seeds: inner surface flattened, outer convex.

Distribution

V7 1104-distribution-map.gif

Calif., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Stems erect or decumbent; fruit margins and apices compressed, apices often beaked; valves pubescent inside; ovules 4-8 per ovary; styles frequently curved; n California, c Idaho, nw Nevada, Oregon, Washington. Physaria occidentalis subsp. occidentalis
1 Stems prostrate to decumbent; fruit, margins not conspicuously compressed, apices somewhat compressed, usually not conspicuously beaked; valves usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent inside; ovules 8-12 per ovary; styles usually straight; Nevada, w Utah. Physaria occidentalis subsp. cinerascens