Common name:
Lemmon's rockcress
Family:
Scientific name:
Boechera lemmonii
Main flower color:
Range:
California, east to Colorado, and states to the north
Height:
Up to 10 inches
Habitat:
Rocky and gravelly places in the subalpine and alpine zones, from 6,500 to 14,200 feet
Leaves:
Oblanceolate (basal) or ovate (cauline), the former covered with branched hairs
Season:
June to August
Boechera lemmonii is found in mountainous regions of the West, mainly the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades and the Rockies, though is never particularly common. Leaves form at the base and along the stem - up to 12. Basal leaves are stalked, and have a dense covering of short hairs, often giving them a greyish appearance, while stem leaves are sessile, and mostly hairless. Leaf hairs branch about half way, into between three and nine rays. The stem is also hairy towards the base, becoming glabrous higher up. Leaf margins are usually entire but may have a few small teeth.
Flowers are formed in unbranched racemes, of up to 12 heads. The four sepals, glabrous or sparsely hairy, are green to purple, while the four petals are white at the base, otherwise deep pink. Fruits form at just one side of the stem; they are narrow pods, straight or slightly curved, up to 1.7 inches long
Flowers are formed in unbranched racemes, of up to 12 heads. The four sepals, glabrous or sparsely hairy, are green to purple, while the four petals are white at the base, otherwise deep pink. Fruits form at just one side of the stem; they are narrow pods, straight or slightly curved, up to 1.7 inches long
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