6. Physaria arenosa (Richardson) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz, Novon. 12: 321. 2002.
Great Plains bladderpod
Vesicaria arenosa Richardson in J. Franklin, Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 743. 1823; Lesquerella arenosa (Richardson) Rydberg; L. argentea var. arenosa (Richardson) Rydberg; L. ludoviciana var. arenosa (Richardson) S. Watson
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.
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora): wc North America.
