Boechera breweri
Encyclopedia
Boechera breweri is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....

 known by the common name Brewer's rockcress. It is native to southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 and northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, where it grows in rocky areas in mountains and valleys. This is a perennial herb growing from a woody, branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...

. It produces hairy, erect stems to up to about 20 centimeters tall. There is a basal clump of leaves around the caudex. They are oval-shaped and up to 3 centimeters long. They are coated in forked hairs. There are also a few leaves farther up the plant with bases that clasp the stem. The flowers have dark purple sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...

s and lighter purple petals. The fruit is a long, thin, ascending silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...

 up to 6.5 centimeters long. The flowers have thick pinkish-purple sepals and spoon-shaped pink to purple petals. The fruit is a long, narrow, purple silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...

which may be many centimeters long.

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