Lesquerella arenosa
 
Sand Bladderpod

Whole Plant

Hidden Valley
Approx. 15 mi. North of Regina at Qu'Appelle Valley
05-May-06

This species has been misidentified as L. ludoviciana (as in Budd's Flora).  However, L. ludoviciana is not found in Saskatchewan.  The key answers which separate L. arenosa from L. ludoviciana in Flora of the Great Plains are coloured red.  Note that the inner basal leaves of the specimens of L. arenosa pictured on this site are slightly involute.

bullet

Arenosa:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora, Flora of Alberta, and Flora of the Great Plains leading to this species.  
bullet

plants annual or short-lived perennials; NOT [plants perennial]

bullet

plants NOT densely tufted

bullet

inner basal leaves flat; NOT [inner basal leaves involute]

bullet

inner basal leaves generally dentate or at least angular; NOT [inner basal leaves usually entire]

bullet

inflorescence and infructescence often secund

bullet

pedicels distinctly recurved; NOT [pedicels erect, straight or slightly curved], NOT [pedicels generally sigmoid]

bullet

flowers reddish yellow; NOT [flowers bright yellow]

bullet

styles generally 3.0-5.5 mm long; NOT [styles generally 1.0-2.5 mm long]

bullet

pods more or less globose; NOT [pods ovate]

bullet

pods densely pubescent; NOT [pods glabrous or nearly so]

bullet

valves usually glabrous on the interior; NOT [valves often pubescent on the interior]

 
bullet

Lesquerella: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.   
bullet

plants perennial; NOT [plants mostly annual]

bullet

plants NOT alpine

bullet

hairs on plant branched or starry; NOT hairs on plant simple

bullet

leaves less than 1 cm wide; NOT [leaves up to 1 cm wide]

bullet

leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate; NOT [leaves mostly spatulate]

bullet

leaves more or less entire; NOT [leaves deeply serrate to pinnate or bipinnate]

bullet

upper stem leaves, if any, NOT auriculate and clasping

bullet

petals yellow; NOT [white]

bullet

petals 4-8 mm long; NOT [petals 9-12 mm long]

bullet

pods not inflated; NOT [pods conspicuously inflated]

bullet

pods not much flattened, more or less round in cross section; NOT [pods much flattened, at least twice as wide as thick], NOT [pods compressed at right angles to the central partition]

bullet

pods usually not more than 3 times as long as wide; NOT [pods usually at least 4 times as long as wide]

bullet

pods often less than 8 mm long; NOT [pods 8-15 mm long]

bullet

valves of pods with no nerves; NOT [valves of pods with one nerve]

bullet

pods opening lengthwise; NOT [pods not opening or breaking off at maturity]

bullet

seeds flat; NOT [seeds round]

 
bullet

Cruciferae:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora leading to this family.
bullet

herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

bullet

plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic, leaves submerged or floating]

bullet

plants NOT with colored milky juice

bullet

plants with more than one normal leaf

bullet

some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]

bullet

leaves without stipules, or having glands; NOT [leaves with stipules]

bullet

flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others

bullet

calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]

bullet

sepals 4

bullet

corolla regular in shape

bullet

petals 4; NOT 5

bullet

stamens usually 6, four long and two short; NOT [stamens 6, of equal length], NOT [stamens usually more than 10]

bullet

ovary superior; NOT inferior

bullet

carpels 1 or 2; NOT [carpels 3-5]