Smelowskia ovalis
Encyclopedia
Smelowskia ovalis is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family
known by the common name alpine false candytuft. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to northern California
, occurring mostly in the Cascade Range
. It is a plant of alpine climate
s, growing in high mountain habitat such as talus
and fellfield
s. It is clumpy in shape, producing several hairy stems growing erect to a maximum height around 18 centimeters. The densely hairy leaves are divided into several oval leaflets. The longest leaves are arranged around the base of the plant, and a few smaller ones occur farther up the stems. The inflorescence
is a dense, spherical raceme
of flowers that elongates as the fruits develop. The flowers have white or pink-tinged petals each a few millimeters long. The fruit is a short silique
.
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 alpine false candytuft. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to 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...
, occurring mostly in the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. It is a plant of alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
s, growing in high mountain habitat such as talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
and fellfield
Fellfield
A fellfield or fell field comprises the environment of a slope, usually alpine or tundra, where the dynamics of frost and of wind give rise to characteristic plant forms in scree interstices.-Soil dynamics:...
s. It is clumpy in shape, producing several hairy stems growing erect to a maximum height around 18 centimeters. The densely hairy leaves are divided into several oval leaflets. The longest leaves are arranged around the base of the plant, and a few smaller ones occur farther up the stems. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense, spherical raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of flowers that elongates as the fruits develop. The flowers have white or pink-tinged petals each a few millimeters long. The fruit is a short 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...
.