Species: Hutchinsia procumbens (L.) Desv.

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Hutchinsia procumbens (L.) Desv.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Brassicaceae

Genus:

Hutchinsia

Species Synonyms:

Hymenolobus procumbens (L.) Nutt. ex Schinz & Thellung

Common Names:

ovalpurse
prostrate hutchinsia
prostrate alpen-cress

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan - Manitoba - Newfoundland - Labrador

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Parkbeg - Snipe Lake - Fox Valley

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

clayey, saline areas

Associated species:

alkali plantain, fiddleleaf hawksbeard, povertyweed, purple milkvetch, saltgrass, saltwater cress, western yarrow

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 N2 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Ovalpurse is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in the province. This species is regionally restricted to one area of the province and population sizes are variable.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 – 20 cm

Roots:

fibrous

Stems:

annual or biennial, solitary, creeping or erect, simple or branched, very delicate

Leaves:

lower leaves 4 – 6 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, margin entire to deeply lobed; upper leaves few, alternate, 2 – 4 mm long, 1 mm wide, elliptic to spoon-shaped, hairs simple, margin entire

Inflorescence:

unbranched, many-flowered, elongating in fruit

Flowers:

petals same length or exceeding sepals, spatula-shaped, white

Fruits:

pod 1.5 – 5 mm long, elliptic to spoon-shaped, compressed at right angles to central partition, translucent valves

BRASSICACEAE WITH PODS COMPRESSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO CENTRAL PARTITION
Only one species of Hutchinsia occurs in Saskatchewan.

1 Aquatic, usually submerged; basal leaves only	Subularia
1 Terrestrial; basal and/or stem leaves	2

2 One seed in each compartment of pod	3
2 More than one seed in each compartment of pod	4

3 Plant hairy; pod does not split, not winged or notched at tip	Cardaria
3 Plant hairless; pod splits, notched at tip, usually winged above	Lepidium

4 Pods not strongly flattened	Hutchinsia
4 Pods strongly flattened	5

5 Basal leaves not lobed; pods winged, round-shaped	Thlaspi
5 Basal leaves lobed; pods not winged, triangular	Capsella