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:

Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Arabidopsis salsuginea, Astragalus agrestis, Crepis runcinata, Distichlis spicata, Iva axillaris, Plantago eriopoda

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 N2 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Hutchinsia procumbens 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, procumbent or erect, simple or branched, very delicate

Leaves:

lower leaves 4 – 6 mm long, 1 – 2 mm wide, margin entire to deeply lyrate-pinnatifed; upper leaves few, alternate, 2 – 4 mm long, 1 mm wide, elliptic to oblanceolate, pubescent with simple hairs, margin entire

Inflorescence:

raceme, many-flowered, elongating in fruit

Flowers:

corolla same length or exceeding calyx, spatulate, white

Fruits:

silicle 1.5 – 5 mm long, elliptic to obovate, compressed at right angles to central partition, valves translucent

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 cauline leaves	2

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

3 Plant pubescent; silicle indehiscent, not winged or notched at apex	Cardaria
3 Plant glabrous; silicle dehiscent, notched at apex, usually winged above	Lepidium

4 Pods not strongly flattened	Hutchinsia
4 Pods strongly flattened	5

5 Basal leaves not pinnate; pods winged, orbicular	Thlaspi
5 Basal leaves pinnate; pods not winged, triangular	Capsella