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- Boechera grahamii
Boechera grahamii — Graham's rockcress
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Facts
Graham's rockcress is distributed across northern and alpine North America, and is extremely rare in New England, where it is known only from Vermont. It inhabits ledges, rocky banks and woodland sites with high-pH bedrock.
Habitat
Ridges or ledges, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 6
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 35–90 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
-
- the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 4
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal number
- 4
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
-
- NA
- the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 35–90 mm
- Fruit locules
- two
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a silique (greater than three times as long as wide, and dehisces by two valves, leaving the persistent replum to which the seeds are attached, found only in the Brassicaceae)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
-
- there are two or more rows of seeds in each locule of the fruit
- there is one row of seeds in each locule of the fruit
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- The fruit is either not compressed or is compressed parallel to the septum; therefore, the fruit and its septum are about the same width
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Horizontal rooting stem
- the plant does not have stolons
- Lifespan
-
- the plant lives for two years
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- the leaf has no stalk
- the leaf has no stalk and at the base it clasps the stem
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is sagittate (arrow-shaped, with pointed lobes directed backwards)
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade length
- 20–90 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
-
- NA
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
-
- NA
- the petiole base clasps the stem or sheathes the stem
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hairs between stem nodes
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are branched
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 12–120 cm
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Vermont
- rare to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Boechera grahamii (Lehmann) Windham & Al-Shehbaz NC
Graham’s rockcress. Arabis brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Britt.; A. drummondii Gray var. brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Gray; A. holboellii Hornem. var. brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Welsh; Boechera brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Dorn; Turritis grahamii Lehmann • VT. Ledges, rocky banks and woodlands, all in regions of high-pH bedrock. This species has been usually referred to as Boechera brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Dorn or B. divaricarpa (A. Nels.) A. & D. Löve in New England literature (under one of the nomenclatural synonyms in the genus Arabis). The former name was published later than the epithet grahamii (1838 vs. 1831) and thus does not have priority. The latter name has been, in more recent literature, presumed to be a hybrid between Boechera holboellii (Hornem.) A. & D. Löve and B. stricta. However, B. holboellii is apparently restricted to Greenland, making it highly unlikely to be involved in species here in New England (Al-Shehbaz and Windham 2010). Further, recent taxonomic work reveals that B. divaricarpa is actually restricted to western North America. Our taxon ( B. grahamii) likely originated through hybridization between B. collinsii (Fern.) A. & D. Löve and B. stricta (Windham and Al-Shehbaz 2007).
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Boechera laevigata:
- basal leaf blades glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple hairs, sepals always glabrous on the abaxial surface, and pollen ellipsoid (vs. B. grahamii, with basal leaf blades sparsely to densely pubescent with compound hairs bearing 2-7 rays, sepals sometimes pubescent on the abaxial surface, and pollen subspherical).
Synonyms
- Arabis brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Britt.
- Arabis drummondii Gray var. brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Gray
- Arabis holboellii Hornem. var. brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Welsh
- Boechera brachycarpa (Torr. & Gray) Dorn
- Turritis grahamii Lehmann