Physaria lesicii

Perennials; (delicate, short-lived); caudex simple, (sometimes elongated, covered with persistent leaf bases); usually sparsely pubescent, trichomes 7-12-rayed, rays furcate near base. Stems simple from base, erect to decumbent, (unbranched, mostly filiform, slender), 1-1.5 dm. Basal leaves (erect, petiole slender); blades broadly ovate to elliptic, 0.5-1 cm, (base abruptly narrowing to petiole), margins entire. Cauline leaves (remote, distally shortly petiolate); blade ± spatulate, (base cuneate), margins entire. Racemes lax, (elongated, few-flowered). Fruiting pedicels (recurved to widely spreading, filiform, slender), 5-10 mm. Flowers: sepals (erect), oblong, 3.5-4 mm, (lateral pair not saccate); petals (often fading to light purple apically), spatulate to nearly lingulate, 6-7 mm. Fruits (pendent), globose or subglobose, compressed, 3-4 mm; valves ± densely pubescent; ovules 6-10 per ovary; style ca. 1.5 mm. Seeds not seen.

Flowering Jun(-early Jul). Pryor Mountains, on limestone soils in woodlands of Rocky Mountain juniper and/or mountain mahogany, and widely scattered Douglas-fir, fellfields dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass and cushion plants; of conservation concern; 1600-2000 m; Mont.