Boechera laevigata (Muhl. ex Willd.) Al-Shehbaz

Smooth Rock Cress

© SRTurner

Family - Brassicaceae

Habit - Biennial forb with taproot.

Stems - Erect, to 1 m, pale green, glabrous, glaucous, branching or simple.

	Stem and clasping leaves.
© DETenaglia

Leaves - Alternate, simple. Basal leaves often withered by flowering time, 3-11 cm long, obovate to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, toothed or entire, short petiolate, sometimes pubescent. Stem leaves mostly spreading, sometimes overlapping, 3-15 cm long, narrowly lanceolate to linear in outline, sessile, clasping the stem, acute, entire or toothed, glabrous, glaucous, usually with pointed basal auricles, these completely surrounding the stem on larger leaves.

	Basal leaves (not always present at flowering).
© SRTurner

	Leaf adaxial.
© SRTurner

	Leaves.
© DETenaglia

Inflorescence - Terminal and axillary racemes, elongating in fruit. Pedicels glabrous, to 5 mm in flower, elongating in fruit to 2 cm, erect to spreading.

	Inflorescence.
© SRTurner

Flowers - Sepals 4, 2.5-4.0 mm long, oblong-elliptic, light green, slightly cupped, erect, glabrous. Petals 4, 3-5 mm long, white, glabrous, tapering to the base, blunt to truncate or wavy at the apex, slightly exceeding or equaling the sepals. Stamens 6, 4 alike and 2 slightly smaller. Filaments to 5 mm long, white, glabrous, erect. Anthers yellow, 1.2 mm long. Ovary cylindric, green, glabrous, 3.4 mm long, 0.5 mm in diameter, 2-valved. Style very short, 0.1-0.2 mm long. Stigma capitate.

	Calyx.
© DETenaglia

	Flower.
© DETenaglia

	Flowers.
© DETenaglia

Fruits - Siliques 5-10 cm long, 1.0-2.0 mm wide, widely ascending to spreading horizontally along the lower half, arched downward toward maturity, somewhat flattened. Seeds in 1 row in each locule, 1.3-1.8 mm long, oblong in outline, flattened, winged, the surface with a netlike or honeycomb-like pattern of ridges and pits, orange.

	Maturing fruits.
© SRTurner

Flowering - April - June.

Habitat - Forests, streambanks, bluffs, ledges, often on calcaerous substrate.

Lookalikes - Boechera missouriensis.

Origin - Native to the U.S.

Other info. - This inconspicuous but readily recognizable species is found mainly in the southern half of the state. It is also common throughout most of the eastern half of the U.S., and ranges into Canada as well. The flowers are typical for a mustard, with this particular species being distinguished by its long, narrow, clasping leaves and overall smoothness. Most parts of the plant are distinctly glaucous, with a waxy coating which can easily be rubbed off. A similar species is B. missouriensis, but that is a leafier plant which has pinnately lobed basal leaves, and is also not glaucous. These plants tend to prefer rocky areas and are colloquially known as "rock cresses" for that reason.

Boechera laevigata was formerly known as Arabis laevigata (Muhl. ex Willd.) Poir. A newer name is Borodinia laevigata (Muhl. ex Willd.) P.J. Alexander & Windham.

Photographs taken at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Boone County, MO., 4-11-04 (DETenaglia); and also in Weldon Spring Conservation Area, 4-17-2014, Salt Lick Point, Monroe County, IL, 4-30-2018, Amidon Conservation Area, Madison County, MO, 3-26-2020, and Meramec Conservation Area, Franklin County, MO, 4-21-2020 (SRTurner).