Descurainia incana (Bernh. ex Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Dorn
Richardson's tansy mustard (mountain tansymustard)
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

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Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Descurainia incana
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Species Information

General:
Annual or biennial herb from taproot; stems 20-100 cm tall, usually branched, at least above, nearly glabrous and greenish or the hairs whitish-starlike, often stalked-glandular above.
Leaves:
Basal and lower stem leaves once or twice pinnately lobed or 1-2 compound, widely lanceolate or oblanceolate to egg-shaped, 1.5-10 cm long; upper stem leaves simple to 1-pinnate, entire.
Flowers:
Racemes densely flowered; flower stalks slender, spreading to strongly ascending, 4-8 mm long; petals pale to deep yellow, 1.5-3.5 mm long; sepals 1-2.5 mm long.
Fruits:
Siliques, straight or somewhat curved, 5-17 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, usually longer than the stalks, strongly constricted between the seeds, tapered and sharp-pointed at each end but more at tip; styles 0.1-0.7 mm long; seeds in one row, usually 4-10 per chamber.
Notes:
Three subspecies may be recognized in BC.

1. Stalks and siliques erect and closely appressed to the axis of the inflorescence; plants with greyish, starlike hairs, infrequent in SE BC, rare northwards....................... ssp. incana

1. Stalks and siliques ascending to spreading; plants with or without glands, infrequent in SW and SC BC.

2. Plants with stalked glands, infrequent in SW and SC BC....................... ssp. viscosa (Rydb.) Kartesz & Gandhi

2. Plants without glands, infrequent in SC BC.................... ssp. incisa (Engelm.) Kartesz & Gandhi

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Descurainia incana

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
752 275 1830
Slope Gradient (%)
33 0 78

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

180 15 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 0 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
75
Modal BEC Zone Class
BG

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(3), BG(35), IDF(15), IMA(1), PP(15), SBS(1)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry roadsides, disturbed areas and waste places in the montane and steppe zones; infrequent in S BC, rare (and possibly introduced) northward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to PQ and S to KS, MN, CO, NM, and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia