E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Rorippa curvisiliqua (Hook.) Besser ex Britton
western yellow cress (curvepod yellowcress)
Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #9526)

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Distribution of Rorippa curvisiliqua
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Species Information

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General:
Annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems single or diffusely branched above, 10-40 cm tall, decumbent to ascending, glabrous to sparsely hairy throughout, the hairs appressed.
Leaves:
Variable, 2-7 cm long, 8-20 mm wide, oblong to oblanceolate, toothed, lobed or pinnately-cut, the segments linear to egg-shaped, entire or toothed, glabrous or short-hairy; stem leaves reduced upwards, clasping with earlike lobes basally.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1-5 (7) mm long, spreading to ascending or slightly recurved stalks; petals yellow, 1-2 mm long; sepals 1-2 mm long, often spreading, promptly deciduous or somewhat persistent until the siliques are well formed, glabrous.
Fruits:
Siliques, linear to oblong, 6-15 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, curved upward to sometimes straight, nearly round in cross section, 2-carpelled; beaks 0.3-1 mm long; seeds finely pimpled.
Notes:
Several poorly defined varieties are sometimes recognized, but are not treated here.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Indeterminate
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Moist waste places, meadows and open woods in the lowland and lower montane zones; common in S BC; E to MT and CO and S to Baja CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Rorippa curvisiliqua

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

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 1320 1320 1320
Slope Gradient (%) 0 0 0
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
0
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 4 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBPS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: SBPS(1)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Rorippa curvisiliqua var. curvisiliqua (Hook.) Besser ex Britton
Rorippa curvisiliqua var. orientalis R. Stuckey
Rorippa curvisiliqua var. procumbens R. Stuckey

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References