''Boechera stricta'' ( syn. ''Arabis drummondii'', ''Boechera drummondii'', ''Turritis stricta'') is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the

mustard family Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some ar ...

known by the common name Drummond's rockcress. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada, and the western and northeastern United States.

Habitat and description

It is a

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

growing one or more erect stems from a small

caudex A caudex (: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most ...

. The stems may branch near the top and reach heights anywhere between 30 and 90 centimeters. They are generally not hairy. There is a basal clump of widely lance-shaped leaves about the caudex, each up to 8 centimeters long. There are also widely spaced leaves along the stem. The top of the stem is occupied by a narrow

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

of flowers which are usually white, but sometimes light pink. The fruit is a straight, erect

silique A silique or siliqua (plural ''siliques'' or ''siliquae'') is a type of fruit (seed capsule) having two fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. When the length is less than three times the width of the dried fruit ...

up to 10 centimeters long containing two rows of winged seeds.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
stricta Plants described in 1829 Flora of Northern America {{brassicales-stub