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Smelowskia
americana. Synonym: Smelowskia calycina variety americana. (American Smelowsky, False Candytuft) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alpine. Rock,
meadows, tundra. Summer. In the Four Corners area Smelowskia americana occurs just in Colorado and Utah. It is found high in the mountains above tree-line in rocky areas where it grows two-to-eight inches tall and typically spreads about six inches. Flowers are reminiscent of those of Candytuft and it is sometimes called "Fern-leaf Wild Candytuft". The plant was first named Lepidium calycinum by Stephan in 1800 from collections made in Siberia. Click for the Flora of China description of this species. The species was renamed Smelowskia calycina by Friedrich Karl Meyer in 1831. Per Axel Rydberg named the American specimens of this plant Smelowskia americana, but until the early years of the 21st century most botanists continued to call the American species, Smelowskia calycina variety americana. Genetic research published in 2004 on the world's approximately 7 species of Smelowskia by Warwick et al. indicated that our American Smelowskia is distinct enough from other Smelowskias, including the Siberian S. calycina, that it merits the species status that Rydberg gave it. In short, we should be calling our species Smelowskia americana. See the Flora of North America. Timotheus Smelowsky (1769-1815) was a Russian pharmacist and botanist from St. Petersburg. "Calycina" means "with calyx". |
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Smelowskia
americana. Synonym: Smelowskia calycina variety americana. . (American Smelowsky, False Candytuft) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alpine. Rock,
meadows, tundra. Summer. |
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Smelowskia
americana. Synonym: Smelowskia calycina variety americana. . (American Smelowsky, False Candytuft) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alpine. Rock,
meadows, tundra. Summer. |
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Smelowskia
americana. Synonym: Smelowskia calycina variety americana. . (American Smelowsky, False Candytuft) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alpine. Rock,
meadows, tundra. Summer. Fine hairs cover the leaves and stems giving them a soft green appearance. (See the next photograph). |
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Smelowskia
americana. Synonym: Smelowskia calycina variety americana. . (American Smelowsky, False Candytuft) Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) Alpine. Rock,
meadows, tundra. Summer. Ripening and ripened seed pods. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Smelowskia americana |