Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Physaria rectipes

There are nearly a dozen Physarias (Bladderpods) in the Four Corners area; Physaria acutifolia is the most common. The genus was named by Asa Gray in 1848 and is now greatly expanded with the addition of all former members of the Lesquerella genus. "Physaria" is Greek for "bladder".

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Physaria rectipes. Synonym: Lesquerella rectipes. (Bladderpod)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 1, 2005.

Often recumbent (as pictured here), sometimes erect, always reminiscent of a lawn weed gone beautiful with lovely yellow flowers, Lesquerella rectipes is a strange find. A thick basal rosette of leaves is topped by long stems with few leaves, and at the top of these stems dainty bright yellow flowers glow.

The Lesquerella genus was named by Sereno Watson in 1888 for the naturalist, explorer, and paleobotanist Leo Lesquereux (pronounced "le crew"). Steve O'Kane and Ishan Al-Shehbaz maintain in their 2002 publication that Lesquerella is a part of the Physaria genus.

Physaria rectipes. Synonym: Lesquerella rectipes. (Bladderpod)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 1, 2005.

Physaria rectipes. Synonym: Lesquerella rectipes. (Bladderpod)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 6, 2005.

Gone to seed.