[Rockcresses: The Genera Arabis, Boechera and Turritis East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Cusick's Rockcress

Boechera cusickii

Synonym: Arabis cusickii

The photo above shows Cusick's rockcress as seen about 3 miles south of Shaniko in central Oregon.........April 18, 2004.

The photo at right shows the upright siliques of Cusick's rockcress as seen along Divide Road south of the Jefferson-Wasco County line in north-central Oregon.........May 15, 2001.

Characteristics:

Cusick's rockcress has several erect, clustered stems arising 8-25 cm high. The basal leaves are linear-oblanceolate to spatulate with entire to few-toothed margins, the leaves measuring from 1-3 cm long. The blades are sparsely covered with coarse, stiff hairs and the margins are typically ringed with long, stiff hairs. The stem leaves lack-heart-shaped bases and are linear-oblong in shape.

The inflorescence is a few-flowered corymb. The purplish sepals are 4-6 mm long and are sparsely hairy. The bright purple, pink or white petals are each 7-9 m long. The glabrous pedicels are 5-7 mm long. The fruits are ascending and arched siliques from 4-6 cm long and 2-3 mm wide. The siliques are glabrous.

Habitat:

Cusick's rockcress is found on flatlands and slopes amongst sagebrush and ponderosa pine.

Range:

Cusick's rockcress may be found from east-central Washington south to north-central oregon and east to central Idaho.

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The photos above show detail views of Cusick's rockcress as seen along the Yakima Skyline Trail to the north of Selah, WA........March 22, 2008.

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Cusick's rockcress as seen along US Highway 97 several miles west of Shaniko, Oregon..........March 10, 2015.

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Cusick's rockcress observed atop Manastash Ridge near the Manastash Observatory, southwest of Ellensburg, WA......May 27, 2019.

The photo above shows the basal rosette of leaves of Cusick's rockcress. Note the ciliate leaf margins.

The photo above shows the long, coarse hairs on the stem and leaves of Cusick's rockcress. Photographed at the summit of Bake Oven Road several miles north of Shaniko in north-central Oregon..........April 18, 2004.

The photo above shows Cusick's rockcress as seen along Road 22 at the northern boundary of the Ochoco NF........ May 24, 1998.

The photo above shows Cusick's rockcress along Divide Road south of the Jefferson-Wasco County line in north-central Oregon........May 15, 2001.

Paul Slichter