[Thelypodys: The Genus Thelypodium in f the Columbia River
Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Cutleaf Thelypody, Cut-leaf Thelypody, Thick-leaf Thelypody, Thick-leaved Thelypody, Western Thelypodium
Thelypodium laciniatum
Synonyms: Thelypodium laciniatum var. laciniatum, Thelypodium laciniatum var. streptanthoides
The photo above shows purple flowered form of
thick-leaf thelypody (formerly Thelypodium laciniatum var. streptanthoides) as seen at the base of a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about one mile east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge........April 18, 2010.
Characteristics:
Thick-leaved thelypody is a freely branched, upright biennial
to 25 dm in height. The leaves are both basal and on the stems, with both being
fairly thick and fleshy. The basal leaves are deeply lobed and ovate or deltoid-lanceolate
in shape. The basal and lower stem leaves range from 10 to 45 cm long. The stem
leaves are similar, but become ever-reduced in size, becoming more entire-margined
as one proceeds up the stem.
The inflorescence is an elongated raceme, and may make up over
one-half the height of the plant. Individual flowers consist of 4 sepals and
4 petals. Depending on the variety, flower color may be white to purplish. The
seed capsules are siliques, long and thin, arranged either spreading or somewhat
erect, and either straight or slightly arched.
Former varieties of thick-leaf thelypody:
var. laciniatum:
White sepals, siliques spreading (4 to 11 cm). Found from eastern Washington
to Idaho, south to Nevada and California.
var. streptanthoides: Purple sepals, siliques spreading
(6 to 14 cm). Found in central Washington and northern Oregon. See photos on this page.
var. milleflorum: White
sepals, siliques strongly ascending (3 to 6 cm). Found from the Columbia River
south to Nevada and east to Idaho.
Habitat:
Thick-leaved thelypody is found in desert regions, often in
rock fall or cliff faces. It may commonly be found on the face of road cuts
through basalt in the basin country.
Range:
Thick-leaved thelypody is found across much of western North
America.
In the Columbia River Gorge, variety streptanthoides
may be found between the elevations of 100'-200' from near Catherine Creek east
to near The Dalles, OR.
- 
Close-ups of the purplish sepals and long, white, strap-like petals plus a raceme of the purple-flowered form of thickleaf thelypody as seen at the base of a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about three miles east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge.......April 18, 2010.
- 
Close-ups of the upper leaf surface (left) and lower leaf surface (right) of a basal leaf of the purple flowered form of
thick-leaf thelypody (formerly Thelypodium laciniatum var. streptanthoides) as seen at the base of a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about three miles east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge.......April 18, 2010.
- 
These two photos show the purple flowered form of
thick-leaf thelypody (formerly Thelypodium laciniatum var. streptanthoides) as seen at the base of a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about three miles east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge........April 18, 2010.
- 
The purple-flowered form of
thick-leaf thelypody (formerly Thelypodium laciniatum var. streptanthoides) as seen (left) at the base of a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about one mile east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge..........May 3, 2012. The photo at right shows a close-up of the inflorescence of thick-leaf thelypody at the same location...........May 5, 2016.
- 
The purple-flowered form of thick-leaf thelypody as seen on a cliff along Washington Highway SR 14 about one mile east of Roosevelt, WA in the eastern Columbia River Gorge..........April 23, 2013.
Paul Slichter