Bladderpod (9)
Bladderpods, the genus Physaria, are so called because of their inflated seed pods. They all have bright yellow flowers with four petals. They are small plants growing both erect and reclining on the ground. For accurate identification, examination of the hairs with an electron microscope is necessary. These are a few which I have identified from normal photos and some I cannot.
Double Bladderpod
Physaria acutifolia
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Sharpleaf Twinpod, Rydberg's Twinpod
Photo taken on:
May 7, 2010
Location:
Little Wildhorse Canyon, UT
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Dry, sandy hillsides
Grows to 4" with many flower stems. The leaves are narrow at the base and broaden to a spade shape.
Flora of North America reference.
Fendler's Bladderpod
Physaria fendleri (Lesquerella fendleri)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
April 29, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
Grows 2" to 10" erect or leaning with silvery, leafy stems, forming dense mounds of flowers, often in colonies of many plants. Flowers are about ½" across, sometimes with an orange center. Seedpods are pea-sized and can get reddish with age.
Flora of North America reference.
Point-tip Twinpod
Physaria floribunda
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
June 10, 2008
Location:
Flattop Trail, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Dry, sandy, gravelly hillsides, sagebrush
Grows to 8" with un-branched stems. Leaves are silvery and lance-shaped, more pointed at the base. Seed pods are papery and irregular in shape.
Flora of North America reference.
Gordon's Bladderpod
Physaria gordonii (Lesquerella gordonii)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
April 29, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
Grows leaning or prostrate to 14" with distinct hairs on stems and leaves which gives it a greyish-green appearance. Stem leaves are lance-shaped and 1 ½" long, much larger than the stem leaves of other Bladderpods on this page. The seedpods are spherical on stalks that become S-shaped with age.
Flora of North America reference.
Mid-Bladderpod
Physaria intermedia (Lesquerella intermedia)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Watson's Bladderpod, Santa Fe Bladderpod
Photo taken on:
June 18, 2014
Location:
Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
This plant is less than 2" high but it could have stems up to 10" long growing erect or leaning. It has narrow, folded basal and stem leaves. Flowers are about ½" across, the pods 5mm and round.
Flora of North America reference.
Foothill Bladderpod
Physaria ludoviciana (Lesquerella ludoviciana)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Louisiana Bladderpod, Silver Bladderpod
Photo taken on:
August 25, 2018
Location:
Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas
Grows to 10" with un-branched hairy stems. Basal leaves form a rosette of narrow leaves up to 3" long covered in white hairs, stem leaves are similar but smaller. Flowers are about ¼" across. Seed pods are roundish to oval and inflated.
Flora of North America reference.
Mountain Bladderpod
Physaria montana (Lesquerella montana)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
April 25, 2009
Location:
Wet Mountains, Eastern CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Dry slopes
Grows to 8" with many branches from one root. Leaves are mostly basal, hairy and gray. Seed pods are oval and swollen.
Flora of North America reference.
Straight Bladderpod
Physaria rectipes (Lesquerella rectipes)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
April 29, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
Stems grow to 6" prostrate from a basal rosette of grey-green leaves with narrow leaves on the stem. Flowers grow in a cluster at the end of the stems. Seed pods are round to egg-shaped.
Flora of North America reference.
Round-tip Twinpod
Physaria vitulifera
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Fiddleleaf Twinpod
Photo taken on:
May 11, 2008
Location:
Hartman's Rocks, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Dry, sandy hillsides
Small, low plant that can grow to 8". It can be distinguished by fiddle-shaped, sage green leaves. Seed pods are papery.
Flora of North America reference.
Bladderpod UFO
Physaria UFO
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
May 7, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
The tall plant is 7" high and has big flowers, ¾" across, and pods 10mm in diameter. Pedicles are sigmoid, S-shaped.
The tiny plant is less than 2" high and has narrow, curled basal leaves. Flowers are less than 1cm across, pods 5mm. The whole plant is less than 10cm across.
Bladderpod UFO
Physaria UFO
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
June 6, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy, gravelly areas, washes
Plant 6" tall with very compact heads.