Perennials; usually short-lived; sexual; caudex not woody. Stems usually 2-5 per plant, arising from margin of rosette near ground surface, (1-)2-8 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, 3- or 4-rayed, 0.1-0.5 mm, similarly pubescent distally. Basal leaves: blade obovate to oblanceolate, (5-)10-45 mm wide, margins usually coarsely dentate, rarely sinuate, ciliate on petiole base, surfaces moderately pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 3- or 4(-6)-rayed, 0.1-0.5 mm. Cauline leaves: 6-25, concealing stem proximally; blade auricles 1-6 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent. Racemes 10-40 -flowered, usually unbranched. Fruiting pedicels usually horizontal, usually straight, rarely slightly curved, 5-15 mm, pubescent, trichomes spreading, simple. Flowers ascending at anthesis; sepals pubescent; petals purplish, 3-4 × 0.7-1 mm, glabrous; pollen ellipsoid. Fruits usually horizontal, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight, edges parallel, (1.5-) 2-3.3 cm × 0.8-1 mm; valves sparsely pubescent throughout; ovules 12-20 per ovary; style 0.4-0.8 mm. Seeds uniseriate, 0.8-1.1 × 0.6-0.8 mm, not winged. 2n = 14.

Flowering Apr-May. Calcareous bluffs and wooded hillsides; of conservation concern; 200-400 m; Ky., Tenn.

Boechera perstellata is in the Center for Plant Conservation´s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Much like no. 11 [Arabis shortii (Fernald) Gleason], but perennial, and with the lvs closely and softly stellate-hairy on both sides, also with longer simple hairs on the upper side; pet pink, 3-5 mm; pedicels to 8 mm, fr more densely hairy; 2n=14. Wooded hillsides in e. Ky. Apr.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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