Boechera lemmonii (Lemmon's Rockcress)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
Alpine. Tundra. Summer.
Stony Pass, Colorado Trail, July 22, 2012.

Boechera lemmonii has lovely, delicate lavender-blue flowers atop stems that are often long and sprawling. The plant is found in the alpine zone (rarely in exposed subalpine) and begins growing soon after snows have melted. Flowering occurs weeks later and seed pods soon follow.  

"Boechera" is for Danish botanist, Tyge Boecher and "Lemmonii" is for American southwest botanist J. G. Lemmon. (More biographical information about Boecher.    More biographical information about Lemmon.)

Boechera lemmonii  (Lemmon's Rockcress) 
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
Alpine. Tundra. Summer.
Stony Pass, Colorado Trail, July 22, 2012.

Basal leaves are numerous, clustered, spatulate to oblanceolate, and hairy, but as the second photograph at left shows, stem leaves are quite different: they are few in number, usually ovate, sessile, and clasping the stem.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Boechera lemmonii