Why Does Silvery Bladderpod Grow on Blowouts?

Description

• Silvery bladderpod begins as a low growing rosette with silvery tones due to the presence of whitish, fine, hair-like trichomes. The plant is perennial and is a member of the mustard family. It produces yellow flowers in racemes that are borne on slender stalks. The flowers have a characteristic of the mustard family. They grow four sepals, four petals and six stamens and produce a fruit or capsule with two separate chambers. The plant flowers from April to August and produces fruit in May on into the end of summer.

Locations

• The plant is found in south central and southwestern parts of the United States. It is endangered in Illinois where it is found at only one nature preserve and Minnesota. It is also found in only one location in Wisconsin, where it is listed as threatened. The plant is found in Nevada over to Arizona, up to Montana and North Dakota. The plant is found in Illinois only in sand blowouts at Henry Alan Gleason Nature Preserve, where there are three colonies.

Habitats

• The sand dunes at the nature preserve were formed in the glacial age. The plants are found in dry sandy locations that were formed from limestone, on old glacial faces or dune prairies. They are even tolerant of gravel, bedrock and wind scoured hard soils. The plant prefers exposed sandy locations. Sand prairies are ideal for the bladderpod because of the exposed sandstone. Blowouts cause prairie grasses and other competing plants to disappear from the site, thus opening up a habitat for the bladderpod.

Blowout Preference

• A blowout represents a low fertility, sandy location. It is exposed to coastal winds and dry conditions in Illinois where the bladderpod is found in the sandy dunes. This location produces an excellent environment for the herbaceous plant to grow. The plants at the nature preserve were studied to verify their productivity and flowering and seed production were consistent or slightly better than colonies in other states. The soils and situation appear to suit the plant and its colony is well protected in the sand blowouts of the natural preserve.