Boechera stricta

While this species was named Arabis drummondii when moved to Arabis from the genus Turritis by A. Gray to avoid creation of a later homonym, Al-Shehbaz (2003) found 'stricta' to be the correct epithet in Boechera since T. stricta is "the legitimate, validly published, and earliest basionym for the species." However, according to Tropicos (Missouri Botanical Garden, accessed March 2022), the name Boechera stricta Al-Shehbaz is illegitimate with the annotation, "If synonymy in FNA is accepted the oldest name become[s] Boechera angustifolia (Nutt.) Dorn."

According to Windham and Al-Shehbaz (2007b, Table 1), which is followed by FNA (2010, vol. 7), Arabis drummondii as treated by Rollins (1993) (apparently followed by Kartesz (1994 and 1999)), is split into Boechera stricta and B. grahamii. This is at least partially due to their treatment of Arabis confinis S. Watson as a synonym of B. grahamii (due to their finding that the author intended A. confinis and Turritis brachycarpa to be the same taxon, rather than subsequent conclusions that it should fall under A. drummondii) rather than as a synonym of A. drummondii as in Rollins (1993). Therefore, Boechera stricta sensu FNA (2010) is a narrower taxon than Arabis drummondii sensu Rollins (1993).

Boechera stricta is a perennial herb that is distributed widely across North America. Threats include road construction, recreation, invasive species, succession, and likely other threats in some places. With a large range extent, more than 600 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.

Boechera stricta is found in western North America from Alaska to New Mexico and in eastern North America from manitoba south to Illinois and east to Newfoundland. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 600 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, SEINet 2024).

Although threats are not widely documented, Boechera stricta is threatened by road construction, recreation, invasive species, succession, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences,and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.