Boechera pendulocarpa

Dropseed rockcress

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Dropseed rockcress is a California native perennial found in the Great Basin region on rock outcrops, gravelly slopes, and open meadows at elevations of 1,800 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to lavender flowers approximately 4 to 6 millimeters long with delicate, narrow petals. Growing with slender stems 15 to 30 centimeters tall, it emerges from a base of short-stalked, multi-rayed hairy rosettes near ground level. Its basal leaves are 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide, entire, with distinctive 4 to 8-rayed hairs, while cauline leaves become progressively fewer and more sparse up the stem. The distinctive fruit is notably pendulous, measuring 2 to 3.8 centimeters long and hanging in an elegant, elongated form.

Habitat: rock outcrops, gravelly slopes, in open meadows

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 1800-3000 m

Bioregions: GB

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.