Boechera rectissima

Bristly leaf rockcress

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bristly leaf rockcress is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada, Mono, and San Bernardino Mountains on rocky slopes in open conifer forest at elevations of 1,100 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small white flowers 3 to 4 millimeters long with delicate white petals. Growing with slender stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall, it emerges from a non-woody base near ground level with multiple stems from each rosette. Its leaves are distinctive, with basal leaves 3 to 13 millimeters wide, covered in a mix of simple and short-stalked branched hairs. The plant produces long, strongly reflexed fruits 5 to 9 centimeters in length that are glabrous and slightly curved.

Habitat: Rocky slopes in open conifer forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1100-2800 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH, SnBr

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