Caulanthus glaucus
Glaucous caulanthus
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Caulanthus glaucus (Glaucous caulanthus) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by perennial habit with glaucous coating and glabrous throughout.
Glaucous caulanthus is a California native perennial found in western Inyo County and northern Desert Mountains, including the Grapevine and Last Chance Ranges, on open rocky slopes and sagebrush scrub at elevations of 1,400 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces purple to yellow-green flowers 11 to 17.5 millimeters long with distinctive erect sepals. Growing with erect or ascending glaucous stems 30 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops from a woody base and can be simple or branched toward the top. Its leaves range from widely obovate basal blades 2 to 10 centimeters long to narrow linear cauline leaves, with some leaves showing coarse dentate edges. The plant produces elongated fruits 4.5 to 15.5 centimeters long that are generally curved and contain 180 to 210 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; perennial habit with glaucous coating and glabrous throughout
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Open, rocky slopes and outcrops, generally in crevices, sagebrush scrub
Elevation: 1400-2500 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Caulanthus glaucus blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Streptanthus: Seed pods are cylindrical and round versus flattened blade-like pods in Streptanthus.; vs Sisymbrium: Petals are distinctively crinkled and papery versus smooth petals in Sisymbrium.; vs Hirschfeldia: Young pods reflex sharply downward versus pointing upward or outward.; vs Boechera: Pods reflex downward and contain wingless seeds versus erect pods with winged seeds.; vs Brassica: Young seed pods bend sharply downward versus pointing upward in Brassica.
Frequently asked questions
Is Caulanthus glaucus native to California?
Yes. Caulanthus glaucus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Caulanthus glaucus bloom?
Caulanthus glaucus blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Caulanthus glaucus grow?
Caulanthus glaucus occurs in Inyo, Mono, at elevations of 1400-2500 m.
What plant family does Caulanthus glaucus belong to?
Caulanthus glaucus is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Caulanthus.
What habitat does Caulanthus glaucus grow in?
Caulanthus glaucus grows in Uncommon. Open, rocky slopes and outcrops, generally in crevices, sagebrush scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.