Descurainia adenophora
White tansy mustard
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Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Biennial · Native
Descurainia adenophora (White tansy mustard) is a native California biennial in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by biennial habit, glandular nature, and large stature.
White tansy mustard is a California native biennial found in the eastern Peninsular Ranges and eastern Mojave Desert in gravelly flats, open woodland, and lake margins at elevations of 900 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small, delicate yellow flowers with oblanceolate petals 1.8 to 2.6 millimeters long. Growing with glandular, branched stems 4.5 to 13 decimeters tall that are canescent (gray-white hairy), it develops a distinctive branching structure in its upper portions. Its leaves are intricately divided, with basal and lower cauline leaves having 2 to 5 pairs of oblanceolate to lanceolate lateral lobes 4 to 12 millimeters long, which can be entire or slightly serrated. The plant produces linear fruits 8 to 16 millimeters long, with sparse hairs and containing 48 to 64 small ellipsoid seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key features are biennial habit, glandular nature, and large stature
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly flats, open woodland, lake margins
Elevation: 900-2200 m
Outside California: to New Mexico, southwestern Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Descurainia adenophora blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Sisymbrium: Descurainia has soft fuzzy many-branched hairs; Sisymbrium is smooth or has simple unbranched hairs.; vs Lepidium: Descurainia has feathery divided leaves; Lepidium has simple or less-divided leaves and round flat pods.; vs Hirschfeldia: Descurainia has finely divided feathery leaves; Hirschfeldia has lobed but not finely dissected leaves.; vs Brassica: Descurainia has finely divided lacy leaves; Brassica has lobed or simple leaves, not finely dissected.; vs Erodium: Descurainia has four petals and cylindrical pods; Erodium has five petals and long-beaked fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Descurainia adenophora native to California?
Yes. Descurainia adenophora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Descurainia adenophora bloom?
Descurainia adenophora blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Descurainia adenophora belong to?
Descurainia adenophora is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Descurainia.
What habitat does Descurainia adenophora grow in?
Descurainia adenophora grows in Gravelly flats, open woodland, lake margins.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.