Erysimum cheiranthoides

Wormseed mustard

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Wormseed mustard is a naturalized annual found in the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley in disturbed areas, fields, and pastures at elevations below 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces bright yellow flowers 3 to 5.5 millimeters long with petals about 2 millimeters wide. Growing 1.5 to 10 meters tall with spreading stems, it displays lance-shaped leaves with entire to slightly toothed margins covered in distinctive 3 to 4-rayed hairs. Its leaves range from 0.5 to 1.2 centimeters wide, with basal and lower stem leaves being particularly notable. The fruit develops as a slender pod 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long, slightly angular and constricted between seeds.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed areas, fields, pastures

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: < 3000 m

Bioregions: SN, GV

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