Lepidium thurberi
Thurber's pepper grass
(c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lepidium thurberi (Thurber's pepper grass) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by large white petals, mixed hair types, 6 stamens.
Thurber's pepper grass is a California native annual found in the Mojave Desert on saline flats, clay soils, grasslands, washes, and roadsides at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces delicate white flowers approximately 3 to 4 millimeters wide with broadly obovate petals. Growing with erect, many-branched stems 12 to 49 centimeters tall, it develops from a single base with fine hairs less than 1 millimeter long. Its basal leaves form early-deciduous rosettes 2 to 7 centimeters long with pinnately lobed margins, featuring oblong to ovate lobes that are dentate or sinuate. The small, flattened fruits are broadly ovate to round, 2 to 3 millimeters wide with winged tips and a tiny notch.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; key features are large white petals, mixed hair types, 6 stamens
Habitat and range
Habitat: Saline flats, clay soils, grassland, washes, roadsides
Elevation: < 1000 m
Outside California: to New Mexico, Mexico
Bloom period
Lepidium thurberi blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Capsella: Small round-to-oval pods versus distinctive triangular heart-shaped pods.; vs Cotula: Mustard with seed pods and 4 petals versus composite with disk flowers only.; vs Soliva: Mustard with flattened seed pods versus composite with spiny achenes.; vs Thysanocarpus: Fruits stand upright or spread versus hanging downward in Thysanocarpus.; vs Lobularia: Flattened oval pods with 1-2 seeds versus inflated round pods with 2 seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lepidium thurberi native to California?
Yes. Lepidium thurberi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lepidium thurberi bloom?
Lepidium thurberi blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Lepidium thurberi belong to?
Lepidium thurberi is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Lepidium.
What habitat does Lepidium thurberi grow in?
Lepidium thurberi grows in Saline flats, clay soils, grassland, washes, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.