Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca
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Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by (parent taxon), differentiation based on morphometric ranges and habitat breadth.
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, northern Sierra Nevada high country, and Modoc Plateau in open alpine and subalpine habitats at elevations of 100 to 4,400 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces white to pink-purple flowers 4 to 7 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 5 to 32 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in rocky alpine environments. Its basal leaves are ovate to oblong, 4 to 9 millimeters wide, with a tapered base and short petioles. The fruit is a small wingless silicle 5 to 8 millimeters long, typically found in high-elevation rocky habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species (parent taxon), differentiation based on morphometric ranges and habitat breadth
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open alluvial flats or fans, scree, near snow banks, limestone cliffs, forest openings, (sub)alpine meadows, rocky or talus slopes, streambanks
Elevation: 100-4400 m
California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sierra, Modoc, Plumas
Outside California: to Washington, Wyoming, New Mexico, Mexico
Bloom period
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Caulanthus: Noccaea has broad rounded pods; Caulanthus has long narrow cylindrical pods.; vs Thelypodium: Noccaea produces flattened heart-shaped pods; Thelypodium produces elongated linear pods.; vs Brassica: Noccaea pods are rounded and heart-shaped; Brassica pods are elongated with a beaked tip.; vs Boechera: Noccaea has rounded heart-shaped pods; Boechera has long narrow flattened pods.; vs Thlaspi: Noccaea is perennial with smooth yellow-brown seeds; Thlaspi is annual with ridged blackish-brown seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca native to California?
Yes. Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca bloom?
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca grow?
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca occurs in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sierra, Modoc, Plumas, at elevations of 100-4400 m.
What plant family does Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca belong to?
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Noccaea.
What habitat does Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca grow in?
Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca grows in Open alluvial flats or fans, scree, near snow banks, limestone cliffs, forest openings, (sub)alpine meadows, rocky or talus slopes, streambanks.
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.