Physaria chambersii

Chambers' physaria, Chambers' Physaria

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Chambers' physaria is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in northern desert Mountains including Clark and Grapevine Mountains in sagebrush, pinyon/juniper, and limestone habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale yellow to white petals 9 to 12 millimeters long in delicate clusters. Growing in dense clumps with silvery-pubescent stems 5 to 15 centimeters long that are generally decumbent, it forms a thick underground caudex. Its basal leaves are 3 to 6 centimeters long, obovate to round, while stem leaves are smaller, spoon-shaped, and entire. The distinctive fruit is spectacle-shaped, greatly inflated into two bladdery, kidney-like halves up to 2 centimeters wide and densely hairy.

Habitat: Clay hillsides, sagebrush and pinyon/juniper areas, limestone gravel, dolomite ridges, steep banks

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 1500-2500 m

Bioregions: n DMtns (Clark, Grapevine mtns)

California counties: San Bernardino

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