Rorippa sphaerocarpa
Round fruit yellow cress
(c) mark-groeneveld, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS PPD
Rorippa sphaerocarpa (Round fruit yellow cress) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by spherical fruits and very small flowers provide clear distinction.
Round fruit yellow cress is a California native annual found in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains in lake margins, muddy streambanks, and moist ground at elevations of 1,200 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small yellow flowers in elongated clusters. Growing with decumbent or erect stems 15 to 55 centimeters tall, it has a base that can be few- to many-branched and covered in stiff hairs. Its leaves are pinnately lobed, with basal rosettes that are early-deciduous and mid-stem leaves 4.5 to 9 centimeters long, featuring oblong to oblanceolate shapes with lateral lobes that are crenate to nearly entire. The fruit is a nearly spherical silicle 1.2 to 2.5 millimeters wide, containing 20 to 42 small, broadly kidney-shaped seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; spherical fruits and very small flowers provide clear distinction
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Lake margins, muddy streambanks, moist ground
Elevation: 1200-3300 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Mono, Riverside, Lassen, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Tuolumne
Outside California: to Idaho, Colorado, Texas, north-central Mexico
Bloom period
Rorippa sphaerocarpa blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS PPD
How to tell it apart
vs Barbarea: Rorippa stems stay round and smooth; Barbarea stems develop distinct ridges or angles you can feel.; vs Sisymbrium: Rorippa has a simple rounded stigma tip; Sisymbrium's stigma is clearly two-lobed.; vs Nasturtium: Rorippa pods are short and plump; Nasturtium pods are elongated and curved like tiny bananas.; vs Hirschfeldia: Rorippa grows in wet areas with rounded pods; Hirschfeldia prefers dry disturbed sites with beaked pods.; vs Cystopteris: Rorippa has yellow four-petaled flowers and seed pods; Cystopteris is a fern with no flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rorippa sphaerocarpa native to California?
Yes. Rorippa sphaerocarpa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rorippa sphaerocarpa bloom?
Rorippa sphaerocarpa blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Rorippa sphaerocarpa grow?
Rorippa sphaerocarpa occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Mono, Riverside, Lassen, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of 1200-3300 m.
What plant family does Rorippa sphaerocarpa belong to?
Rorippa sphaerocarpa is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Rorippa.
Is Rorippa sphaerocarpa rare or endangered?
Rorippa sphaerocarpa carries California Rare Plant Rank PPD.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Rorippa subumbellata — Tahoe yellow cress
- Rorippa tenerrima — Modoc yellow cress
- Rorippa austriaca — Austrian field-cress
- Rorippa columbiae — Columbia yellow cress
- Rorippa curvipes — Bluntleaf yellow cress
- Rorippa curvisiliqua — Curvepod yellow cress
- Sibara deserti — Desert winged rockcress
- Sibara filifolia — Santa cruz island rockcress
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.