Rorippa subumbellata
Tahoe yellow cress, Tahoe Yellow Cress
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Rorippa subumbellata (Tahoe yellow cress) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by unique umbel-like flower clusters and Lake Tahoe habitat.
Tahoe yellow cress is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically the Lake Tahoe Basin, on sandy lake margins at elevations of 1,800 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces small white to yellow flowers in umbel-like clusters approximately 2 to 3.5 millimeters wide. Growing with decumbent, many-branched stems 5 to 25 centimeters tall, it has a rhizomatous root system and spreads across sandy lake edges. Its leaves are broadly oblanceolate to oblong, with pinnately lobed margins and lateral lobes that are generally entire, measuring 1 to 3.2 centimeters long. The fruit is a nearly spheric to broadly oblong silicle 3 to 5.5 millimeters long, containing 30 to 44 slightly angled seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; unique umbel-like flower clusters and Lake Tahoe habitat are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy lake margins
Elevation: 1800-2500 m
California counties: El Dorado, Placer, Alpine
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Rorippa subumbellata blooms Jun-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 subumbellata native to California?
Yes. Rorippa subumbellata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rorippa subumbellata bloom?
Rorippa subumbellata blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Rorippa subumbellata grow?
Rorippa subumbellata occurs in El Dorado, Placer, Alpine, at elevations of 1800-2500 m.
What plant family does Rorippa subumbellata belong to?
Rorippa subumbellata is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Rorippa.
Is Rorippa subumbellata rare or endangered?
Rorippa subumbellata carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Rorippa palustris — Bog yellow cress
- Sibara deserti — Desert winged rockcress
- Sibara filifolia — Santa cruz island rockcress
- Sibara sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.