Thelypodium flexuosum

Nodding thelypodium

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Nodding thelypodium is a California native perennial found in the Mojave Desert region in canyons and slopes among shrubs at elevations of 900 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces lavender to white flowers 6 to 10 millimeters long with spoon-shaped petals that are delicate and occasionally oblanceolate. Growing with slender, generally wavy stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall that are somewhat decumbent to erect, it develops a thick, woody caudex. Its basal leaves are entire and persistent, with blades 4 to 17 centimeters long, while mid-stem leaves are sessile and sagittate, clasping the stem. The plant produces elongated cylindric fruits 1 to 2.5 centimeters long with 12 to 30 small, plump seeds.

Habitat: Canyons, slopes, among shrubs

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 900-1800 m

Bioregions: MP

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