Transberingia bursifolia subsp. virgata

Virgate halimolobos, Virgate Halimolobos

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Virgate halimolobos is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the southeastern Sierra Nevada in meadows, near aspen groves, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 2,000 to 3,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters long with petals about 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide. Growing 1 to 4.5 decimeters tall with branched stems that are stiff-hairy near the base and become glabrous with age, it has a distinctive caudex. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate to obovate, 1.2 to 6.5 centimeters long, while cauline leaves are sessile and strongly sagittate at the base. The plant produces linear siliques 2 to 3.3 centimeters long, containing 70 to 150 small wingless seeds arranged in two rows.

Habitat: Meadows, near aspen groves, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 2000-3700 m

Bioregions: SNE

California counties: Inyo, Mono

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