''Caulanthus crassicaulis'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older but equally valid) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important Family (biology), family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous pla ...

known by the common name thickstem wild cabbage. It is native to the western United States where it is a member of the flora in

sagebrush Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus ''Artemisia (plant), Artemisia''. The best-known sagebrush is the shrub ''Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrush is native to the western half of North Amer ...

, woodland, and desert scrub habitats. This is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

producing a stout, inflated stem from a woody

caudex A caudex (: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is most ...

base. The leaves form a basal rosette and occur at intervals along the stem. They are broadly lance-shaped on the lower stem and much smaller and linear in shape higher up. They may have smooth, toothed, or deeply cut edges. The rounded flower has a coat of thick, pouched

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s which part at the flower tip to reveal narrow dark purple or brown petals. There are two varieties of this species: var. ''crassicaulis'' generally has hairy flowers, while var. ''glaber'' has hairless. The fruit is a long, thin

silique A silique or siliqua (plural ''siliques'' or ''siliquae'') is a type of fruit (seed capsule) having two fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. When the length is less than three times the width of the dried fruit ...

which may approach 13 centimeters in length.

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfileCalPhotos photo galleryNatureServe Explorer
crassicaulis Flora of Arizona Flora of California Flora of Colorado Flora of Idaho Flora of Nevada Flora of Utah Flora of Wyoming Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1852 {{Brassicales-stub