''Caulanthus major'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family Brassicaceae known by the common name slender wild cabbage. It is native to the

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...

and surrounding regions of the United States, where it grows on dry mountain slopes and similar habitat. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

growing an erect, hollow stem from a woody

caudex A caudex (plural: 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 m ...

. It is most similar to its relative, '' Caulanthus crassicaulis''. Leaves appear in a basal rosette about the stem and along the body of the stem, and are smooth, toothed, or deeply cut along the edges. The largest leaves are lowest on the stem and may reach 9 centimeters long. The flower is enclosed in thick, sometimes hairy

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 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s which are very dark in color when new, usually a deep purple. The petals emerging from the tip are narrow and dark-veined. The fruit is a thin silique up to 13 centimeters long.

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Flora of California Flora of the Great Basin Plants described in 1895 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Brassicales-stub