Caulanthus inflatus, the desert candle, also referred to as squaw cabbage,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Mojave Desert of California and Nevada, and the southern Sierra Nevada and Transverse Ranges in the United States. It is found at elevations between 150–1,500 metres (490–4,920 ft).[3]

Caulanthus inflatus

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Caulanthus
Species:
C. inflatus
Binomial name
Caulanthus inflatus

Description

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Caulanthus inflatus is an annual plant growing up to 70 cm in height, with a thick, swollen, hollow stem that looks like a yellow candle. The basal leaves are 2–7 cm long, smaller higher up the stem. The flowers are small, with four reddish-purple petals.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Squaw-Cabbage (Caulanthus inflatus)". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. ^ Jepson
  4. ^ "USDA". Archived from the original on 2005-11-27. Retrieved 2006-02-14.
  • Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. 170
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Caulanthus inflatus closeup