Thelypodium flexuosum
Encyclopedia
Thelypodium flexuosum is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family
known by the common name nodding thelypody. It is native to the Great Basin
and surrounding plateau habitat in the northwestern United States, where it grows in scrubby habitat among the shrub
s of the sagebrush
. It is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex
covered with layers of the dried bases of previous seasons' leaves. It has a deep taproot
. It produces slender, branching, bending or erect stems up to 60 or 80 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have waxy, lance-shaped blades on long petioles
. Leaves higher on the plant are shorter and have bases that clasp the stem. The inflorescence
is a dense, spikelike raceme
of mustardlike flowers with lavender or whitish petals. The fruit is a cylindrical silique
up to 4 centimeters long with several seeds inside.
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
known by the common name nodding thelypody. It is native to the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and surrounding plateau habitat in the northwestern United States, where it grows in scrubby habitat among the shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s of the sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
. It is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
covered with layers of the dried bases of previous seasons' leaves. It has a deep taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. It produces slender, branching, bending or erect stems up to 60 or 80 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have waxy, lance-shaped blades on long petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. Leaves higher on the plant are shorter and have bases that clasp the stem. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense, spikelike raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of mustardlike flowers with lavender or whitish petals. The fruit is a cylindrical silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
up to 4 centimeters long with several seeds inside.