Common Names: Desert Princes’ Plume, Desert Plume, Golden Princes’ Plume, Golden Desert Plume, Sentinel Of The Plains
Synonyms: Stanleya pinnata
Taxonomy: Brassicaceae (Mustard)
Habit: perennial forb, herb
Size: up to 6 feet
Flowers: yellow
Bloom: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Leaves: alternate
Fruit: curving, wormlike silique up to 3” (8 cm) long
Description:
The stems are unbranched, hairless, often waxy in texture, and have woody bases. The leaves have fleshy blades up to 0.5” (15 cm) long by 0.25” (5 cm) wide which are divided into several long, narrow lobes. The blades are borne on petioles. The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence which is a dense raceme of many flowers. Each flower has four narrow yellowish sepals which open to reveal four bright yellow petals each up to 1” (2 cm) long. The stamens protruding from the flower’s center may approach 1” (3 cm) in length. Some of the plant’s amino acids use selenium from the soil in place of sulfur, making it highly toxic to animals.
Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, WY
Seen: NV (Spring Mountains, Ash Meadows)
Habitat: many types of open habitat, including deserts, chaparral, foothills, rocky cliffs, sagebrush, and prairie. It prefers alkali- and gypsum-rich soils. 3,000 to 9,100 feet
