Species of flowering plant
\"Desert candle\" redirects here. For another plant named desert candle, see Euphorbia abyssinica.
Vulnerable (NatureServe)
Kingdom:
Plantae
Clade:
Tracheophytes
Clade:
Angiosperms
Clade:
Eudicots
Clade:
Rosids
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Caulanthus
Species:
C. inflatus
Caulanthus inflatus
S.Watson
Caulanthus inflatus, the desert candle, also referred to as squaw cabbage, 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).
Description
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.
