Caulanthus pilosus
| Caulanthus pilosus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Caulanthus |
| Species: | C. pilosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Caulanthus pilosus S.Watson | |
Caulanthus pilosus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names hairy wild cabbage and chocolate drops. It is native to open, dry habitat in the Great Basin and surrounding regions of the United States. It is an annual or occasionally perennial herb coated in thin hairs.
Description
Caulanthus pilosus may produce many stems per plant. The leaves are oblong in shape and deeply cut into lobes, hairy, and up to 25 centimeters long. Leaves toward the top of the stem are reduced in size, sometimes linear and smooth-edged, lacking lobes. The flower is covered in thick sepals which are greenish purple to deep purple or chocolate brown, splitting to reveal the wavy-edged, light-colored petals inside. The fruit is a long, narrow silique which may approach 18 centimeters long.