Dimorphocarpa Wislizeni, Spectacle Pod
Plants > Wildflowers > Brassicaceae > Dimorphocarpa Wislizeni
Common names:
Spectacle pod, tourist plant
Family:
Scientific name:
Dimorphocarpa wislizeni
Main flower color:
Range:
South Nevada and Arizona, across to southwest Colorado and far west Texas
Height:
Up to 3 feet
Habitat:
Grassland, open hillsides, semi-deserts, sandy locations
Leaves:
Grey-green, up to 6 inches long, pinnately lobed, covered with fine hairs
Season:
February to June
The fruit of dimorphocarpa wislizeni is a flat, green, two-lobed capsule fastened to the stem by a short, central stalk, hence the common name of spectacle pod. The residual style projects from the upper edge, between the two components. The capsule has an even covering of short hairs. Most leaves grow at the base; they are long and narrow, deeply divided into small lobes, and also short-hairy. Leaves higher up the stem are smaller and less divided.
The white, four-petaled flowers are borne in an elongated cluster at the top of the stem. Petals have a lengthways groove and are about half an inch long, centered on a cluster of purplish stamens topped by yellow-green anthers. The stigma is reddish. Underneath are four smaller green sepals, which like the stems and leaves are covered in fine woolly hairs. The main flowering period is spring, but plants may bloom again in late summer as a result of heavy rainfall.
The white, four-petaled flowers are borne in an elongated cluster at the top of the stem. Petals have a lengthways groove and are about half an inch long, centered on a cluster of purplish stamens topped by yellow-green anthers. The stigma is reddish. Underneath are four smaller green sepals, which like the stems and leaves are covered in fine woolly hairs. The main flowering period is spring, but plants may bloom again in late summer as a result of heavy rainfall.
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