Physaria Tenella, Moapa Bladderpod

Physaria tenella, an annual, is a common and widespread plant of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, blooming in early spring. Leaves grow in a basal rosette and at alternate intervals along the branched stems. Basal leaves taper to a long stalk, upper stem leaves are smaller, and sessile. Stems, leaves, pedicels and sepals have a dense covering of appressed, sessile, star-shaped hairs, with between four and seven rays.

Sepals are greenish-yellow, spreading when mature, while the petals are yellow to orange, and a little longer, up to a third of an inch. The pale green fruits are egg-shaped to nearly spherical, sparsely hairy, with the (relatively long) residual style at the tip.