White Mustards (8)
Flowers in the Mustard family have regular flowers with four petals. They usually grow in clusters of tiny flowers. Many are considered weeds like the Lepidium genus, Pepperweeds. There are many more members of this family, some not so weedy are Alpine Smelowskia, Brookcress, Drummond's Rockcress and Watercress.
Mountain Candytuft
Noccaea fendleri (Thlaspi montanum, N. montana)
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Wild Candytuft, Fendler's Pennycress
Photo taken on:
May 4, 2007
Location:
Almont Triangle, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to alpine
Habitat:
Open woods, meadows
Grows to 10" in colonies but will bloom when only an inch tall. Leaves clasp the stems. One of the earliest blooming plants.
Flora of North America reference.
Hoary Whitlow Grass
Draba cana
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Canescent Draba, Lance-leaved Draba
Photo taken on:
July 21, 2006
Location:
Crested Butte Mountain, CO
Life Zones:
Alpine
Habitat:
Rocky places, tundra
Leafy stems grow from a basal rosette of narrow lance-shaped leaves with several tiny flowers clustered at the ends. Seed pods are slightly twisted, hairy and lance-shaped.
Flora of North America reference.
Spectacle Pod
Dimorphocarpa wislizeni
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Tourist Plant
Photo taken on:
July 27, 2012
Location:
Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Dry sandy areas, roadsides
Grows to 2 feet, weedy-looking, with hairy, gray green stems and leaves. Easily identified by the spectacle-shaped seed pods.
Flora of North America reference.
Sweet Alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
August 15, 2009
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Disturbed areas, vacant lots
An escapee from cultivation. Grows to 8" with spreading flower stalks and grayish, hairy leaves. Flowers are tiny and grow in dense clusters.
Flora of North America reference.
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Field Pennycress
Photo taken on:
May 31, 2005
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Disturbed soil
The rounded shape of the fruit distinguishes this from Shepherd's Purse which has similar tiny, white flowers.
Flora of North America reference.
Shepherds Purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
July 4, 2005
Location:
Crested Butte South, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Disturbed soil
The triangular shape of the fruit distinguishes this from the similar Pennycress.
Flora of North America reference.
Purpus' Tumblemustard
Thelypodiopsis purpusii
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
May 7, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to foothills
Habitat:
Juniper openings, barren areas
Grows about 2 feet tall with a single stem that branches near the base and deeply lobed basal leaves. The stem leaves clasp the stem. Tiny flowers produce narrow seedpods up to 2 ½" long.
Flora of North America reference.
Rocketsalad
Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa
Family:
Mustard (Brassicaceae)
AKA:
Arugula, Garden Rocket, Mostaza
Photo taken on:
May 20, 2019
Location:
CR 142, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to foothills
Habitat:
Disturbed soil
Grows to 3 feet tall with stems branching near the base and deeply lobed basal leaves. Flowers are about ¾" across with purplish veins. Escaped from cultivation and naturalized.
Flora of North America reference.