Prince's Plume
Stanleya pinnata
Color: Yellow
Common name: Prince's Plume
Latin name: Stanleya pinnata
Family: BRASSICACEAE
Height: 16-60 inches
Description: Prince's Plume is a perennial herb or shrub producing several erect stems reaching up to about 1.5 meters in maximum height. The stems are hairless, often waxy in texture, and have woody bases. The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence which is a dense raceme of many flowers. Each flower has narrow yellowish sepals which open to reveal four bright yellow petals each up to 2 centimeters long. The stamens protruding from the flower's center may approach 3 centimeters in length. The fruit is curving, wormlike up to 8 centimeters long.
Leaf: The leaves have fleshy blades up to 15 centimeters long by 5 wide which are divided into several long, narrow lobes. The blades are borne on stalks.
Range: Mojave Desert, s Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, South Coast Ranges, South Coast, Western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin Floristic Province
Habitat: Generally open sites, slopes, canyons
Elevation: < 1850 m.
Flowering time: Apr-Sept
Notes: With repeated washing the leaves were eaten by Native Americans. Without such treatment, they caused vomiting. Stanleya pinnata, a dicot, is a perennial herb or shrub that is native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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