Scientific Family
Brassicaceae
Synonyms
Dithyrea griffithsii, Dithyrea wislizeni
Other common names
spectacle pod
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
2 to 3 feet
Riparian
No
Erect flowering with seed pods that are flat, green, two-lobed capsules that resemble spectacles, hence the other common name.
Fruit cordate below (heart-shaped with the notch at the base), but with the base squared off or only slightly notched above.
Habitat
Shaded areas in deserts and grasslands.
Plant Community
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
1000
High elevation
6000
Flower Characteristics
4 petals, to 1/2 inch long; dense raceme followed by a flat green, 1/2 inch wide double pod; 2 round lobes resembling spectacles. The white, 4-petaled flowers are borne in an elongated cluster at the top of the stem.
Flower color
White
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
February
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Up to 6 inches long, pinnately lobed, covered with fine hairs. Most leaves grow at the base; they are long and narrow, deeply divided into small lobes. Leaves higher up the stem are smaller and less divided.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Grayish
Leaf shape
Pinnatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruit is a double-lobed, winged silicle that breaks in half at maturity, each lobe carrying a flat seed 1/8 inch wide.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Green
The seeds are flat and green.