Phoenicaulis

Description

Phoenicaulis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. It contains the single species Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides, which is known by the common names daggerpod and wallflower phoenicaulis. This is a perennial herb producing one or more stems up to 25 to 30 centimeters tall from a caudex. The basal leaves are narrowly lance-shaped to teardrop-shaped, up to 10 centimeters long, and woolly in texture. Leaves higher on the stem are shorter and usually less hairy. The inflorescence is a raceme of flowers with purple or pink petals up to about 1.5 centimeters long. The fruit is a narrow, hairless silique up to 9 centimeters long.The plant grows in many types of habitat, especially rocky areas. It occurs in sagebrush scrub, scree, exposed volcanic and clay slopes, rock outcrops, hills, banks, and meadows, into the alpine climate of mountains. It grows at up to 3200 meters in elevation.