Stanleya pinnata
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stanleya pinnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known as desert prince's-plume.[2] It is a perennial herb or shrub native to North America.
| Stanleya pinnata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Stanleya |
| Species: | S. pinnata |
| Binomial name | |
| Stanleya pinnata | |
Distribution
The plant is native to the western Great Plains and western North America.[3] It occurs in many types of open habitat, including deserts, chaparral, foothills, rocky cliffs, sagebrush, and prairie. It prefers alkali- and gypsum-rich soils.[4]
Description
Stanleya pinnata is a perennial herb or shrub producing several erect stems reaching up to about 1.5 metres (4+11⁄12 ft) in maximum height. The stems are unbranched,[5] hairless, often waxy in texture, and have woody bases. The leaves have fleshy blades up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long by 5 centimetres (2.0 in) wide which are divided into several long, narrow lobes. The blades are borne on petioles.
The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence which is a dense raceme of many flowers. Each flower has four narrow yellowish sepals which open to reveal four bright yellow petals[5] each up to 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long. The stamens protruding from the flower's center may approach 3 cm in length.
The fruit is a curving, wormlike silique up to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) long.
Uses
It has been used as a Native American traditional medicinal plant and food source, including by the Hopi, Zuni, Paiute, Navajo, Kawaiisu, and Tewa peoples.[6]
Ecology
It is a larval host to both Becker's white and checkered white caterpillars.[7]
Some of the plant's amino acids use selenium from the soil in place of sulfur, making it highly toxic to animals.[5]
