Shortpod thelypody facts for kids

Meet the shortpod thelypody! This plant, also called short-podded thelypodium, is a type of flowering plant in the mustard family. It naturally grows in northern California and southern Oregon. You can find it in different places, like wet areas with salty soil or special serpentine soils.

Discovering Shortpod Thelypody

What Does It Look Like?

The shortpod thelypody is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows from underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread. The plant can grow straight up to be over one meter (about 3 feet) tall. Its main stem sometimes has branches.

The leaves of this plant are thick and feel a bit waxy. Some of the biggest leaves, especially those near the bottom, can be up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long. These larger leaves might have different shapes or lobes. Leaves higher up on the plant often wrap around the stem at their base.

Its Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of the shortpod thelypody grow in a dense, spiky cluster. This cluster is called a raceme. Each flower looks like a tiny mustard flower. They have white petals that are often crinkly.

After the flowers bloom, they turn into fruits. These fruits are long and thin, shaped like a cylinder. They are called siliques. Each silique is about 1 to 3 centimeters long and holds several seeds inside.

Where Does It Grow?

This plant is native to specific parts of the United States. You can find it in northern California and southern Oregon. It likes to grow in different kinds of places, or habitats. These include wetlands where the soil is salty and areas with serpentine soil. Serpentine soil is a special type of soil that comes from certain rocks.