Stanleya elata – “Panamint Princesplume”

Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae)
Bloom Period: May-Jul
Form: Perennial herb
Habitat: Rocky areas and canyons
Leaves: Entire (not-toothed), lanceolate or oblong to ovate
Translation: “Stanleya” is named for Edward Smith Stanley (1773-1849), the Earl of Derby, an ornithologist and president of the Linnaean Society; “elata” is Latin for “tall.”
Native American Uses:The closely related Desert Princesplume (Stanleya pinnata) was used by several Native American tribes. The Havasupai, Hopi, Kawaiisu and Tewa ate the greens after boiling them multiple times to remove toxins. A poultice of the roots was used by the Navajo for glandular swellings, by the Paiute to treat throat pain and congestion from diphtheria, and by the Shoshone for rheumatic pain, toothaches, and earaches. The Zuni treated itching with a poultice of the fresh pods, and applied the powdered plant to syphilitic sores.