Boechera parishii – “Parish’s Rockcress”

Other Botanical Names: Arabis parishii
Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae)
Bloom time: Apr-May
Form: Perennial herb
Habitat: Almost exclusively in the Pebble Plains
Leaves: Simple; basal
Translation: “Boechera” is named after Tyge Wittrock Böcher (Boecher) (1909-1983), an authority on Arctic vegetation and the flora of Greenland (therefore, pronounce the first syllable to rhyme with “spook”); “parishii” is named after W. F. and S. B. Parish, who were “the pioneer botanical collectors of southern California” from the late 1800’s to the 1920’s.
Notes: The feathery white hairs on the the dark purple buds are called “trichomes” and this type of trichome is called “stellar” because they look like little stars. Designated as “rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere” by the California Native Plant Society.