Another early bloomer, February to May, bladderpod is one of the first
spring flowers to spread its yellow carpet across the desert flats. The
small, low-growing plants lift numerous clusters of four-petaled
flowers, forming an understory of color among the taller herbs. In some
localities, bladderpods are called “beadpods” because of the spherical
fruits. The plants afford good forage for cattle. A close relative, with
white to purple flowers, is found from Texas to Arizona and Mexico,
starting to blossom in January during warm winters.
_Lesquerella gordonii_ Mustard Family
[Illustration: BLADDERPOD]