Lacepod (Thysanocarpus curvipes)
Aliases: Hairy Fringepod, Sand Fringepod, Hairy Lacepod
Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae)
Lacepod is best known for the transluscent discs that hang off it, making it look like a flying-saucer tree or a many-eared alien that arrived in one of said saucers. These pods, though, are actually the Lacepod's fruit rather than its flower. The flowers, pictured below, are much tinier than the pods and barely visible from standard humanoid eye level.
Blooms: March - May
Lifespan: Annual
Origins: Native to California (see distribution maps for California and U.S./Canada)
Thysanocarpus curvipes etymology: Thysanocarpus derives from the Greek term for "fringed fruit"[1]. Curvipes pormanteauficates the Latin words for curved (curvus)[2] and stalk (stipula)[3] to form a botanical epithet meaning "having a curved stalk"[4].
This Photo: In the foothills between Oakhurst and Ahwahnee, mid May
Other Resources: CalFlora · CalPhotos · USDA · eFloras.org
