Littleleaf Rockcress, Little-leaf Rock Cress, Small-leaved Rockcress

Little-leaf rockcress is an attractive, tufted perennial wildflower with numerous erect stems arising 10-50 cm high from a leafy, woody, branching base. Plants are typically glabrous or lightly haired below, the hairs often 3-forked. The basal leaves are oblanceolate, spatulate or narrowly lanceolate in shape, the blades tapering gradually to a petiole. The leaves measure 10-25 mm in length and 4-12 mm wide with entire to lightly toothed margins, and have glabrous to sparsely-haired surfaces. The few stem leaves are sessile and measure 5-20 mm long. They are broadly linear to oblanceolate in shape with glabrous surfaces.

The inflorescence is a 5-30- flowered raceme of light purple flowers with petals from 5-6 mm long. The sepals are 4-6 mm long. The fruits are ascending-spreading siliques on short pedicels (10-20 mm long), and measure 3-5 cm long and 1-2 mm wide. The surface of the siliques ranges from glabrous to covered with branched hairs.

Little-leaf rockcress may be found on rocky cliffs and outcrops from the lowlands to subalpine habitats in the mountains.

Little-leaf rockcress may be found from British Columbia south to northcentral and northeastern Oregon and then east to Montana and Wyoming.