General:
Biennial (occasionally perennial) from a taproot and a simple stem-base; stems stiff, erect, angled, branched, (10) 20-60 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves pinnately lobed, long-stalked, less than 12 cm long, with 1-5 pairs of lateral lobes, terminal lobe largest, egg-shaped and entire or irregularly toothed; stalks and sometimes leaflets long-fringed or sparsely short-hairy; lowermost stem leaves with 2-10 pairs of lateral lobes, upper pinnately cleft with the terminal lobe the largest, often clasping the stems.

Flowers:
In single and terminal racemes or more often in compound, reduced racemes in lower leaf axils; flower stalks not stout, less than 1 mm thick, 2-3 mm long; petals pale yellow, broadly spoon-shaped, 3-5 mm long; sepals pale yellow-green, about 2 mm long.

Fruits:
Erect to spreading-ascending siliques, (1.5) 2.5-5 cm long, straight; styles 0.5-1.5 mm long, not beaklike; seeds in 1 row, finely pitted, about 1.5 mm long.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Barbarea americana Rydb.
Barbarea orthoceras var. dolichocarpa Fernald