Taxon Report

Rorippa subumbellata Roll.

Tahoe yellow cress

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Taxon Summary

Rorippa subumbellata, commonly known as Tahoe yellow cress, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Brassicaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1890 to 1905 meters. Rorippa subumbellata is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Rorippa subumbellata Roll.
Common Name:
Tahoe yellow cress
Family: Brassicaceae
Element Code: PDBRA270M0
USDA Plants Symbol: ROSU2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: May-Sep May-Sep
Elevation: 1890-1905 (6200-6250)
General Habitats: Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat: Decomposed granitic
Microhabitat Details: decomposed granitic beaches

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 33
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 7
   Fair (C) 5
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 3
   Unknown (U) 18
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
El Dorado (ELD), Nevada (NEV)*, Placer (PLA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Emerald Bay (3812081), Homewood (3912012), Kings Beach (3912021)*, Meeks Bay (3912011), South Lake Tahoe (3811988), Tahoe City (3912022), Truckee (3912032)*

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 11
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
20 61 %
Recreational use (non-ORV) 17 51%
Foot traffic/trampling 12 36%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime 8 24%
Development 6 18%
Erosion/runoff 4 12%
Other 3 9%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 2 6%
Grazing 2 6%
Non-native plant impacts 2 6%
ORV activity 1 3%
Waterway bank protection/maintenance 1 3%

Notes

Known in CA only from Lake Tahoe; many historical occurrences extirpated. Seriously threatened by development, recreation, foot traffic, and inundation; recovery work underway. State-listed as Critically Endangered in NV. Previously a candidate for federal listing. See Contributions from the Dudley Herbarium 3:177 (1941) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 January 2025].