Physaria alpina (Alpine bladder pod)

Native only to the Mosquito Range of Colorado at elevations above 11,000 feet or so this lovely little mustard relative delights in the disturbance caused by old mines. It was not the gold of the flowers that brought miners to the Mosquito range in the late 1800's. Never the less the precious metal mines are mere ruins and another, perhaps more precious gold delights the visitor in the short alpine summer