Reaching 4-24-inches tall (10–60 cm), leafy stems have multiple branches tipped with dense, spike-like clusters of white flowers.The four petals fade to lavender. Note the finely whitish-hairy stems and leaves, spreading, oval petals, numerous showy, protruding greenish-yellow stamens, and slender seed capsules.

FLOWER: February–September (year-round). Flowers have 4 white, oval petals, 3/8–5/8-inches long (8–15 mm) that fade to lavender, hence the common name; 6 stamens have greenish filaments and yellow anthers. Linear to oblong seed capsules are 3/8–1 1/4-inches long (1–4 cm).

LEAVES: Alternate. Blades have rounded tip and taper to the base (obovate) and are 3/8–1 1/4-inches long (1–3 cm); margins entire to toothed.

HABITAT: Sandy, gravelly, limestone, gypsum, clay soils; hills, plains, washes, roadsides; desert grasslands and scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands.

ELEVATION: 3,100–8,100 feet.

RANGE: AZ, NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The smaller, clump-forming White Sands Fan-Mustard, N. linearifolia, in the same range, has thin, narrow leaves.

NM COUNTIES: Central and southern NM in low- to mid-elevation, arid habitats: Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, San Miguel, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance.