Caulanthus simulans

Payson's jewelflower, Payson's Jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Payson's jewelflower is a California native annual found in eastern Santa Catalina Mountains, eastern Peninsular Ranges, and western edge of the Sonoran Desert in chaparral, scrub, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 400 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces creamy white to pale yellow flowers with occasional purple midveins, approximately 10 to 14 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 10 to 70 centimeters tall that are conspicuously spread with bristles, particularly near the base, and generally branched toward the top. Its leaves form a basal rosette of oblanceolate blades 1 to 8 centimeters long, coarsely dentate to pinnately lobed, with cauline leaves that are ovate to oblong and either coarsely toothed or entire. The fruit is distinctively reflexed, measuring 3 to 7.5 centimeters long and generally slightly curved.

Habitat: Chaparral, scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 400-2200 m

Bioregions: e SCo (w Riverside Co.), e PR, w edge DSon.

California counties: Riverside, San Diego, Imperial

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.