Streptanthus batrachopus

Tamalpais jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Tamalpais jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges and northwestern San Francisco Bay Area on Mount Tamalpais in serpentine barrens and chaparral at elevations of 100 to 600 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white and purple flowers with distinctive veining, approximately 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 3 to 17 centimeters tall, the plant can be simple or branched near its base. Its leaves range from basal petioled and mottled to mid-cauline sessile, with lanceolate blades 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters long that are entire or slightly dentate. The fruit is a slender pod 1.3 to 3 centimeters long, spreading to reflexed, with 12 to 22 small seeds.

Habitat: Serpentine barrens, chaparral

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 100-600 m

Bioregions: s NCoRO, nw SnFrB (Mount Tamalpais).

California counties: Marin, Mendocino, Lake, Colusa

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