Streptanthus cordatus var. piutensis

Piute mountains jewelflower, Piute Mountains Jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Piute mountains jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (Piute Mountains) in open chaparral and Piute-cypress stands at elevations of 1,200 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces delicate flowers with distinctive narrow, pointed petals. Growing with slender stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops a robust basal rosette. Its leaves are uniquely shaped, with narrow oblanceolate basal leaves tapering to an acuminate tip and mid-stem lanceolate leaves with sharp pointed tips. The fruit is relatively narrow, measuring 3 to 4.5 millimeters wide with a nearly entire stigma.

Habitat: Open chaparral, Piute-cypress stands

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 1200-1700 m

Bioregions: s SNH (Piute Mtns).

California counties: Kern

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