Streptanthus gracilis

Alpine jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Alpine jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in the southeastern Sierra Nevada Mountains (Kings-Kern Divide region) on rocky slopes at elevations of 2,600 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces rose-purple and pink flowers approximately 7 to 10 millimeters long with delicate petals. Growing as a slender, erect plant 15 to 35 centimeters tall with branching from the base, it has a distinctive growth pattern with basal rosette leaves. Its leaves range from oblanceolate to spoon-shaped at the base, with wavy or toothed edges, transitioning to oblong or ovate mid-stem leaves that become progressively smaller and clasping toward the top of the plant. The fruit is an elongated silique 3 to 7 centimeters long, ascending from thin spreading pedicels.

Habitat: Rocky slopes

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 2600-3600 m

Bioregions: se SNH (Kings-Kern Divide region).

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