Streptanthus hesperidis

Green jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Green jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges Interior in Napa and southern Lake counties, inhabiting serpentine barrens and openings in chaparral, oak, and cypress woodlands at elevations of 250 to 600 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers with purple veins, approximately 6 to 8 millimeters long, arranged in one-sided wavy inflorescences. Growing with simple or branched stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive yellow-green appearance. Its lower leaves are broadly obovate with coarse blunt teeth, while mid-stem leaves are sessile, ovate to lanceolate, and base-clasping, ranging from 1 to 4 centimeters long. The fruits are slender, spreading-ascending pods 3 to 6 centimeters long, containing 26 to 38 small oblong seeds.

Habitat: Serpentine barrens, associated openings in chaparral/oak woodland, cypress woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 250-600 m

Bioregions: s NCoRI (Napa, s Lake cos.).

California counties: Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino

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