Streptanthus howellii

Howell's jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Howell's jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern Klamath Ranges in Del Norte County, occurring in open conifer and hardwood forests on rocky serpentine terrain at elevations of 600 to 800 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces maroon to purple flowers 8 to 12 millimeters long with narrow petals less than 1 millimeter wide. Growing with simple or distally branched stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, it has a glabrous appearance with a simple or branched caudex. Its leaves are distinctive, with fleshy basal leaves and mid-cauline leaves that are broadly obovate to round, ranging from 1.5 to 10 centimeters long and varying from entire to wavy or obtusely dentate. The fruit is a spreading-ascending silique 5.5 to 12 centimeters long with glabrous valves and 24 to 44 broadly oblong seeds.

Habitat: Open conifer/hardwood forest on rocky serpentine

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 600-800 m

Bioregions: n KR (Del Norte Co.)

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