Streptanthus insignis subsp. lyonii

Arburua ranch jewelflower, Arburua Ranch Jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Arburua ranch jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the south-central Inner Coast Ranges near Ortigalita Peak in western Merced County, inhabiting serpentine grasslands and oak woodlands at elevations of 200 to 900 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate lemon yellow to yellow-white flowers with pale yellow to green-yellow terminal sterile flower clusters. Growing with slender stems featuring distinctive fertile flowers with green-yellow or purple sepals, the plant develops an intricate inflorescence. Its leaves are characterized by their adaptation to serpentine soils, with varied shapes complementing the plant's unique flowering structure. The fruit is moderately to densely covered in bristly hairs, adding textural complexity to this rare and localized jewelflower.

Habitat: Serpentine, grassland, oak woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 200-900 m

Bioregions: SCoRI (near Ortigalita Peak, w Merced Co.).

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