Streptanthus longisiliquus
Long-fruit jewelflower
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Streptanthus longisiliquus (Long-fruit jewelflower) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by distinctive recurved, descending long fruits.
Long-fruit jewelflower is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the eastern Klamath Ranges and California Ranges in openings of pine forest and oak woodland at elevations of 400 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces distinctive purple flowers with yellow-green bases, ranging 8 to 12 millimeters long and exceptionally narrow at 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters wide. Growing with few-branched stems 22 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops a simple or slightly branched caudex. Its leaves are diverse, with basal rosette leaves obovate to spoon-shaped, and mid-stem leaves broadly oblong to ovate, sessile and clasping at the base. The fruits are notably long and recurved, stretching 5 to 13 centimeters in length and containing 50 to 82 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; distinctive recurved, descending long fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in pine forest, oak woodland
Elevation: 400-1700 m
California counties: Nevada, Butte, Shasta, El Dorado, Tehama
Bloom period
Streptanthus longisiliquus blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Caulanthus: Seed pods are flattened like sword blades versus cylindrical tubes in Caulanthus.; vs Boechera: Robust plants often over 2.5 feet with large flowers (sepals 4-8mm) versus more delicate habit.; vs Claytonia: Mustard family with 4 petals and 6 stamens versus Claytonia with 5 petals.; vs Silene: Mustard family with seed pods versus Silene with inflated capsules and opposite leaves.; vs Lonicera: Herbaceous mustard with alternate leaves versus woody vine with opposite leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Streptanthus longisiliquus native to California?
Yes. Streptanthus longisiliquus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Streptanthus longisiliquus bloom?
Streptanthus longisiliquus blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Streptanthus longisiliquus grow?
Streptanthus longisiliquus occurs in Nevada, Butte, Shasta, El Dorado, Tehama, at elevations of 400-1700 m.
What plant family does Streptanthus longisiliquus belong to?
Streptanthus longisiliquus is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Streptanthus.
Is Streptanthus longisiliquus rare or endangered?
Streptanthus longisiliquus carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Streptanthus medeirosii — Tejon jewelflower
- Streptanthus morrisonii — Morrison's jewelflower
- Streptanthus morrisonii ssp. elatus — Three Peaks jewel-flower
- Streptanthus morrisonii ssp. hirtiflorus — Dorr's Cabin jewel-flower
- Streptanthus morrisonii ssp. kruckebergii — Kruckeberg's jewel-flower
- Streptanthus morrisonii ssp. morrisonii — Morrison's jewel-flower
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.