Streptanthus medeirosii

Tejon jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Tejon jewelflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in lower montane forest habitats with steep rocky slopes in carbonite or granitic areas at elevations of 1,600 to 1,850 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces light green to cream flowers with maroon to dark purple tips, creating a striking color contrast against its glaucous foliage. Growing 24 to 50 centimeters tall with ascending, branched stems, it develops a distinctive glabrous and glaucous appearance. Its leathery leaves range from light gray-green to dark green, with basal leaves 2.2 to 8.2 centimeters long, obovate to spoon-shaped, and cauline leaves becoming narrower and more lanceolate up the stem. The fruit develops as an erect to ascending silique 5.5 to 10.4 centimeters long, with straight to slightly curved valves.

Habitat: Lower montane forest, steep rocky slopes or rock outcrops of carbonates or granitics

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 1600-1850 m

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