Streptanthus tortuosus
Mountain jewelflower, Mountain Jewelflower
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Streptanthus tortuosus (Mountain jewelflower) is a native California subshrub in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by highly variable and widespread, difficult to distinguish.
Mountain jewelflower is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern San Francisco Bay Area, and southern Coast Ranges in open conifer forest, alpine areas, and woodland at elevations of 200 to 4,100 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces purple or yellow-white flowers up to 14 millimeters long with distinctive purple-veined petals. Growing with stems 1.5 to 12 decimeters tall, it can be simple or many-branched with a variable growth habit. Its leaves range from broadly ovate basal rosettes to oblong mid-cauline leaves, with distal leaves that are round to oblong-ovate and often glaucous underneath. The fruit is a recurved pod 4 to 13 centimeters long, containing 26 to 76 small seeds with narrow wing margins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 42 sympatric species; highly variable and widespread, difficult to distinguish
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally rocky to sandy soils, in open conifer forest, alpine areas, woodland
Elevation: 200-4100 m
California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Mono, Amador, El Dorado, Glenn, Inyo, Lake, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tuolumne, Shasta, Sierra, Alpine, Butte, Madera, Humboldt, Mendocino, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Tehama, Calaveras, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Del Norte, Marin, Contra Costa, Riverside, Napa, Yuba
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Streptanthus tortuosus blooms Apr-Sep.
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 tortuosus native to California?
Yes. Streptanthus tortuosus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Streptanthus tortuosus bloom?
Streptanthus tortuosus blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Streptanthus tortuosus grow?
Streptanthus tortuosus occurs in Tulare, Fresno, Mono, Amador, El Dorado, Glenn, Inyo, Lake and other counties, at elevations of 200-4100 m.
What plant family does Streptanthus tortuosus belong to?
Streptanthus tortuosus is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Streptanthus.
What habitat does Streptanthus tortuosus grow in?
Streptanthus tortuosus grows in Generally rocky to sandy soils, in open conifer forest, alpine areas, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Streptanthus tortuosus subsp. truei — True's mountain jewelflower
- Streptanthus tortuosus var. foliosus — Wawona jewelflower
- Streptanthus tortuosus var. oblongus — Klamath mountains jewelflower
- Streptanthus tortuosus var. optatus — Sierran foothill jewelflower
- Streptanthus tortuosus var. orbiculatus — High mountain jewelflower
- Streptanthus tortuosus var. pallidus — Pallid jewelflower
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.