Streptanthus tortuosus var. orbiculatus

High mountain jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: annual · Native

High mountain jewelflower is a California native annual found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and neighboring ranges on rock outcrops and open areas in montane and subalpine forests at elevations of 365 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces distinctive purple and yellow flowers with white-tipped petals 5 to 7 millimeters long, often with intricate purple veining. Growing with much-branched stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops a delicate, spread-out form that often appears glaucous and can develop reddish tints with age. Its leaves are often glaucous on the underside, with a subtle reddish tinge that becomes more pronounced as the plant matures. The fruit develops as a spreading, slightly arched pod 3 to 10 centimeters long, carrying 13 to 63 small seeds.

Habitat: rock outcrops, open areas in montane and subalpine forests

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 365-3500 m

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