Streptanthus tortuosus var. tortuosus

Mountain jewelflower

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Mountain jewelflower is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada, northern Coast Ranges, and Klamath Ranges in rocky slopes, foothill woodland, and montane conifer forest at elevations of 300 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces yellow or purple flowers with sepals 5 to 9 millimeters long and petals 6 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall that are simple or branched toward the top, it develops an upright, open structure. Its green leaves vary in shape, with distinctive round to oblong bracts that have obtuse tips. The fruit develops as a spreading to arched downward pod 5.5 to 10 centimeters long, supported by ascending pedicels 4 to 10.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Rocky slopes and outcrops, roadcuts, in foothill woodland, montane conifer forest, on granite, basalt, and metamorphic substrates (serpentine)

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 300-2200 m

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