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Franciscan wallflower, San Francisco wallflower

coast wallflower, sand-loving wallflower

Habit Perennials or subshrubs. Biennials or perennials; (short-lived).
Stems

erect, often branched distally, (woody at base), 0.6–5(–6) dm.

erect, unbranched or branched distally, 0.4–9(–13) dm.

Basal leaves

(often withered in suffrutescent plants);

blade oblanceolate to oblanceolate-linear, 2.5–17 cm × (2–)3–16(–20) mm, base attenuate, margins sinuate-dentate or dentate, apex acute.

blade (somewhat fleshy), linear-oblanceolate, 3.5–15.5 cm × 2–9 mm, base attenuate, margins entire or obscurely dentate, apex acute.

Cauline leaves

(distal) petiolate;

blade margins usually dentate, rarely denticulate.

blade (oblanceolate), margins entire.

Racemes

considerably elongated in fruit.

considerably elongated in fruit.

Flowers

sepals oblong to linear-oblong, 8–12(–15) mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals yellow to cream, obovate to suborbicular, 14–29 × 5–12(–15) mm, claw 9–17 mm, apex rounded;

median filaments 9–15 mm;

anthers linear, 2.5–4 mm.

sepals oblong to linear-oblong, 7.5–11(–13) mm, lateral pair slightly saccate basally;

petals bright yellow, broadly obovate to suborbicular, 14–24 × 6–11(–14) mm, claw 8–14 mm, apex rounded;

median filaments 8.5–12 mm;

anthers linear, 3–4 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

divaricate to ascending, stout, narrower than fruit, 5–17(–22) mm.

divaricate to divaricate-ascending, stout, slightly narrower than fruit, 4–10(–13) mm.

Fruits

usually ascending, rarely spreading, narrowly linear, straight or curved upward, not or, rarely, slightly torulose, (3.8–)4–11(–14) cm × 2–4 mm, latiseptate, not striped;

valves with somewhat prominent midvein, pubescent outside, trichomes (2 or) 3 (or 4)-rayed, glabrous inside;

ovules 32–64 per ovary;

style cylindrical, slender, 0.5–3.5 mm, sparsely pubescent;

stigma 2-lobed, lobes as long as wide.

spreading, narrowly linear, straight, not torulose, (2–)3.5–12 cm × 1.5–3.5 mm, latiseptate, not striped;

valves with prominent midvein, pubescent outside, trichomes 2–4-rayed, glabrous inside;

ovules 50–86 per ovary;

style cylindrical, stout, 0.3–1.5(–2) mm, sparsely pubescent;

stigma slightly 2-lobed, lobes as long as wide.

Seeds

oblong, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.2–2.2(–2.5) mm;

wing distal, present on 1 or both margins.

oblong, 1.5–3 × 1–1.8 mm; winged distally (narrowly so around).

Trichomes

of leaves 2-rayed mixed with 3(–5)-rayed ones.

of leaves 2–4(–7)-rayed.

2n

= 36.

= 36.

Erysimum franciscanum

Erysimum ammophilum

Phenology Flowering Jan–Apr. Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Serpentine outcrops, coastal scrub or sand dunes, granitic hillsides Sand dunes
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 0-50 m (0-200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Erysimum franciscanum is known from Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties. Historical records indicate that it grew previously in Sonoma County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Erysimum ammophilum is restricted to coastal and nearby sand dunes of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 540. FNA vol. 7, p. 536.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Erysimeae > Erysimum Brassicaceae > tribe Erysimeae > Erysimum
Sibling taxa
E. ammophilum, E. arenicola, E. asperum, E. capitatum, E. cheiranthoides, E. cheiri, E. coarctatum, E. concinnum, E. hieraciifolium, E. inconspicuum, E. insulare, E. menziesii, E. occidentale, E. pallasii, E. perenne, E. repandum, E. suffrutescens, E. teretifolium
E. arenicola, E. asperum, E. capitatum, E. cheiranthoides, E. cheiri, E. coarctatum, E. concinnum, E. franciscanum, E. hieraciifolium, E. inconspicuum, E. insulare, E. menziesii, E. occidentale, E. pallasii, E. perenne, E. repandum, E. suffrutescens, E. teretifolium
Synonyms E. franciscanum var. crassifolium Cheiranthus ammophilus, Cheirinia ammophila
Name authority Rossbach: Aliso 4: 118. (1958) A. Heller: Muhlenbergia 1: 51. (1904)
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