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Franciscan wallflower, San Francisco wallflower

island wallflower, suffrutescent wallflower

Habit Perennials or subshrubs. Perennials or subshrubs.
Stems

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

ascending, proximal branches terminating in sterile rosettes, (woody at base), 1.5–8.1 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 linear to linear-oblanceolate, 3.7–15 cm × 1.5–6(–7) mm, base attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely sparsely denticulate, apex acute.

Cauline leaves

(distal) petiolate;

blade margins usually dentate, rarely denticulate.

(distal) sessile;

blade similar to basal.

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, 6–11 mm, lateral pair saccate basally;

petals yellow, obovate to suborbicular, (11–)14–20(–22) × (3–)4–11.5 mm, claw 8–13 mm, apex rounded;

median filaments 7–11 mm;

anthers linear, 2.5–4 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

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

ascending, slender, narrower than fruit, (3–)5–10 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.

ascending to spreading, narrowly linear, straight or only slightly curved inward, not torulose, (2–)3–8.4(–11) cm × 1.5–2.4(–3.5) mm, 4-angled to only slightly latiseptate, not striped;

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

ovules 48–82 per ovary;

style cylindrical, stout, 0.5–4 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, 1.5–2.5(–3) × (0.7–)1–1.2(–1.4) mm;

not winged or winged apically.

Trichomes

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

of leaves 2-rayed, sometimes mixed with 3- or 4-rayed ones.

2n

= 36.

= 36.

Erysimum franciscanum

Erysimum suffrutescens

Phenology Flowering Jan–Apr. Flowering Dec–Aug.
Habitat Serpentine outcrops, coastal scrub or sand dunes, granitic hillsides Stabilized coastal sand dunes, coastal scrub vegetation
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft) 0-150 m (0-500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Erysimum suffrutescens is restricted to the coastal regions of Los Angeles County northward into San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. Both G. B. Rossbach (1958, 1958b) and R. C. Rollins (1993) treated it as a distinct species, but R. A. Price (1993) transferred it (invalidly) to a subspecies of E. insulare. The latter species has angustiseptate (versus 4-angled to slightly latiseptate) fruits, and the two are sufficiently distinct to be recognized as independent species.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 540. FNA vol. 7, p. 544.
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. ammophilum, 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. teretifolium
Synonyms E. franciscanum var. crassifolium Cheiranthus suffrutescens, E. concinnum subsp. suffrutescens, E. suffrutescens var. grandifolium
Name authority Rossbach: Aliso 4: 118. (1958) (Abrams) Rossbach: Aliso 4: 121. (1958)
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