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milkwort jewelflower

Pacific jewelflower

Habit Annuals; (sometimes glaucous), glabrous throughout. Perennials; (caudex branched); glabrous, (sepals and leaf blade apices pubescent).
Stems

unbranched or branched distally, (0.8–)2–8(–10) dm.

(sometimes ascending), unbranched or branched (few), 1.5–8(–9.2) dm.

Basal leaves

(soon withered); rosulate; petiolate;

blade 1- or 2-pinnatifid (with broadly linear to filiform lobes), 2–20 cm, margins sinuate-dentate.

subrosulate (in juvenile plants); shortly petiolate;

blade obovate, 1–2.7 cm (5–14 mm wide), margins dentate apically (teeth with relatively short, bristly trichomes).

Cauline leaves

blade linear, 1–10 cm × 1–3 mm, (smaller distally), base auriculate, margins entire.

blade (fleshy), broadly ovate to orbicular, 0.7–3.5 cm × 5–24 mm (not smaller distally), base auriculate to amplexicaul, (proximally overlapping, distally not overlapping), margins usually entire, (apex obtuse).

Racemes

ebracteate, (lax).

ebracteate, (lax in fruit).

Flowers

(markedly zygomorphic);

calyx urceolate;

sepals greenish yellow or purplish, (abaxial broadly ovate, not keeled, 4–6 × 3–4 mm, lateral ovate-lanceolate, keeled, 4–6 × 1.5–2 mm, adaxial suborbicular to broadly ovate-cordate, forming a bannerlike hood, keeled, 4–6 × 6–8 mm);

petals white (with brownish veins), 5–8 mm, blade 1–3 × 0.7–1.2 mm, margins crisped (channeled), claw 4–5 mm, wider than blade;

stamens in 3 unequal pairs;

filaments: abaxial pair (distinct), 4–5 mm, lateral pair 3–4 mm, adaxial pair (connate), 5–6 mm;

anthers: abaxial and lateral pairs fertile, 1.5–2 mm, adaxial pairs sterile, 0.3–0.7 mm;

gynophore 0.1–0.4 mm.

calyx campanulate;

sepals (ascending), yellowish green (in bud) or purple (in flower), (ovate), 4–7 mm, not keeled, (apex with short, bristly, flattened trichomes);

petals purplish (with darker veins), 5–9 mm, blade 0.5–3 × 0.3–0.7 mm, margins slightly crisped, claw 4–7 mm, wider than blade;

stamens in 3 unequal pairs;

filaments (distinct): abaxial pair 4–6 mm, lateral pair 3–5 mm, adaxial pair 5–7 mm;

anthers (all) fertile, 2.5–3.5 mm;

gynophore 1–3 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

strongly recurved, 2–5 mm.

erect to ascending, (straight), 3–8 mm.

Fruits

pendent, smooth, straight, flattened, 2.4–5.6 cm × 1.2–1.7 mm;

valves each with obscure or somewhat prominent midvein;

replum straight;

ovules (10–)18–50 per ovary;

style 0.8–2 mm;

stigma entire.

erect to ascending, smooth, often strongly recurved distally, distinctly flattened, 2–7(–8.2) cm × 2–3 mm;

valves each with obscure midvein (sometimes not basally, margins somewhat thickened);

replum straight;

ovules 16–30 per ovary;

style 0.4–1 mm;

stigma entire.

Seeds

oblong, 1.7–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm;

wing 0.2–0.3 mm wide, distal.

oblong to broadly ovoid, 3–4 × 1.7–2 mm;

wing (0–)0.1–0.25 mm wide at apex, (narrower at margin).

2n

= 28.

= 28, 56.

Streptanthus polygaloides

Streptanthus barbatus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Serpentine substrates in grasslands, openings chaparral, oak and pine woodlands Dry, open Jeffrey pine woods, gravelly serpentine grounds in forest openings
Elevation 200-1900 m (700-6200 ft) 800-2200 m (2600-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Streptanthus polygaloides is highly variable in plant height, flower color, fruit size, and dissection of basal leaves. Further studies may lead to recognition of infraspecific taxa. The species is distributed in Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Mariposa, Nevada, Sierra, Tuolumne, and Yuba counties.

Streptanthus polygaloides is one of the few nickel hyperaccumulators in the flora area, and it averages 2,430–18,600 µg/g dry weight (R. D. Reeves et al. 1981; A. R. Kruckeberg and Reeves 1995).

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

Streptanthus barbatus is known from Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 720. FNA vol. 7, p. 704.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Thelypodieae > Streptanthus Brassicaceae > tribe Thelypodieae > Streptanthus
Sibling taxa
S. barbatus, S. barbiger, S. batrachopus, S. bernardinus, S. brachiatus, S. bracteatus, S. breweri, S. callistus, S. campestris, S. carinatus, S. cordatus, S. cutleri, S. diversifolius, S. drepanoides, S. farnsworthianus, S. fenestratus, S. glandulosus, S. gracilis, S. hesperidis, S. hispidus, S. howellii, S. hyacinthoides, S. insignis, S. longisiliquus, S. maculatus, S. morrisonii, S. oblanceolatus, S. oliganthus, S. petiolaris, S. platycarpus, S. squamiformis, S. tortuosus, S. vernalis, S. vimineus
S. barbiger, S. batrachopus, S. bernardinus, S. brachiatus, S. bracteatus, S. breweri, S. callistus, S. campestris, S. carinatus, S. cordatus, S. cutleri, S. diversifolius, S. drepanoides, S. farnsworthianus, S. fenestratus, S. glandulosus, S. gracilis, S. hesperidis, S. hispidus, S. howellii, S. hyacinthoides, S. insignis, S. longisiliquus, S. maculatus, S. morrisonii, S. oblanceolatus, S. oliganthus, S. petiolaris, S. platycarpus, S. polygaloides, S. squamiformis, S. tortuosus, S. vernalis, S. vimineus
Synonyms Microsemia polygaloides Cartiera barbata
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 519. (1865) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 25: 125. (1890)
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