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milkwort jewelflower

Brewer's jewelflower

Habit Annuals; (sometimes glaucous), glabrous throughout. Annuals; (glaucous), usually glabrous, (sometimes sepals pubescent).
Stems

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

unbranched or branched basally, (0.5–)1.5–6.5(–8) dm.

Basal leaves

(soon withered); rosulate; petiolate;

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

(soon withered);

not rosulate; shortly petiolate;

blade broadly ovate to obovate, 1.5–4 cm, margins entire or coarsely dentate.

Cauline leaves

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

blade ovate or (distally) narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–10 cm × 3–45 mm, (much smaller distally), base amplexicaul, margins entire.

Racemes

ebracteate, (lax).

ebracteate, (sometimes secund, rachis straight).

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 urceolate;

sepals (erect), purple or white, (ovate), 5–7 mm, keeled, (ribbed, apex recurved);

petals (recurved), white (with purple veins or adaxial pair white), 8–12 mm, blade 2–5 × 1–2 mm, margins not crisped, claw 5–7 mm, about as wide as blade;

stamens in 3 unequal pairs;

filaments: abaxial pair (connate proximally), 5–6 mm, lateral pair 3–4 mm, adaxial pair (connate, recurved or not), 7–10 mm;

anthers: abaxial and lateral pairs fertile, 2–3 mm, adaxial pair sterile, 0.6–1.3 mm;

gynophore 0.2–0.5 mm.

Fruiting pedicels

strongly recurved, 2–5 mm.

divaricate-ascending to suberect, 1.5–5(–6) 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 or recurved, usually strongly arcuate, rarely straight, slightly flattened, 3–9 cm × 1–1.5 mm;

valves each with obscure midvein;

replum straight;

ovules 24–54 per ovary;

style 0.2–0.5 mm;

stigma entire.

Seeds

oblong, 1.7–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm;

wing 0.2–0.3 mm wide, distal.

broadly oblong, 1–1.5 × 0.7–1 mm;

wing (0–)0.1 mm wide distally.

2n

= 28.

= 28.

Streptanthus polygaloides

Streptanthus breweri

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Serpentine substrates in grasslands, openings chaparral, oak and pine woodlands Serpentine barrens in chaparral, oak and pine woodlands
Elevation 200-1900 m (700-6200 ft) 300-2100 m (1000-6900 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 breweri is known from Alameda, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, San Benito, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tehama, and Trinity counties in the North Coast and South Coast ranges. It is variable in fruit length and curvature, orientation of fruiting pedicels, and presence versus absence of sepal trichomes and seed wing. The type collection has straight fruits, glabrous sepals, and wingless seeds. Without further detailed studies, it is impractical to recognize infraspecific taxa.

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

Source FNA vol. 7, p. 720. FNA vol. 7, p. 706.
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. barbatus, S. barbiger, S. batrachopus, S. bernardinus, S. brachiatus, S. bracteatus, 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 Pleiocardia breweri
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 519. (1865) A. Gray: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 3: 101. (1864)
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