Streptanthus polygaloides |
Streptanthus oliganthus |
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milkwort jewelflower |
Masonic Mountain jewel flower |
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Habit | Annuals; (sometimes glaucous), glabrous throughout. | Perennials; (caudex simple or few-branched); (glaucous), usually glabrous, (petioles of basal leaves pubescent). |
Stems | unbranched or branched distally, (0.8–)2–8(–10) dm. |
usually unbranched, rarely branched, 1.5–4(–5) dm. |
Basal leaves | (soon withered); rosulate; petiolate; blade 1- or 2-pinnatifid (with broadly linear to filiform lobes), 2–20 cm, margins sinuate-dentate. |
rosulate; petiolate (petioles usually not or rarely narrowly winged, setose-ciliate); blade narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate, 4–10 cm, margins entire. |
Cauline leaves | blade linear, 1–10 cm × 1–3 mm, (smaller distally), base auriculate, margins entire. |
blade oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–8 cm × 5–16(–25) mm, (smaller distally), base auriculate, margins entire, (apex obtuse to acute). |
Racemes | ebracteate, (lax). |
ebracteate, (lax). |
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 purple, (broadly oblong), 5–8 mm, not keeled; petals maroon-purple (claw purplish), 9–12 mm, blade 2–4 × 0.7–1 mm, margins not crisped, claw 6–8 mm, wider than blade; stamens in 3 unequal pairs; filaments (distinct): abaxial pair 5–7 mm, lateral pair 3–5 mm, adaxial pair 7–9 mm; anthers (all) fertile, 2.5–4 mm; gynophore 0.5–1 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | strongly recurved, 2–5 mm. |
divaricate-ascending, (straight), 3–10 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. |
ascending to divaricate-ascending, smooth, straight, flattened, 4.5–9.7(–10.5) cm × 2–2.7(–3) mm; valves each with prominent midvein; replum straight; ovules (42–)48–60 per ovary; style 0.1–1 mm; stigma entire. |
Seeds | oblong, 1.7–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm; wing 0.2–0.3 mm wide, distal. |
oblong, 2–2.5(–2.7) × 1.5–2 mm; wing 0.2–0.4 mm wide, continuous. |
2n | = 28. |
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Streptanthus polygaloides |
Streptanthus oliganthus |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Serpentine substrates in grasslands, openings chaparral, oak and pine woodlands | Dry open pinyon woodland, pine forest, rocky subalpine forests, sagebrush |
Elevation | 200-1900 m (700-6200 ft) | 2000-3100 m (6600-10200 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
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CA; NV |
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 oliganthus is known in California from Mono County and in Nevada from Esmeralda, Lyon, and Mineral counties. N. H. Holmgren (2005b) reported it as disjunct in Nye County (Nevada). Streptanthus oliganthus is related to S. cordatus, from which it is readily distinguished by having basal leaves with margins entire versus dentate, petioles usually not winged, rarely narrowly so, versus broadly winged, stigmas entire versus slightly to strongly 2-lobed, ovules (41–)48–60 versus 20–38(–44) per ovary, fruits 2–2.7(–3) versus (2.5–)3–6(–7) mm wide, and seeds narrower (2–2.5(–2.7) × 1.5–2 versus 2.5–5 × 2.2–5 mm). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 720. | FNA vol. 7, p. 719. |
Parent taxa | Brassicaceae > tribe Thelypodieae > Streptanthus | Brassicaceae > tribe Thelypodieae > Streptanthus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Microsemia polygaloides | S. cordatus var. exiguus |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 519. (1865) | Rollins: Contr. Dudley Herb. 3: 372. (1946) |
Web links |