Streptanthus bernardinus
Encyclopedia
Streptanthus bernardinus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family
known by the common name Laguna Mountains jewelflower, or Laguna Mountain jewelflower.
and northern Baja California
, where it grows in the Transverse Ranges
around Los Angeles
and the Peninsular Ranges
to the south, including the Laguna Mountains
east of San Diego and the Sierra de Juarez
and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir of Baja. Its habitat includes temperate coniferous forest and chaparral
on mountain slopes.
and producing an erect stem up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall. It is hairless and sometimes waxy in texture. The basal leaves are widely lance-shaped and up to 8 centimeters long by 2.5 wide. They are borne on petioles
. Narrower lance-shaped leaves occur higher on the stem and may clasp the stem at their bases.
Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of greenish to yellow or white sepal
s just under a centimeter long. White petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique
which may be 8 to 12 centimeters in length or longer.
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
known by the common name Laguna Mountains jewelflower, or Laguna Mountain jewelflower.
Distribution
It is native to southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and northern Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
to the south, including the Laguna Mountains
Laguna Mountains
The Laguna Mountains are a section of the Peninsular Ranges in eastern San Diego County, California. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately ....
east of San Diego and the Sierra de Juarez
Sierra de Juárez
Sierra de Juárez is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula, of Baja California, Mexico. It is part of the Peninsular Ranges. The Laguna Mountains of California lie to the north and the Sierra San Pedro Mártir lies to the south....
and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir of Baja. Its habitat includes temperate coniferous forest and chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
on mountain slopes.
Description
Streptanthus bernardinus is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudexCaudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
and producing an erect stem up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall. It is hairless and sometimes waxy in texture. The basal leaves are widely lance-shaped and up to 8 centimeters long by 2.5 wide. They are borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. Narrower lance-shaped leaves occur higher on the stem and may clasp the stem at their bases.
Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of greenish to yellow or white sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s just under a centimeter long. White petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique
Silique
A silique or siliqua is a fruit of 2 fused carpels with the length being more than three times the width. The outer walls of the ovary usually separate when ripe, leaving a persistent partition...
which may be 8 to 12 centimeters in length or longer.