Caulanthus is a genus of plants in the family Brassicaceae. Plants of this genus may be known as jewelflowers. They are also often referred to as wild cabbage, although this common name usually refers to wild variants of Brassica oleraceae, the cabbage plant. Jewelflowers are native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where they are often found in warm, arid regions. Many species have an enlarged, erect stem rising from a basal rosette of leaves. Flowers arise directly from the surface of the stem; many species have colorful, bell-shaped flowers. The best-known of the fourteen species is probably the desert candle.
Streptanthus flavescens, synonyms including Guillenia flavescens, is a species of mustard plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is one of several species known by the common name yellow mustard, though the plant most widely known as yellow mustard is probably Sinapis alba. S. flavescens is a thin-stemmed annual herb growing large, lobed or toothed leaves up to 22 centimeters long around its base, and smaller, less toothed leaves along its gray-pink to brown stem. At intervals along the upper stem appear cream, yellowish, or very pale purple flowers, each somewhat cuboid in shape and about a centimeter long. The tips of the petals around the mouth are curled, flared, or claw-like. The fruit is a thin silique up to 9 centimeters long. This species is endemic to California, where it grows in the valleys and mountains surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area.
Streptanthus barbatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Pacific jewelflower. It is endemic to the southern Klamath Mountains of far northern California, where it occurs in open wooded habitat among Jeffrey Pines, generally on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a decumbent or erect, sometimes branching stem up to 70 to 90 centimeters long. It is hairless except for some light hairs on the flowers and the bases of the leaves. The largest leaves are at the base of the plant. They are oval with faintly toothed, bristly edges and borne on short petioles. Leaves above these are oval to rounded and may clasp the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals under a centimeter long with curving petals barely emerging from the tip. The calyx of sepals is whitish, darkening purple in maturity. The petals are purple. The fruit is a long, flat, curving silique which may be 7 centimeters in length.
Streptanthus barbiger is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name bearded jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the North Coast Ranges. It grows in woodlands and chaparral habitat, often on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a branching stem up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. Leaves near the base of the stem are lance-shaped to oval and pointed, usually with toothed edges, the blades measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves higher on the stem may be longer but are narrower and have smooth edges. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of greenish yellow or purple sepals under a centimeter long. Whitish or purple-tinged petals up to a centimeter long emerge from the tip. The fruit is a long, flat, curving silique which may be 7 centimeters in length.
Streptanthus bernardinus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Laguna Mountains jewelflower, or Laguna Mountain jewelflower.
Streptanthus cordatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name heartleaf twistflower. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in many types of sagebrush, woodland, and forest habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a branched or unbranched stem up to about a meter tall. It is often waxy in texture. The basal leaves are oval or spoon-shaped with bristle-toothed blades borne on rough-haired petioles. Leaves higher on the stem are oval to lance-shaped, up to 9 centimeters long with their bases usually clasping the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a calyx of sepals roughly a centimeter long which begin greenish yellow and mature purple. Four purple petals emerge from the tip of each calyx. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique which may reach 14 centimeters in length or longer.
Streptanthus diversifolius is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name variableleaf jewelflower, or varied-leaved jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a resident of woodlands and other foothill habitat. It is an annual herb producing a hairless, waxy stem up to a meter tall. The basal leaves are variable in shape and are often divided into narrow, threadlike segments. Leaves higher on the stem are also variable, having round to lance-shaped blades which clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem, with one or two leaflike bracts at the base of the raceme. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals about half a centimeter long and white, yellowish, or purple in color, sometimes with white edging. White, purple-veined petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, flat, curving silique which may be 8 or 9 centimeters in length.
Streptanthus drepanoides is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name sicklefruit jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from a scattered distribution throughout several mountain ranges in the northern part of the state, including the Klamath Mountains. It is a resident of chaparral and woodlands, generally on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a mostly hairless, waxy stem up to 40 or 45 centimeters tall. The ephemeral basal leaves have round or oval blades, sometimes edged with teeth. Leaves higher on the stem have fleshy oval blades that clasp the stem, the lower ones each measuring up to 9 centimeters long by 7.5 wide. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of greenish or yellowish sepals under a centimeter long with whitish or purplish, purple-veined petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a straight or sickle-shaped curving silique up to 9 centimeters long.
Streptanthus farnsworthianus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Farnsworth's jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is an annual herb producing a hairless, waxy, purple or purple-tinged stem up to half a meter tall or more. The ephemeral basal leaves have blades up to 15 centimeters long which are each divided into several narrow lobes or leaflets. Leaves higher on the stem have purple lance-shaped blades that generally clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem with one or two leaflike purple bracts at the base of the raceme. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of purple sepals up to a centimeter long. Curling purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip of the calyx. The fruit is a straight or curving silique up to 12 centimeters long.
Streptanthus fenestratus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Tehipite Valley jewelflower.
Streptanthus glandulosus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name bristly jewelflower. It is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitat, including grassland, chaparral, and woodlands. Genetic and other analyses indicate that it is a species complex with ten subspecies which evolved as populations were isolated from each other. The complex includes subspecies previously considered separate species, such as the rare Tiburon jewelflower endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area. Plants in the complex are variable. In general they are annual herbs growing 10 centimeters to over a meter in height. They may be hairless hairy to bristly. The ephemeral basal leaves have blades borne on winged petioles. Leaves higher on the stem are linear to lance-shaped and clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of sepals one-half to over one centimeter long which can be almost any color from white to yellowish to pink or purple to nearly black. Purple, white, or purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a straight or curving silique up to 11 centimeters long.
Streptanthus gracilis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name alpine jewelflower.
Streptanthus howellii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Howell's jewelflower. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. It grows in mountain forests on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a hairless, often waxy-textured stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum length. It is generally unbranched. The ephemeral basal leaves have fleshy oval blades with smooth or toothed edges, borne on petioles. Leaves farther up the stem are similar but smaller and narrower, with shorter petioles or none. They do not clasp the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a calyx of purple sepals under a centimeter long with purple-tipped yellow petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a thin, smooth, curved silique up to 12 centimeters long.
Streptanthus insignis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names plumed jewelflower and San Benito jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Inner Central Coast Ranges. It grows in grassland and chaparral habitat, usually on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a hairy, bristly, branching stem up to about 60 centimeters long. The lance-shaped basal leaves are borne on short petioles. Leaves midway up the stem are longer, and those near the top are shorter. They sometimes clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. The uppermost flowers are often sterile and different in form. Each fertile flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals which is purple or greenish-yellow depending on subspecies. The petals at the tip are purplish or yellowish, also depending on subspecies. The fruit is a flat, straight silique which may be over 11 centimeters long.
Streptanthus longisiliquus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name long-fruit jewelflower. It was first described to science in 2007. It is endemic to northern California, where it is known from Butte, Tehama, and Shasta Counties. It can be found in forest and woodland habitat in mountains and foothills. It is a short-lived perennial herb producing a few-branched stem up to 1.2 to 1.5 meters in maximum height. It is mostly hairless except for some light hairs on the inflorescences and sometimes the leaf petioles. The basal leaves have oval or spoon-shaped blades up to 10 centimeters long, usually with smooth edges. Leaves higher on the stem are oval or oblong and lack petioles, their bases often clasping the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals which yellow-green at the base and purplish at the tip, measuring under a centimeter in length. The petals emerging from the end are brownish or purplish with greenish bases. The fruit is a flattened, curving silique that can be quite long even for the genus, measuring up to 15 centimeters in length.
Streptanthus vernalis is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name early jewelflower. It was first observed in the 1970s but not actually described to science until 2005. It is endemic to Lake County, California, where it is known from a single occurrence at Three Peaks near the Napa County line. It is apparently limited to serpentine outcrops in forested and chaparral habitat. Genetic analysis indicates that the species is distinct from other Streptanthus and is most closely related to Streptanthus morrisonii, which it resembles. It is a hairless annual herb producing an erect branching or unbranched stem 2 to 20 centimeters tall. The ephemeral basal leaves have thick, fleshy leaves which are green and unmottled on top and purple on the undersides. Leaves higher on the stem are linear to lance-shaped and lack petioles. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of sepals which is solid green with no purple or yellowish tinge. The petals emerging from the tip are white without darker veining. The fruit is a flattened straight silique 3 to 5 centimeters long containing orange seeds.
Streptanthus oliganthus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Masonic Mountain jewelflower. It is native to western Nevada and eastern California, where it grows in the rocky hills east of the central Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes forest, woodland, sagebrush, and mountain talus. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a hairless, waxy, usually unbranched stem up to about 40 or 50 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have lance-shaped, smooth-edged blades up to 10 centimeters long borne on fuzzy to rough-haired petioles. Leaves higher on the stem have shorter blades which may clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of purple sepals no more than a centimeter long. The petals emerging from the tip are reddish purple or purple-tipped. The fruit is a smooth, flat, straight or slightly curved silique up to 8 to 10 centimeters long.
Streptanthus tortuosus is a biennial or short lived perennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) known by the common names shieldplant, shieldleaf, and mountain jewelflower.
Streptanthus anceps, synonyms Caulanthus anceps and Guillenia lemmonii, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, known by the common name Lemmon's mustard.
Streptanthus bracteatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names bracted jewelflower and bracted twistflower. It is endemic to Texas in the United States.
