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Taxon  Report  
Streptanthus albidus  Greene  ssp. albidus 
Metcalf canyon jewel flower,   Metcalf canyon jewelflower
Streptanthus albidus ssp. albidus is an annual herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.1 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
Federal status: Endangered.
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Observation Search
~11 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Parent: Streptanthus albidus
Genus: Streptanthus
Family: Brassicaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Communities: Valley Grassland
Name Status:
Accepted by CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSStreptanthus glandulosus var. albidus
Information about  Streptanthus albidus ssp. albidus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
USDA PLANTS Profile (STALA)

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ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Description, Range, Subspecies: Streptanthus albidus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Metcalf Canyon jewelflower.[1][2] It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Central Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay Area. It grows in open areas such as grasslands, often on serpentine soils. Description It is an annual herb producing an erect, usually branching stem up to a meter tall or slightly taller. There are bristly hairs around the base. The basal leaves are lance-shaped with toothed edges and are borne on winged petioles. Leaves farther up the stem are smaller and narrower, sometimes linear in shape, and toothed or smooth-edged. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals about a centimeter long with curving petals emerging from the tip. The calyx of sepals may be white to purple, depending on subspecies. The fruit is a long, narrow silique which may be 12 centimeters in length. Subspecies There are two subspecies, both rare. The rarer of the two, ssp. albidus, is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States. It is endemic to Santa Clara County, where it is known from nine recent occurrences.[3] This subspecies has white or green-tinged sepals. The other subspecies, ssp. peramoenus, the most beautiful jewelflower or uncommon jewelflower, is known from several locations in the Bay Area and several near San Luis Obispo. It has pale to dark purple sepals and purplish petals. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/23/2024).