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Streptanthus morrisonii

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Species of flowering plant

Streptanthus morrisonii
Conservation status

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Streptanthus
Species: S. morrisonii
Binomial name
Streptanthus morrisonii
F.W.Hoffm.

Streptanthus morrisonii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Morrison's jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the North and Central Coast Ranges. It is limited to serpentine soils in chaparral and forest habitat. It is considered a species complex which includes Streptanthus brachiatus. S. morrisonii is divided into four subspecies and is variable. In general, it is a biennial herb producing a hairless, waxy stem up to 1.2 to 1.5 meters in maximum height, often branching at the tip. The basal leaves have fleshy, lance-shaped blades 3 to 5 centimeters long borne on petioles. The blades are gray-green on the upper surface and purple or purple-mottled underneath. Leaves higher on the stem are variable in shape and become smaller toward the top of the plant. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals in shades of yellow-green to purple. The petals emerging from the tip are whitish with purple-brown veining. The fruit is a flattened straight or slightly curved silique up to 8 centimeters long.

Threats to this species include boron toxicity from the steam of nearby geothermal power plants.

References

  1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  2. NRCS. "Streptanthus morrisonii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  3. Dolan, R. W. (1995). The rare, serpentine endemic Streptanthus morrisonii (Brassicaceae) species complex, revisited using isozyme analysis. Systematic Botany 20:3 338-46.
  4. Sage, R. F., et al. (1989). Boron toxicity in the rare serpentine plant, Streptanthus morrisonii. Environ Pollut. 61:2 77-93.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Streptanthus morrisonii


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