About Streptanthus insignis Jeps.
Streptanthus insignis Jeps. is an uncommon flowering plant species in the mustard family, with the common names plumed jewelflower and San Benito jewelflower. This species is endemic to California, and is only found in the state's Inner Central Coast Ranges. It grows in grassland and chaparral habitats, most often on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb that grows a hairy, bristly, branching stem reaching up to around 60 centimeters long. Its lance-shaped basal leaves grow on short petioles. Leaves located midway up the stem are longer, while leaves near the top of the stem are shorter, and they sometimes clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers grow at intervals along the upper section of the stem; the uppermost flowers are often sterile and have a different form. Each fertile flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals that is either purple or greenish-yellow, depending on the subspecies, and the petals at the tip of the flower are purplish or yellowish, also varying by subspecies. The fruit produced by the plant is a flat, straight silique that may be more than 11 centimeters long. There are two recognized subspecies of Streptanthus insignis. The rarer subspecies is ssp. lyonii, commonly called Arburua Ranch jewelflower, which is known from only a small number of occurrences near Los Banos, and has greenish yellow flowers that are sometimes tinged with purple.
