Morrison's jewelflower facts for kids

The Streptanthus morrisonii, also known as Morrison's jewelflower, is a special flowering plant in the mustard family. It's quite rare and only grows naturally in California. This means it is endemic to California, found mostly in the North and Central Coast Ranges.

This plant prefers to grow in a specific type of ground called serpentine soil. You can find it in areas with chaparral (a type of shrubland) and in forests.

What Does It Look Like?

Morrison's jewelflower is a biennial herb. This means it lives for two years. In its first year, it grows leaves close to the ground. In its second year, it grows a tall stem, flowers, and then makes seeds before it dies.

Stems and Leaves

The plant has a smooth, waxy stem that can grow quite tall, reaching about 1.2 to 1.5 meters (about 4 to 5 feet) high. The stem often branches out near the top.

The leaves at the bottom of the plant are fleshy and shaped like a spear. They are about 3 to 5 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) long and grow on small stalks called petioles. These leaves are gray-green on top and often purple or spotted with purple underneath. Leaves higher up on the stem change shape and get smaller as they go up the plant.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers grow along the upper part of the stem. Each flower has a cup-shaped part called a calyx, made of ridged sepals. These sepals can be yellow-green to purple. The petals that stick out from the calyx are whitish with purple-brown lines.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a type of fruit called a silique. This fruit is flat, straight, or slightly curved, and can be up to 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) long.

Threats to the Plant

One of the main dangers to Morrison's jewelflower is something called boron toxicity. This happens when too much boron gets into the soil from the steam of nearby geothermal power plants. Boron can be harmful to plants in large amounts.