Pacific jewelflower facts for kids

The Pacific jewelflower (Streptanthus barbatus) is a special type of flowering plant. It belongs to the mustard family. This plant is unique because it only grows in a specific part of the world.

Pacific Jewelflower: A Special Plant

The Pacific jewelflower is found only in the southern Klamath Mountains. This area is in northern California. It likes to grow in open forests. You can often spot it near Jeffrey pine trees. It especially likes a unique type of ground called serpentine soil.

What Does the Pacific Jewelflower Look Like?

This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows a stem that can stand up straight or lie on the ground. This stem can reach up to 70 to 90 centimeters long. That's almost a meter tall! The plant is mostly smooth. It has a few light hairs on its flowers and near the bottom of its leaves.

Leaves and Flowers

The biggest leaves are found at the bottom of the plant. They are oval-shaped. Their edges have tiny teeth and feel a bit bristly. These leaves are usually less than 3 centimeters long. They grow on short stems called petioles. Leaves higher up on the stem are rounder. They might even wrap around the stem.

The flowers grow along the upper part of the stem. Each flower has a cup-shaped part called a calyx. This calyx is made of keeled sepals. It is less than a centimeter long. The petals are purple and just barely stick out from the top. The calyx starts out whitish. It turns a darker purple as the flower gets older.

Fruits of the Plant

After the flower blooms, it produces a fruit. This fruit is a long, flat, and curved pod. It is called a silique. These pods can grow up to 7 centimeters long.