Heartleaf Streptanthus, Heartleaf Twistflower, Heart-leaved Jewelflower

Streptanthus cordatus var. cordatus

The photo above shows heart-leaved jewelflower as seen at the Rooster Comb, Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon.........June 20, 2004. Note thelarge stem leaves with heart-shaped claspin base on the lower stem and the long raceme of flowers which is about one-half the length of the stem.

Heart-leaved jewelflower is an attractive and interesting short-lived perennial with one to several stems arising 30-100 cm from a cluster of basal leaves. The stems and leaves are glabrous and often glaucous except for a few short stiff hairs on the leaf margins and tips of the sepals. The leaves are thick and stiff. The basal leaves are orbicular, obovate or spatulate on slender petioles. They have toothed margins and measure 3-7 cm in length. The stem leaves are ovate or orbicular in shape with heart-shaped, clasping bases. They have entire margins and measure up to 5 cm long.

The raceme is about half the length of the erect stems. The stout flower pedicels are 5-8 mm in length. The sepals are greenish or purple-tipped and measure 9-12 mm long. They may be tipped with several stiff hairs. The lateral pair of sepals have a slightly swollen sac at their base. The dark purple petals are 10-16 mm long and recurved with the tips much narrower than the wide base. The fruit is a flattened silique from 6-10 cm long and 3-4 mm wide and with slightly winged margins. The siliques are ascending to erect.

Heart-leaved jewelflower may be found from Lake and Grant counties in southeastern Oregon and east to the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming and Colorado and south to California.

The photo above shows a close-up of the flowers of heart-leaved jewelflower as seen at the Rooster Comb, Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon.........June 20, 2004. Note the purplish petals and the small, stiff hairs at the tips of some of the sepals.

Close-ups of the maturing fruits of heartleaved jewelflower as seen on serpentine slopes along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August 1, 2011 (left and center) and August 19, 2011 (right).

Heartleaved jewelflower as seen on serpentine slopes along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........May 29, 2014.

The photo above shows the basal leaves of heart-leaved jewelflower as seen at the Rooster Comb, Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon.........June 23, 1999. Note the toothed margins of the thick basal leaves and their glaucous cast.

Close-ups of the glaucous, clasping stem leaf and young fruit of heart-leaved jewelflower as seen at the Rooster Comb, Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon.........June 20, 2004.