Metcalf Canyon Jewelflower
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Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

METCALF CANYON JEWELFLOWER
(Streptanthus albidus ssp. albidus)

CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register  60:6671  (pdf); February 3, 1995).

CRITICAL HABITAT:  None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN: Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, September 30, 1998 (pdf format)

DESCRIPTION:

Metcalf Canyon jewelflower (Streptanthus albidus ssp. albidus) is an annual herb of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), which reaches up to 3 feet in height. It has bristly hairs at the base, and pale green, strongly glaucous (waxy or powdery) stem and leaves. The flowers, which bloom between April and June, are borne on  leafless terminal stems. Sepals are white to yellow to whitish-green.  The upper three are fused, with the lower (fourth) sepal free and spreading. Four petals, 0.3-0.4 inch long, are whitish with light purple veins. Erect flattened pods are 1-3 inches long.

The only Streptanthus species likely to grow in the same area as Metcalf Canyon jewelflower is its close relative--uncommon or most beautiful jewelflower (Streptanthus albidus ssp. peramoenus), which is distinguished by its dark purple sepals. See Hickman (1993) for a detailed description of both species.

DISTRIBUTION:

The species always has been rare. It only grows on serpentine outcrops with little soil development. It can be locally abundant but its range is limited, extending less than 20 miles from San Jose south to Anderson Lake, which lies northeast of Morgan Hill. Furthermore, the serpentine outcrops on which Metcalf Canyon jewelflower grows are patchily distributed and comprise only a small percentage of the area within its range. Nine populations and a total of 20,000 to 25,000 plants have been recorded.

Serpentine soils are formed from weathered volcanic (ultramafic) rocks such as serpentinite. dunite, and peridotite. These soils provide a harsh environment for plant growth. Several factors contribute to the inhospitability of serpentine soils to plant growth including: 1) a low calcium-magnesium ratio; 2) lack of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous; and 3) high concentrations of heavy metals (mineral toxicity). However, species such as Metcalf Canyon jewelflower have adapted to serpentine soils and require them to survive.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Metcalf Canyon jewelflower is threatened by trash dumping, residential development and off-road vehicles. Serpentine outcrops in the San Francisco Bay area are limited. Twenty percent of those outcrops have already been eliminated as plant habitat due to development. Serpentine habitats also have been fragmented by the construction of roads. Habitat fragmentation increases the risks of extinction due to chance events such as fire, flood, landslide, pest or disease outbreaks, severe drought, or other natural or human-caused disaster.

The California Native Plant Society has placed this species on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).  Although the species has not been officially listed by the State of California, the Department of Fish and Game considers it to be "very threatened."

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Kruckeberg, A.R. 1958. The taxonomy of the species complex, Streptanthus glandulosus Hook. Madroño 14(7):217-227.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1995. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Ten Plants and Threatened Status for Two Plants From Serpentine Habitats in the San Francisco Bay Region of California. Portland, Oregon.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998.  Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Photo credit: Metcalf Canyon Jewelflower © 1994 Robert E. Preston, Ph.D. Calphoto ID: 0000 0000 0102 0042

Prepared by Endangered Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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