Western Needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale) is a native grass that grows in Northern, Southern and Central California, primarily in the Klamath Mountain Range and Peninsular Range regions. It tends to grow in open , at elevations from 4000-11500 feet.

Western Needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 2 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the late spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in open , at elevations from 9800-11200 feet.

Purple Needlegrasss is California's most widespread native grass. It was named California's State Grass in 2004.

Purple needlegrass gets its name from the color of its young seeds. It is a perennial bunchgrass that can grow up to 3 feet tall. It has a deep root system, which makes it drought adapted and a good plant choice for erosion control.

Purple needlegrass is easy to grow and tolerant of most soil types, including poor and disturbed soils. Plant in full or part sun as part of a low-water meadow garden. This grass produces a large amount of seeds, which attract birds and other wildlife. It has long awns, and pet owners should be aware that they are prickly. It can be cut back when it turns brown at the end of summer.

Achnatherum speciosum is a species of grass known by the common name desert needlegrass. It is native to much of the south-western United States from California to Colorado, where it grows in dry areas, especially sagebrush habitat. It is also known from Mexico and parts of South America. This is a short bunching perennial grass reaching a maximum height of 1-2 feet The leaf blades are less than a millimeter wide and rolled along the edges. The bases are stiff and remain as the dense grass clump dries. The flower cluster is up to about 2 inches long and is dense and fluffy. Each spikelet is very hairy and has a bent awn up to about a centimeter long which is coated in long hairs. The stiff awn and the sharp tip of the spikelet make the seeds hazardous for animals. The hairs on the seed help in catch in animal coats and drift on the wind for dispersal. The awn also twists when wet, helping the seed bury itself in the soil.

Stillman's Stipa (Achnatherum stillmanii) is a uncommon native grass that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the High Sierra Nevada region. It tends to grow in rocky slopes, at elevations from 4000-6000 feet.

Thurber's Needlegrass (Achnatherum thurberianum) is a native grass that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 2 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are gray-green and deciduous. It tends to grow in canyons, at elevations from 4900-8500 feet.

Streptanthella is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the mustard family containing the single species Streptanthella longirostris, which is known by the common name longbeak streptanthella, or simply streptanthella. It is native to western North America, where it occurs throughout the western United States and the northwestern states of Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat, including deserts, sagebrush, foothill woodlands, sandy flats, chaparral, and scrubby canyons. It is an annual herb producing a slender, erect, multibranched stem up to half a meter tall. The lower leaves are lance-shaped with a toothed or smooth edge and leaves higher on the plant are narrower, linear in shape, and less often toothed. The top of the stem is occupied by a long inflorescence which is an open raceme of many flowers. The top of the inflorescence bears the newest buds which are often purple in color. More mature flowers stud the stem at intervals below, each on a short pedicel. Flowers measure under a centimeter long. Each flower is enclosed in four thick sepals. At the tip are the spoon-shaped petals which are white to yellow with purple veining. The fruit is a long, dangling silique up to 7 centimeters in length containing flat, winged seeds.

Streptanthus barbatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Pacific jewelflower. It is endemic to the southern Klamath Mountains of far northern California, where it occurs in open wooded habitat among Jeffrey Pines, generally on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a decumbent or erect, sometimes branching stem up to 70 to 90 centimeters long. It is hairless except for some light hairs on the flowers and the bases of the leaves. The largest leaves are at the base of the plant. They are oval with faintly toothed, bristly edges, no more than 3 centimeters long, and borne on short petioles. Leaves above these are oval to rounded and may clasp the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals under a centimeter long with curving petals barely emerging from the tip. The calyx of sepals is whitish, darkening purple in maturity. The petals are purple. The fruit is a long, flat, curving silique which may be 7 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus barbiger is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name bearded jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the North Coast Ranges. It grows in woodlands and chaparral habitat, often on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a branching stem up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. Leaves near the base of the stem are lance-shaped to oval and pointed, usually with toothed edges, the blades measuring up to 7 centimeters long. Leaves higher on the stem may be longer but are narrower and have smooth edges. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a spherical to urn-shaped calyx of greenish yellow or purple sepals under a centimeter long. Whitish or purple-tinged petals up to a centimeter long emerge from the tip. The fruit is a long, flat, curving silique which may be 7 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus batrachopus is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Mt. Tamalpais jewelflower. It is endemic to Marin County, California, where it is known only from Mt. Tamalpais and surrounding terrain. There are fewer than ten known occurrences. Its habitat includes chaparral and coniferous forest, generally on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a branching or unbranched stem up to about 20 centimeters in maximum height or slightly taller. Leaves near the base of the stem are oval or lance-shaped with toothed edges, somewhat fleshy in texture with a mottled pattern, and no more than 2 to 3 centimeters long. Leaves farther up the stem are lance-shaped. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of purple or greenish sepals up to half a centimeter long. Purple or purple-streaked white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a straight or curving silique up to 3 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus bernardinus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Laguna Mountains jewelflower, or Laguna Mountain jewelflower. It is native to southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in the Transverse Ranges around Los Angeles and the Peninsular Ranges to the south, including the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego and the Sierra de Juarez and Sierra de San Pedro Mârtir of Baja. Its habitat includes temperate coniferous forest and chaparral on mountain slopes. Streptanthus bernardinus is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex and producing an erect stem up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall. It is hairless and sometimes waxy in texture. The basal leaves are widely lance-shaped and up to 8 centimeters long by 2. 5 wide. They are borne on petioles. Narrower lance-shaped leaves occur higher on the stem and may clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of greenish to yellow or white sepals just under a centimeter long. White petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique which may be 8 to 12 centimeters in length or longer.

Streptanthus brachiatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Socrates Mine jewelflower. It is endemic to the Inner North Coast Ranges of California north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It can be found in chaparral and woodland habitat, often on serpentine soils, in Sonoma, Lake, and Napa Counties. It is a biennial herb producing a branching stem up to about 60 centimeters in maximum height. There is a basal rosette of fleshy purple-green leaves around the base, each with a sharp-toothed, widely lance-shaped blade up to 4 centimeters long. Leaves higher on the stem vary in shape. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled yellowish or purplish sepals just under a centimeter long. White, purple, or purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique which may be up to 6 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus breweri is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Brewer's jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in the coastal mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains south to the San Francisco Bay Area. Its habitat includes chaparral and woodlands, usually on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing an erect, branching stem up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. It is hairless except for fine hairs on some of the inflorescence parts, and it may be waxy in texture. The basal leaves have oval blades borne on petioles, and the lance-shaped leaves farther up the stem clasp it at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem, sometimes in a zig-zagging, one-sided array. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled greenish or purplish sepals under a centimeter long. White, purple, or purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a narrow, curved silique which may be 9 to 11 centimeters in length. The leaves of the plant sometimes have hardened, orange-pigmented callosities on the blades which are thought to be egg-mimics. Female California White butterflies (Pontia sisymbrii syn. Pieris s. ) lay eggs on Streptanthus leaves, and they choose leaves that have not yet had eggs deposited on them. Each larva can easily eat a whole plant, and the butterfly performs an "egg-load assessment" to determine the potential competition for its larva. Leaves that have grown callosities, which strongly resemble the orange eggs of the butterfly, are less likely visited by egg-laying females, protecting the plant from herbivory.

Streptanthus callistus is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Mount Hamilton jewelflower. It is endemic to Santa Clara County, California, where it is known from only about five occurrences around Mount Hamilton. It grows in chaparral and woodlands and on dry scree. It is an annual herb producing a small stem up to 8 or 9 centimeters tall with a bristly base. The toothed oval leaves are under 2 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a cluster-like raceme of flowers, the top ones sterile. The fertile flowers on the lower raceme have calyces of bristly purple-green sepals under a centimeter long with flaring purple petals at the tip. The sterile flowers at the top of the raceme have narrow, elongated, hairless purple sepals. The fruit is a cylindrical, bristle-studded silique measuring up to 2 or 2. 5 centimeters long.

Streptanthus campestris is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name southern jewelflower. It is native to southern California and northern Baja California, where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences scattered between San Bernardino County, California, and Sierra de San Pedro Mârtir in northern Baja. It grows in mountain chaparral, woodlands, and forests, at elevations up to 2300 meters (7545 feet). It is a perennial herb producing a thick, few-branched stem up to 1. 5 meters tall or more. The basal leaves have fleshy oval blades with bristly, toothed edges which are borne on petioles. Leaves farther up the stem are lance-shaped with smooth or wavy edges and bases that clasp the stem. Flowers occur at intervals on the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of bristle-lined purple sepals with four purple tipped yellow petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a narrow, curving or straight silique which may reach 14 centimeters in length. The already uncommon plant is moderately threatened by further habitat fragmentation.

Streptanthus cordatus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name heartleaf twistflower. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in many types of sagebrush, woodland, and forest habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a branched or unbranched stem up to about a meter tall. It is often waxy in texture. The basal leaves are oval or spoon-shaped with bristle-toothed blades borne on rough-haired petioles. Leaves higher on the stem are oval to lance-shaped, up to 9 centimeters long with their bases usually clasping the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a calyx of sepals roughly a centimeter long which begin greenish yellow and mature purple. Four purple petals emerge from the tip of each calyx. The fruit is a thin, narrow silique which may reach 14 centimeters in length or longer.

Streptanthus diversifolius is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name variableleaf jewelflower, or varied-leaved jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is a resident of woodlands and other foothill habitat. It is an annual herb producing a hairless, waxy stem up to a meter tall. The basal leaves are variable in shape and are often divided into narrow, threadlike segments. Leaves higher on the stem are also variable, having round to lance-shaped blades which clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem, with one or two leaflike bracts at the base of the raceme. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals about half a centimeter long and white, yellowish, or purple in color, sometimes with white edging. White, purple-veined petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a thin, flat, curving silique which may be 8 or 9 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus drepanoides is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name sicklefruit jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from a scattered distribution throughout several mountain ranges in the northern part of the state, including the Klamath Mountains. It is a resident of chaparral and woodlands, generally on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a mostly hairless, waxy stem up to 40 or 45 centimeters tall. The ephemeral basal leaves have round or oval blades, sometimes edged with teeth. Leaves higher on the stem have fleshy oval blades that clasp the stem, the lower ones each measuring up to 9 centimeters long by 7. 5 wide. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of greenish or yellowish sepals under a centimeter long with whitish or purplish, purple-veined petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a straight or sickle-shaped curving silique up to 9 centimeters long.

Streptanthus farnsworthianus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Farnsworth's jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is limited to the woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is an annual herb producing a hairless, waxy, purple or purple-tinged stem up to half a meter tall or more. The ephemeral basal leaves have blades up to 15 centimeters long which are each divided into several narrow lobes or leaflets. Leaves higher on the stem have purple lance-shaped blades that generally clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem with one or two leaflike purple bracts at the base of the raceme. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of purple sepals up to a centimeter long. Curling purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip of the calyx. The fruit is a straight or curving silique up to 12 centimeters long. The plant was named for Evalyn Lucille Klein Farnsworth, a foothills cattle rancher and plant collector who first discovered it growing on her land.

Streptanthus fenestratus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Tehipite Valley jewelflower. It is endemic to Fresno County, California, where it is known only from the high mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada in Kings Canyon National Park. It grows in coniferous forests. There are about ten populations. Streptanthus fenestratus is an annual herb producing a hairless, waxy stem up 35 or 40 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have blades divided into several lobes or leaflets. Leaves higher on the stem have oval or lance-shaped blades usually not subdivided. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem with one or two leaflike green or purple-tipped bracts at the base of the raceme. Each flower has a tubular urn-shaped calyx of purple sepals just under a centimeter long. Light petals up to 1. 5 centimeters long emerge from the tip of the calyx. The fruit is a flat, narrow silique up to 5 centimeters long. One of the main threats to this species is trampling by hikers.

Streptanthus glandulosus is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name bristly jewelflower. It is native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in many types of habitat, including grassland, chaparral, and woodlands. Genetic and other analyses indicate that it is a species complex with ten subspecies which evolved as populations were isolated from each other. The complex includes subspecies previously considered separate species, such as the rare Tiburon jewelflower (ssp. niger) endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area. Plants in the complex are variable. In general they are annual herbs growing 10 centimeters to over a meter in height. They may be hairless to hairy to bristly. The ephemeral basal leaves have blades borne on winged petioles. Leaves higher on the stem are linear to lance-shaped and clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of sepals one half to over one centimeter long which can be most any color from white to yellowish to pink or purple to nearly black. Purple, white, or purple-veined white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a straight or curving silique up to 11 centimeters long.

Metcalf Canyon Jewelflower (Streptanthus albidus) is a native annual herb that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in slopes and flats, at elevations from 500-2600 feet.

Most Beautiful Jewel Flower (Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. glandulosus) is a rare native annual herb that grows in Southern and Central California, primarily in the SF Bay, the South Coast Range and South Coast regions.

Hoffmann's Jewelflower (Streptanthus glandulosus var. hoffmanii) is a rare native annual herb that grows in central California.

Secund Jewelflower (Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. secundus) is a native annual herb that grows in Central and Northern California, primarily in the North Coast, the North Coast Range and SF Bay regions. It tends to grow at elevations from 0-2600 feet.

Streptanthus gracilis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name alpine jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Kings-Kern Divide in the Sierra Nevada, a series of high mountain peaks near the intersection of Tulare, Fresno, and Inyo Counties. It grows in weathered rocky habitat such as talus. Streptanthus gracilis is an annual herb producing a slender, hairless, waxy stem up to 30 or 35 centimeters tall. The basal leaves have toothed oblong blades borne on petioles. Leaves higher on the stem have shorter blades which may have short petioles or may clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of pink sepals about half a centimeter long with pink petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a thin, straight or curving silique up to 7 centimeters long.

Streptanthus hispidus, the Mt. Diablo jewelflower, is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family. It is endemic to Contra Costa County, California, where it is known from fewer than 15 occurrences on and around Mount Diablo. It grows in rocky outcrops in grassland and chaparral habitat. It is threatened by habitat degradation, such as trampling by hikers and destruction during maintenance activities. Streptanthus hispidus is a bristly annual herb growing up to 30 centimeters tall. Flowers occur in a raceme, the uppermost ones often sterile and different in form. The bristly bell-shaped calyx of sepals is greenish brown in the fertile flowers and purple in the sterile. Fertile flowers have four light purple petals up to a centimeter long. The fruit is a bristly silique up to 8 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus howellii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Howell's jewelflower. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California. It grows in mountain forests on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a hairless, often waxy-textured stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum length. It is generally unbranched. The ephemeral basal leaves have fleshy oval blades with smooth or toothed edges, borne on petioles. Leaves farther up the stem are similar but smaller and narrower, with shorter petioles or none. They do not clasp the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a calyx of purple sepals under a centimeter long with purple-tipped yellow petals emerging from the tip. The fruit is a thin, smooth, curved silique up to 12 centimeters long. This rare plant is threatened by wildfire suppression; it would be more common if its habitat were allowed its natural fire regime. It is also threatened by mining operations.

Streptanthus insignis is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names plumed jewelflower and San Benito jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Inner Central Coast Ranges. It grows in grassland and chaparral habitat, usually on serpentine soils. It is an annual herb producing a hairy, bristly, branching stem up to about 60 centimeters long. The lance-shaped basal leaves are borne on short petioles. Leaves midway up the stem are longer, and those near the top are shorter. They sometimes clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. The uppermost flowers are often sterile and different in form. Each fertile flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals which is purple or greenish-yellow depending on subspecies. The petals at the tip are purplish or yellowish, also depending on subspecies. The fruit is a flat, straight silique which may be over 11 centimeters long. There are two subspecies. The rarer, Arburua Ranch jewelflower (ssp. lyonii), is known from a just few occurrences near Los Banos. This taxon has greenish yellow flowers, sometimes tinged with purple.

Streptanthus longisiliquus (orth. var. S. longisiliqus) is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name long-fruit jewelflower. It was first described to science in 2007. It is endemic to northern California, where it is known from Butte, Tehama, and Shasta Counties. It can be found in forest and woodland habitat in mountains and foothills. It is a short-lived perennial herb producing a few-branched stem up to 1. 2 to 1. 5 meters in maximum height. It is mostly hairless except for some light hairs on the inflorescences and sometimes the leaf petioles. The basal leaves have oval or spoon-shaped blades up to 10 centimeters long, usually with smooth edges. Leaves higher on the stem are oval or oblong and lack petioles, their bases often clasping the stem. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has a bell-shaped calyx of sepals which yellow-green at the base and purplish at the tip, measuring under a centimeter in length. The petals emerging from the end are brownish or purplish with greenish bases. The fruit is a flattened, curving silique that can be quite long even for the genus, measuring up to 15 centimeters in length.

Streptanthus morrisonii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Morrison's jewelflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the North and Central Coast Ranges. It is limited to serpentine soils in chaparral and forest habitat. It is considered a species complex which includes Streptanthus brachiatus. S. morrisonii is divided into four subspecies and is variable. In general, it is a biennial herb producing a hairless, waxy stem up to 1. 2 to 1. 5 meters in maximum height, often branching at the tip. The basal leaves have fleshy, lance-shaped blades 3 to 5 centimeters long borne on petioles. The blades are gray-green on the upper surface and purple or purple-mottled underneath. Leaves higher on the stem are variable in shape and become smaller toward the top of the plant. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has an urn-shaped calyx of keeled sepals in shades of yellow-green to purple. The petals emerging from the tip are whitish with purple-brown veining. The fruit is a flattened straight or slightly curved silique up to 8 centimeters long. Threats to this species include boron toxicity from the steam of nearby geothermal power plants.

Streptanthus oliganthus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Masonic Mountain jewelflower. It is native to western Nevada and eastern California, where it grows in the rocky hills east of the central Sierra Nevada. Its habitat includes forest, woodland, sagebrush, and mountain talus. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a hairless, waxy, usually unbranched stem up to about 40 or 50 centimeters in maximum height. The basal leaves have lance-shaped, smooth-edged blades up to 10 centimeters long borne on fuzzy to rough-haired petioles. Leaves higher on the stem have shorter blades which may clasp the stem at their bases. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a bell-shaped calyx of purple sepals no more than a centimeter long. The petals emerging from the tip are reddish purple or purple-tipped. The fruit is a smooth, flat, straight or slightly curved silique up to 8 to 10 centimeters long.

Streptanthus polygaloides is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name milkwort jewelflower. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where it grows in woodlands and chaparral, generally on serpentine soils. Streptanthus polygaloides is quite variable in morphology. In general, it is an annual herb producing a hairless, sometimes waxy-textured stem under 10 centimeters to nearly one meter tall. The ephemeral basal leaves have blades divided into narrow segments and borne on petioles. Leaves higher on the stem have simple, linear blades up to 10 centimeters long which lack petioles. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each has a folded, hooded, calyx of deeply keeled sepals in shades of greenish yellow to purple. Brown-veined white petals emerge from the tip. The fruit is a smooth, straight, flat or four-angled silique up to 5 centimeters in length. Hyperaccumulator of nickel. The Streptanthus polygaloides plant is a hyperaccumulator of nickel, with hyperaccumulation defined as the presence of at least 1,000 μg nickel per gram of dry mass. This species averages 2,430 to 18,600 μg/g. This trait helps protect the plant against many types of pathogens, including the powdery mildew Erysiphe polygoni, the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, and the fungus Alternaria brassicola. It also helps defend the plant from leaf-chewing insects such as the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) and the moth Evergestis rimosalis, and root-feeding insects like the cabbage maggot (Delia radicum). The high nickel levels in the plant have also been shown to protect it against the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). On the other hand, they do not affect all herbivorous insects that attack the plant, perhaps because some insects eat parts of the plant low in nickel, or can tolerate high-nickel diets, or include other, less toxic plant matter in their diets. In fact, some insects thrive on a high-nickel diet, such as the mirid bug Melanotrichus boydi, which specializes on this plant. Phytoremediation. The plant's ability to draw relatively large amounts of nickel from the soil make it of interest as an agent of phytoremediation in soils polluted with heavy metals.

Streptanthus tortuosus is a biennial or short lived perennial plant in the Mustard Family (Brassicaceae) known by the common names shieldplant, shieldleaf, and mountain jewelflower. It is native to the mountains of northern and central California, its distribution extending just into Oregon and Nevada. It grows in rocky and sandy areas in forests and woodland habitat.

Streptanthus vernalis is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name early jewelflower. It was first observed in the 1970s but not actually described to science until 2005. It is endemic to Lake County, California, where it is known from a single occurrence at Three Peaks near the Napa County line. It is apparently limited to serpentine outcrops in forested and chaparral habitat. Genetic analysis indicates that the species is distinct from other Streptanthus and is most closely related to Streptanthus morrisonii, which it resembles. It is a hairless annual herb producing an erect branching or unbranched stem 2 to 20 centimeters tall. The ephemeral basal leaves have thick, fleshy leaves which are green and unmottled on top and purple on the undersides. Leaves higher on the stem are linear to lance-shaped and lack petioles. Flowers occur at intervals along the upper stem. Each flower has an urn-shaped calyx of sepals which is solid green with no purple or yellowish tinge. The petals emerging from the tip are white without darker veining. The fruit is a flattened straight silique 3 to 5 centimeters long containing orange seeds.

Atriplex phyllostegia is a species of saltbush known by the common names arrowscale, leafcover saltweed, and Truckee orach. It is native to the western United States from California to Utah, where it grows in meadow bottoms and areas with saline soils such as dry or ephemeral lakes. This is an annual herb with a mainly erect branching green stem growing up to 40 centimeters tall. The distinctive leaves are fleshy and diamond or arrowhead-shaped and 1 to 4 centimeters long. The plant is generally monoecious, although some individuals bear only female flowers. Male and female flowers appear in the leaf axils, and the male flowers are sometimes borne in spikelike flower clusters. The female flower clusters are enclosed in leafeoles which may be up to 2 centimeters long and resemble the leaves.

Suaeda calceoliformis is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by several common names, including Pursh seepweed and horned seablite. The plant is native to North America, where it can be found across most of the continent except for parts of the Southeastern United States. It is a halophyte, growing in areas of high soil salinity and alkalinity, such as playas, salt flats, beaches, marshes and other wetlands, and the edges of roads that are salted in the winter. Suaeda calceoliformis is an annual herb with waxy green to red or striped, bicolored stems growing up to 80 centimeters long. It may grow erect to prostrate in shape, the prostrate forms being more common in higher salinity substrates because they can retain more water. The fleshy, waxy leaves are up to 4 centimeters long, linear in shape, and lie nearly against the stem instead of spreading away from it. The inflorescence is an elongated cyme of flowers shaped like a branching spike. It is dense with many tight clusters of flowers with leaflike bracts growing between them. There are three to five flowers per cluster, each with a calyx of horned sepals and no petals. The fruit is an utricle that grows within the calyx.

Suaeda californica is a rare species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name California seablite. It is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from a few occurrences in the marshes around Morro Bay. Suaeda californica is a mound-shaped shrub up to 80 centimeters tall with hairless or slightly hairy succulent green or red-tinged herbage. The woody stems have many branches which are covered with the knoblike bases of old leaves. Between these grow the new leaves, which are lance-shaped and up to 3. 5 centimeters long. The flowers occur between the leaves, all along the stems. Each cluster has 1 to 5 flowers and is accompanied by a leaflike bract. The calyx is a cone of fleshy, rounded sepals, and there are no petals. The fruit is an utricle that grows within the calyx. Habitat. This rare plant, Suaeda californica, grows in a restricted area within the intertidal zone of salt marshes. It is threatened by anything that alters the hydrology of the area, such as changes in sedimentation, including dredging, erosion, and recreation. It requires a porous substrate high in nitrogen, which may come from decaying plant matter and bird droppings. Invasive plant species such as introduced ice plant threaten remaining occurrences and reintroductions. Endangered status. It once occurred around the San Francisco Bay, but any populations there are now extirpated. It probably once grew along the Petaluma River north of the bay, as remains of the species have been found in adobe bricks there. By 1991 the total remaining number of individuals was estimated to be below 500, and the plant was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1994. Some carefully tended populations have been planted as reintroductions at locations around the San Francisco Bay.

Suaeda esteroa is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name estuary seablite. It is a yellow-green to reddish subshrub with fleshy, succulent leaves. It is native to the estuaries and salt marshes of coastal southern California and Baja California.

Suaeda nigra (formerly Suaeda moquinii) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names Mojave seablite and bush seepweed. Suaeda nigra is native to much of western North America, from central Canada through the Western United States, Great Basin, the Mojave Desert in California, and into northern Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat with saline and alkaline substrates, such as desert flats, playas, and seeps. It is mostly an inland species but is occasionally seen in coastal areas, such as estuaries. Suaeda nigra is a shrub or subshrub growing from a woody base with many spreading branches, reaching up to 1. 5 metres (4. 9 ft) in height. The plants may grow as annuals at times. The species is genetically diverse and quite variable in appearance. It may be hairy to hairless but is usually waxy. It may be green to red to dark purple in color, sometimes almost black. The fleshy leaves are linear to lance-shaped, 1 to 3 centimeters long, and flat or cylindrical. Flowers occur in clusters along the upper stems, each cluster containing 1 to 12 flowers. Leaflike bracts accompany the clusters. The flower has no petals and is composed of a calyx of fleshy, rounded sepals. The fruit is an utricle that grows within the calyx.

Suaeda taxifolia is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name woolly seablite. It is native to the coastline of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in saline habitat such as salt marshes, beaches, dunes, and scrub. It is quite variable in appearance. Suaeda taxifolia is a generally a shrub or subshrub spreading or growing erect to a maximum height near 1. 5 metres (4. 9 ft). It is hairless to densely hairy, and waxy in texture. It has woody lower stems and fleshy green to reddish upper stems. The succulent leaves are lance-shaped to nearly oval, measuring up to 3 centimeters in length. They vary in color from bluish to green to yellowish or reddish. There is usually a knobby bump at the base of each. Flowers occur in clusters along the stems, each cluster containing 1 to 3 flowers. Leaflike bracts accompany the clusters. The flower has no petals and is composed of a calyx of fleshy, rounded, hairy sepals. The fruit is an utricle that grows within the calyx.

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) is a deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family known for its delicate bell-shaped pink flowers in spring and clusters of white berries in fall and winter. Native to moist, shady areas, it thrives as an understory plant in woodlands and along streambanks, forming dense thickets when conditions are favorable.

In the garden, snowberry is an excellent choice for dry shade, though it also tolerates additional water. Its adaptability makes it well-suited for a variety of soils and moisture levels. The shrub provides valuable shelter for wildlife, while its berries serve as a favorite food source for birds. Although the berries are mildly toxic to humans, they are harmless to many animals.

The spring blooms are a reliable source of nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, adding to its appeal as a habitat-friendly addition to native plant gardens.