Lyreleaf Jewelflower
Twist Flower
Streptanthus carinatus
Sentinal Peak in west Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona, USA, 17 Feb 2012. Flowers above, fruit and leaf below.
FLOWERS: Flowers have four petals and four sepals that can be cream,
purple, or even brown. At anthesis the petals are upright forming a tube with
the tips rolled over revealing darker inside. Blooming early to mid spring.
RANGE: Ranges along the southern tier of the Sonoran Desert and hence
east into the Chihuahuan Desert.
ANNUAl or BIENNIAL HERB: Herbaceous plants usually germinating and
flowering in same year, but some plants may hang on for a second year of growth
and blooming.
LEAVES: The elyptical leaves have the tips tapered and the base
clasping the stem.
FRUIT: Long, slightly flattened pod with numerous small seeds; oriented
upwards.
UNARMED.