Taxon Report

Caulanthus lemmonii S. Watson

Lemmon's jewelflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Caulanthus lemmonii, commonly known as Lemmon's jewelflower, is a annual herb in the Brassicaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Pinyon and juniper woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 80 to 1580 meters. Caulanthus lemmonii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Caulanthus lemmonii S. Watson
Common Name:	Lemmon's jewelflower
Family:	Brassicaceae
Element Code:	PDBRA0M0E0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CALE25
Synonyms/Other Names:	Caulanthus coulteri var. lemmonii

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Feb-May	Feb-May
Elevation:	80-1580 (260-5185)
General Habitats:	Pinyon and juniper woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	91
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	7
Good (B)	8
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	73

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alameda (ALA)*, Fresno (FRE), Kern (KRN), Kings (KNG), Merced (MER), Monterey (MNT), San Joaquin (SJQ), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA), Stanislaus (STA), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Adelaida (3512067), Apache Canyon (3411973), Avenal (3612012), Ballinger Canyon (3411984), Bradley (3512077), Bryson (3512171), Caliente Mtn. (3511917), Camatta Ranch (3512043), Chimineas Ranch (3511928), Cholame (3512063), Cholame Hills (3512074), Cholame Valley (3512073), Curry Mountain (3612014), Cuyama (3411985), Cuyama Peak (3411974), Fox Mountain (3411975), Frazier Mtn. (3411878), Garza Peak (3512082), Grapevine (3411888), Greenfield (3612132), Hames Valley (3512088), Holland Canyon (3512052), Junipero Serra Peak (3612124), Kettleman Plain (3512081), La Cima (3612011), La Panza (3512032), La Panza NE (3512041), La Panza Ranch (3512042), Lone Tree Creek (3712154), Lonoak (3612038), Los Banos Valley (3612181), Maricopa (3511914), McKittrick Summit (3511937), Mettler (3511818), Midway (3712165), Monarch Peak (3612027), Nattrass Valley (3612028), New Cuyama (3411986), North Chalone Peak (3612142), Orchard Peak (3512062), Ortigalita Peak NW (3612088), Packwood Creek (3512051), Painted Rock (3511927), Paraiso Springs (3612133), Parkfield (3512084), Paso Robles (3512066), Patterson (3712142), Pleito Hills (3411981), Pozo Summit (3512033), Ranchito Canyon (3512075), Rancho Nuevo Creek (3411964), Reward (3511936), Reyes Peak (3411963), Salisbury Potrero (3411976), San Miguel (3512076), Shandon (3512064), Solyo (3712153), Stockdale Mountain (3512085), Sycamore Flat (3612134), Taylor Canyon (3511918), Templeton (3512056), Tent Hills (3512072), The Dark Hole (3512083), Tierra Redonda Mountain (3512078), Wells Ranch (3511916), Westley (3712152), Wheeler Springs (3411953), Williams Hill (3512181), Wilson Corner (3512044)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	10
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	18	20 %
Grazing	9	9%
Non-native plant impacts	9	9%
ORV activity	1	1%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	1%
Improper burning regime	1	1%
Military operations	1	1%
Dam/Inundation	1	1%
Erosion/runoff	1	1%
Feral pigs	1	1%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	1%

Notes



Need quads for SBT Co. Threatened by development, grazing, and vehicles. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 23:261 (1888) for original description, and Aliso 4(3):503 (1960) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 20 April 2025].