Taxon Report

Erysimum teretifolium Eastw.

Santa Cruz wallflower

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Taxon Summary

Erysimum teretifolium, commonly known as Santa Cruz wallflower, is a perennial herb in the Brassicaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 120 to 610 meters. Erysimum teretifolium is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Erysimum teretifolium Eastw.
Common Name:
Santa Cruz wallflower
Family: Brassicaceae
Element Code: PDBRA160N0
USDA Plants Symbol: ERTE14
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Jul Mar-Jul
Elevation: 120-610 (395-2000)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details: inland marine sands

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 15
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 6
   Fair (C) 2
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 4
   Unknown (U) 3
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Santa Cruz (SCR)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Davenport (3712212), Felton (3712211), Laurel (3712118)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 11
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
11 73 %
Development 7 46%
Mining 3 20%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 3 20%
Road/trail construction/maint. 2 13%
Non-native plant impacts 2 13%
Other 2 13%
Erosion/runoff 2 13%
Foot traffic/trampling 1 6%
Grazing 1 6%
Agriculture 1 6%
ORV activity 1 6%

Notes

Seriously threatened by development, sand mining, and vandalism. See Leaflets of Western Botany 2(5):73 (1938) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 1 February 2025].