Erysimum franciscanum, commonly known as the Franciscan wallflower or San Francisco wallflower, is a plant endemic to the northern California coast, from Sonoma to Santa Cruz Counties. It is a member of the genus Erysimum in the mustard family, the Brassicaceae.
| Erysimum franciscanum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Erysimum |
| Species: | E. franciscanum
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| Binomial name | |
| Erysimum franciscanum | |
The plant is a biennial or short-lived perennial.[1][2] The flowers are cream-colored to yellow, with four sepals and four petals arranged in a cross shape, as is characteristic of the Brassicaceae.[3] It flowers from late winter to late spring.[4] The plant prefers open scrubby areas with a fair amount of sunlight, but can flourish on a range of soils including disintegrating serpentine, gravelly and sandy soils.[5] It is fairly easily cultivated in gardens.[2]
Although not formally recognized as endangered, the Franciscan wallflower has a limited, discontinuous distribution. It is monitored at the Presidio of San Francisco, which was also its type locality.[3] The plant is propagated in a nursery there and then planted in its native habitat.[2]
References
edit- ^ Jepson Manual Treatment
- ^ a b c Dwyer, D. The Biogeography of the San Francisco Wallflower
- ^ a b National Park Service: San Francisco Presidio
- ^ "California Native Plant Society". Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-07-19.
- ^ The Nature Conservancy