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Blakley's spineflower

Douglas' spineflower, San Benito spineflower

Habit Plants spreading to ascending, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–3 dm, thinly pubescent. Plants erect, 1–4(–5) × 0.5–3 dm, villous.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.5–2 cm;

blade oblanceolate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.8 cm, thinly pubescent.

basal;

petiole 1–3(–6) cm;

blade oblanceolate, 0.5–2(–4) × 0.1–0.4(–1) cm, villous.

Inflorescences

with involucres in dense clusters 1–2 cm diam., yellowish green;

bracts 2, without whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, usually leaflike, oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1.5–3 mm, gradually reduced and becoming scalelike at distal nodes, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.3–0.8 cm × 1–2 mm, awns straight, 1–2.5 mm.

cymose, dichotomously branched throughout, white to greenish or reddish;

bracts usually 2, similar to proximal leaf blades, typically with whorl of 3–5 ca. midstem, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.5–2(–3) cm × 1–5(–10) mm, awns absent.

Involucres

3–10+, yellowish green, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 3–4.5 mm, slightly corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 1–3 mm;

awns straight or uncinate with longer anterior one straight or slightly curved, mostly 2 mm, others uncinate, 0.5–1.5 mm.

congested in small leafy terminal clusters of 2–4 at nodes of dichotomies, greenish, cylindric, slightly ventricose basally, 3–5 mm, with conspicuous, purple, broad, membranous margins typically extending across sinuses, finely corrugated, hispid at least along ridges, otherwise sparsely pubescent;

teeth spreading, equal, (0.7–)1–1.5 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm.

Flowers

exserted;

perianth bicolored with floral tube greenish white to white and the lobes white to pinkish, cylindric, 5–6 mm, sparsely pubescent;

tepals connate 2/3 their length, dimorphic, obovate, those of outer whorl erect, slightly longer than those of inner whorl, 2-lobed apically, those of inner whorl erect, 2-lobed, erose apically;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 5–5.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers yellow to golden, oblong, 1–1.2 mm.

exserted;

perianth white to rose, cylindric, 3.5–4(–4.5) mm, slightly pubescent abaxially;

tepals connate 2/3 their length, monomorphic, obovate, 2-lobed or denticulate apically, infrequently inner whorl entire;

stamens 9, slightly exserted;

filaments distinct, 3–4 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

Achenes

brown, globose-lenticular, 3–3.5 mm.

light brown, globose-lenticular, 3.5–4 mm.

2n

= ca. 38.

= 40.

Chorizanthe blakleyi

Chorizanthe douglasii

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly flats and slopes, chaparral communities, oak woodlands Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland communities, oak and pine woodlands
Elevation 600-1600 m (2000-5200 ft) (200-)300-1600 m ((700-)1000-5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Chorizanthe blakleyi is known only from north-facing slopes and foothills of the Sierra Madre. The species is rare and localized. The yellowish green stem, branches, and involucres readily distinguish it. The white flowers align it with C. obovata.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Chorizanthe douglasii is restricted to the Santa Lucia Mountains and to the San Gabilan and La Panza ranges of west-central California. The species is infrequent but can be locally common. A single collection made in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Rowntree s.n., 16 Jun 1929, CAS) may have been made in Santa Cruz County, but the location is uncertain and no other collection is known from that region.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 459. FNA vol. 5, p. 452.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala
Sibling taxa
C. angustifolia, C. biloba, C. brevicornu, C. breweri, C. clevelandii, C. corrugata, C. cuspidata, C. diffusa, C. douglasii, C. fimbriata, C. howellii, C. leptotheca, C. membranacea, C. obovata, C. orcuttiana, C. palmeri, C. parryi, C. polygonoides, C. procumbens, C. pungens, C. rectispina, C. rigida, C. robusta, C. spinosa, C. staticoides, C. stellulata, C. uniaristata, C. valida, C. ventricosa, C. watsonii, C. wheeleri, C. xanti
C. angustifolia, C. biloba, C. blakleyi, C. brevicornu, C. breweri, C. clevelandii, C. corrugata, C. cuspidata, C. diffusa, C. fimbriata, C. howellii, C. leptotheca, C. membranacea, C. obovata, C. orcuttiana, C. palmeri, C. parryi, C. polygonoides, C. procumbens, C. pungens, C. rectispina, C. rigida, C. robusta, C. spinosa, C. staticoides, C. stellulata, C. uniaristata, C. valida, C. ventricosa, C. watsonii, C. wheeleri, C. xanti
Synonyms C. nortonii
Name authority Hardham: Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 95. (1964) Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 418. (1836)
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