Chorizanthe diffusa |
Chorizanthe howellii |
|
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diffuse spineflower |
Howell's spineflower, Mendocino spineflower |
|
Habit | Plants spreading, decumbent, prostrate, or rarely slightly erect, 0.3–1(–1.5) × 0.5–2(–10) dm, villous. | Plants spreading or decumbent to somewhat erect, 0.3–1 × 1–5 dm, villous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole 0.2–1.8(–2) cm; blade oblanceolate, 0.3–2 × 0.1–0.4 cm, villous. |
basal or nearly so; petiole 1–4 cm; blade spatulate to broadly obovate, 1–3 × 0.5–1.5(–1.8) cm, villous. |
Inflorescences | rather dense with secondary branches suppressed, white to greenish; bracts 2, similar to leaf blades at proximal nodes only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.3–2 cm × 1–4 mm, awns absent. |
with secondary branches suppressed, greenish to grayish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1–5 cm × 5–15 mm, awns absent. |
Involucres | 1, mostly greenish, cylindric, not ventricose, 2–2.5 mm, with thin to broad and then conspicuous white or pinkish to purple, scarious margins extending nearly full length of awn, not corrugate, villous-hirsute; teeth spreading to divergent, equal, 0.5–1 mm, awns uncinate with longer ones 1–2 mm, anterior one mostly 2 mm, alternating with shorter (0.5–1 mm) ones. |
1, greenish to grayish, broadly cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4 mm, with conspicuous, white, scarious margins between teeth and extending up awn, not corrugate, pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5–1 mm, awns straight with longer ones 1–2 mm and anterior one mostly 2 mm, these alternating with shorter (0.5–1 mm) ones. |
Flowers | exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube lemon-yellow and tepals white, campanulate, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous; tepals connate ca. 1/3 their length, monomorphic, oblong, acute to obtuse and entire apically; stamens 3–9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous; anthers yellow, oval, 0.3–0.4 mm. |
exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, (3–)3.5–4.5 mm, pubescent nearly throughout; tepals connate 1/4 their length, dimorphic, oblong, truncate and erose to denticulate apically, those of outer lobes longer and wider than inner ones; stamens 9, included; filaments distinct, 3–4 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.6–0.8 mm. |
Achenes | dark brown, globose-lenticular, 2–2.5 mm. |
light brown, globose-lenticular, 3–4.5 mm. |
2n | = 38, 40, 42. |
= (72, 74, 76, 78), 80, (82, 84, 86, 88, 90). |
Chorizanthe diffusa |
Chorizanthe howellii |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, coastal scrub communities, pine-oak woodlands | Sandy places in coastal dunes and grassland communities |
Elevation | 30-800 m (100-2600 ft) | 0-20 m (0-100 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
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CA |
Discussion | The involucral margins of Chorizanthe diffusa vary greatly. In some individuals, the white margins are barely visible. Plants with the margins of the involucre are predominantly white have been designated var. nivea. A full gradation between the extremes may be observed in most populations, although in coastal sands var. nivea is often the dominant expression. Diffuse spineflower occurs near the coast and in the Coast Ranges of central California. Chorizanthe diffusa has been shown to inhibit carcinogen-induced preneoplastic lesions in a mouse mammary-organ culture model. This inhibitory activity is known to correlate with cancer chemopreventive effects in full-term models of tumorigenesis (see H. S. Chung et al. 1999). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Chorizanthe howellii is an octoploid probably derived from an ancient hybrid event involving C. cuspidata var. villosa and perhaps C. valida. It is known only from a dune area north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, and is federally listed as endangered. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 452. | FNA vol. 5, p. 456. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | C. andersonii, C. diffusa var. nivea, C. nivea, C. pungens var. diffusa, C. pungens var. nivea | |
Name authority | Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 26. (1856) | Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 44, plate 3, fig. 1. (1934) |
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