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diffuse spineflower

potbellied spineflower, Priest Valley spineflower

Habit Plants spreading, decumbent, prostrate, or rarely slightly erect, 0.3–1(–1.5) × 0.5–2(–10) dm, villous. Plants spreading and diffuse, (0.5–)1–5 × 1–5(–7) dm, pubescent.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.2–1.8(–2) cm;

blade oblanceolate, 0.3–2 × 0.1–0.4 cm, villous.

basal;

petiole 0.3–1(–1.5) cm;

blade oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–3(–4) × (0.2–)0.4–1(–1.2) cm, thinly pubescent.

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 involucres in open clusters 2–6 cm diam., greenish or reddish;

bracts 2–3 at proximal node, usually leaflike, often with whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1–4 mm, gradually becoming reduced, linear-lanceolate, 0.4–1.2(–1.5) cm × 1.5–5 mm, at distal nodes scalelike, linear and aciculate, acerose, awns straight, 1–3 mm.

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.

3–10+, greenish or reddish, urceolate, strongly ventricose basally, 4–4.5 mm, without scarious or membranous margins, corrugate, thinly pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 1–3 mm;

awns straight or uncinate with longer anterior one straight, mostly 2 mm, others uncinate, 0.5–1 mm.

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 to greenish yellow and tepals red to maroon, cylindric, 4–4.5 mm, sparsely pubescent;

tepals connate 1/2 their length, dimorphic, oblong, those of outer whorl spreading and recurved, slightly longer than those of inner whorl, broadly obcordate, slightly erose or at least wavy and rounded apically, those of inner whorl erect, narrower, fimbriate and truncate or somewhat 2-lobed apically, erect;

stamens 9, exserted;

filaments distinct, 3.5–4 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red or maroon, oblong, 1–1.3 mm.

Achenes

dark brown, globose-lenticular, 2–2.5 mm.

brown, globose-lenticular, 3–3.5 mm.

2n

= 38, 40, 42.

= 40, 42, 44.

Chorizanthe diffusa

Chorizanthe ventricosa

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, coastal scrub communities, pine-oak woodlands Serpentine outcrops, mixed grassland communities, oak-pine woodlands
Elevation 30-800 m (100-2600 ft) 500-1000 m (1600-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Chorizanthe ventricosa is restricted to isolated outcrops of serpentine in the coastal mountain ranges of southeastern Monterey County and southern San Benito County south in western Fresno County to the Parkfield Grade area and in Cottonwood Pass of San Luis Obispo County.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 452. FNA vol. 5, p. 458.
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. blakleyi, C. brevicornu, C. breweri, C. clevelandii, C. corrugata, C. cuspidata, 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. 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. watsonii, C. wheeleri, C. xanti
Synonyms C. andersonii, C. diffusa var. nivea, C. nivea, C. pungens var. diffusa, C. pungens var. nivea C. palmeri var. ventricosa
Name authority Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 26. (1856) Goodman: Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 193, figs. 1, 2. (1939)
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