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Douglas' spineflower, San Benito spineflower

pink spineflower

Habit Plants erect, 1–4(–5) × 0.5–3 dm, villous. Plants 1–6(–10) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, woolly-floccose.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 1–3(–6) cm;

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

basal and cauline;

petiole 0.1–0.5(–0.8) cm;

blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, (1–)1.5–5 × 0.1–0.3 cm, thinly to densely floccose adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially.

Inflorescences

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.

strict, white to greenish, open;

bracts usually 2, opposite, rarely in whorls of 3–5, short-petiolate, acerose, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, 0.3–3 cm × 1–3 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm.

Involucres

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.

usually congested in small terminal clusters of 1–3 at node of dichotomies, urceolate, ventricose basally, 3-angled, 6-ribbed, 3–4 mm, not corrugate, with conspicuous, white margins extending across sinuses, tomentose to floccose or glabrate with age, greenish to brownish;

teeth 6;

awns uncinate, 0.7–1.5 mm.

Flowers

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.

1(–2), slightly exserted;

perianth white to rose, subcylindric, (1.5–)2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent abaxially;

tepals connate 2/3 their length, slightly dimorphic, entire and rounded apically, those of outer whorl obovate, those of inner whorl spatulate;

stamens slightly exserted;

filaments 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oval, 0.2–0.3 mm.

Achenes

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

2.5–3 mm.

2n

= 40.

= 38, 40, (42), 80, 82, 84.

Chorizanthe douglasii

Chorizanthe membranacea

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland communities, oak and pine woodlands Sandy to gravelly or rocky flats and slopes, mixed grassland and chaparral communities, oak-pine woodlands
Elevation (200-)300-1600 m ((700-)1000-5200 ft) 40-1400(-1600) m (100-4600(-5200) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Chorizanthe membranacea has long been considered an isolated element among the spineflowers. The strict, upright habit, numerous basal and cauline leaves, and broad, continuous, membranous margins of the involucre all reflect that isolation. Pink spineflower is widespread and often locally common in the Coast Ranges of southwestern Oregon and California and on the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada southward to the Transverse Ranges and the Tehachapi Mountains of Ventura and Kern counties, California.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 452. FNA vol. 5, p. 450.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Eriogonella
Sibling taxa
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
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. 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 Eriogonella membranacea
Name authority Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 418. (1836) Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 419, plate 17, fig. 11. (1836)
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