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fringe spineflower

brittle spine flower

Habit Plants erect to spreading, 1–3(–3.5) × 1–2.5 dm, pubescent and minutely glandular. Plants spreading to erect, 0.5–3(–5) × 0.5–3 dm, thinly pubescent, often with appressed hairs, infrequently somewhat strigose or glabrate.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.5–3(–5) cm;

blade elliptic to obovate or spatulate, 1–3(–3.5) × 0.2–1(–2.5) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, sparsely tomentose abaxially.

basal;

petiole 0.5–2 cm;

blade oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic or spatulate, (1–)1.5–3(–4) × 0.1–1 cm, pubescent.

Inflorescences

open, reddish;

bracts 3 at proximal node, otherwise 2, sessile, scalelike, linear, acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.5 cm × 0.5–1 mm, awns straight, 1–2 mm.

green;

bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, 0.3–1(–1.5) cm × 1–2.5 mm, becoming sessile and scalelike at distal nodes, linear, acicular, awns 0.2–0.5 mm.

Involucres

1(–5+), reddish or greenish, cylindric, not ventricose, 4–6(–7) mm, finely corrugate, with thin hyaline margins between teeth, sparsely to densely pubescent;

teeth divergent, unequal, 3 longer ones 1–3 mm, alternating with 3 shorter ones 0.3–1 mm;

awns straight, unequal, 3 longer ones 1–2.5(–3) mm, shorter one (0.3–)0.5–1.5 mm.

1, green, 3–5 mm, not corrugate, thinly strigose;

teeth divergent, 0.4–1.2 mm;

awns uncinate, 0.2–0.5 mm.

Flowers

exserted;

perianth bicolored, with floral tube yellow to yellowish white and tepals white to rose, becoming dark rose to red with age, cylindric, 6–9(–10) mm, glabrous abaxially except for few to several scattered hairs ca. midlength along midribs;

tepals connate 1/2 their length, monomorphic, oblong, fimbriate to laciniate apically;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 3–8 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm.

included;

perianth greenish white to white or pale yellowish white, cylindric, 2–4 mm;

tepals connate 3/4 their length, monomorphic, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, acute, entire apically;

stamens slightly exserted;

filaments distinct, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers white to pale yellow, ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

Achenes

brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm.

dark brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm.

Chorizanthe fimbriata

Chorizanthe brevicornu

Distribution
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; OR; nw Mexico
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Chorizanthe fimbriata is our only representative of subsect. Flava, a taxon of six species otherwise confined to Baja California. These are the most elegant of the annual species in their remarkable flowers. The flower color, the fine divisions of the tips of the tepals, plus the handsome habit make them of potential horticultural interest for the “need-to-be-challenged” gardeners. In addition to C. fimbriata var. laciniata, C. pulchella Brandegee would be a worthy introduction. Chorizanthe flava Brandegee has bright yellow flowers that contrast dramatically with its reddish mature inflorescence branches. The large (7–9 mm) flowers of C. mutabilis Brandegee are a wonder to behold, the yellow floral tube contrasting with the white to red of the tepals themselves.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Chorizanthe brevicornu has stems and branches that easily disarticulate at the nodes. Dried specimens often are reduced to a mere jumble without careful handling. The vegetative fragments will not regenerate new plants, but the involucres (each with a single flower bearing a single achene) easily disarticulate from the parent plant, and with the aid of the awns on the teeth of the involucre, may be readily distributed.

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

Key
1. Tepals fimbriate apically, distal segments linear to lanceolate, broader than lateral segments; perianths 6-7(-8) mm
var. fimbriata
1. Tepals laciniate apically, distal segments linear, scarcely broader than lateral segments; perianths 8-9(-10) mm
var. laciniata
1. Leaf blades oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 0.1-0.3(-0.5) cm wide; involucres prominently ribbed at maturity; Mojave and Sonoran deserts
var. brevicornu
1. Leaf blades broadly oblanceolate to broadly spatulate, 0.5-1 cm wide; involucres obscurely ribbed at maturity; Great Basin Desert and Snake River Plains
var. spathulata
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 465. FNA vol. 5, p. 469.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Fragile
Sibling taxa
C. angustifolia, C. biloba, C. blakleyi, C. brevicornu, C. breweri, C. clevelandii, C. corrugata, C. cuspidata, C. diffusa, C. douglasii, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. fimbriata var. fimbriata, C. fimbriata var. laciniata
C. brevicornu var. brevicornu, C. brevicornu var. spathulata
Name authority Nuttall: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4: 17. (1848) Torrey: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 177. (1859)
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