Chorizanthe fimbriata |
Chorizanthe sect. Ptelosepala |
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fringe spineflower |
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Habit | Plants erect to spreading, 1–3(–3.5) × 1–2.5 dm, pubescent and minutely glandular. | Plants prostrate to spreading or somewhat erect. | ||||
Stems | not disarticulating at each node. |
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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. |
blades lanceolate to ovate or spatulate. |
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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. |
bracts with or without awns. |
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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. |
cylindric, campanulate, or urceolate, occasionally ventricose basally, 3-angled, 6-ribbed, 6-toothed, with or without membranous or scarious margins continuous across sinuses; awns unequal, typically with anterior one longest. |
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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. |
1; perianth white, yellow, rose, red, maroon, dark purple, or lavender, thinly pubescent; stamens 3–9; filaments adnate at base of floral tube. |
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Achenes | brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm. |
light brown to dark brown, lenticular or globose-lenticular. |
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Chorizanthe fimbriata |
Chorizanthe sect. Ptelosepala |
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Distribution |
CA; nw Mexico
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w United States; nw Mexico |
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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.) |
Species 31 (25 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 465. | FNA vol. 5, p. 451. | ||||
Parent taxa | ||||||
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Synonyms | C. section Anisogonum, C. section Eriogonellopsis, C. section Herbaceae | |||||
Name authority | Nuttall: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4: 17. (1848) | Nuttall: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4: 17. (1848) | ||||
Web links |