Chorizanthe fimbriata |
Chorizanthe wheeleri |
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fringe spineflower |
Santa Barbara spineflower, Wheeler's spineflower |
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Habit | Plants erect to spreading, 1–3(–3.5) × 1–2.5 dm, pubescent and minutely glandular. | Plants erect to spreading, 0.5–2(–2.5) × 1–2 dm, thinly pubescent. | ||||
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 0.5–3 cm; blade elliptic to oblong, 0.5–2 × 0.2–0.6 cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, tomentose abaxially. |
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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. |
mostly flat-topped, openly branched, greenish to reddish; bracts persistent, 2, usually leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to leaf blades, short-petiolate, oblong, 0.5–1.2 cm × 2–4 mm, sessile, reduced and scalelike at distal nodes, linear, acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.5 cm × 0.5–1 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm. |
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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. |
in dense terminal clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 2–2.5 mm, corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly pubescent with stoutish, recurved hairs; teeth spreading, unequal, 0.3–0.8(–1) mm, with 3 longer ones more erect than 3 shorter and less-prominent ones; awns uncinate, 0.3–0.5 mm. |
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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. |
exserted; perianth white or rose or red with white lobes, cylindric, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous except for few scattered hairs ca. midlength along midrib abaxially; tepals connate 1/2 their length, monomorphic to slightly dimorphic, oblong, rounded apically, those of outer whorl usually slightly broader and longer than those of inner whorl; stamens 6, included; filaments distinct, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.3–0.4 mm. |
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Achenes | brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm. |
brown, lenticular, 2.5–3 mm. |
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Chorizanthe fimbriata |
Chorizanthe wheeleri |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | |||||
Habitat | Gravelly to rocky slopes, coastal scrub communities | |||||
Elevation | 0-400(-600) m (0-1300(-2000) ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA; nw Mexico
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CA
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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.) |
Chorizanthe wheeleri is a rare insular endemic known only from Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands. (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. 464. | ||||
Parent taxa | ||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
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Synonyms | C. insularis | |||||
Name authority | Nuttall: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4: 17. (1848) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 272. (1877) | ||||
Web links |