Chorizanthe howellii |
Chorizanthe obovata |
|
---|---|---|
Howell's spineflower, Mendocino spineflower |
spoon-sepal spineflower |
|
Habit | Plants spreading or decumbent to somewhat erect, 0.3–1 × 1–5 dm, villous. | Plants erect to prostrate, (0.5–)1–3(–4) × 1–4(–5) dm, pubescent. |
Leaves | basal or nearly so; petiole 1–4 cm; blade spatulate to broadly obovate, 1–3 × 0.5–1.5(–1.8) cm, villous. |
basal; petiole 0.5–2(–3) cm; blade oblanceolate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–1 cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, soft-hirsute abaxially. |
Inflorescences | with secondary branches suppressed, greenish to grayish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1–5 cm × 5–15 mm, awns absent. |
with involucres in open clusters 2–4(–6) cm diam., greenish or reddish; bracts 2–3 at proximal node, usually leaflike, without whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 2–6(–8) mm, abruptly reduced above proximal node, becoming scalelike, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.2–1 cm × 1–3 mm, awns straight, 1–2 mm. |
Involucres | 1, greenish to grayish, broadly cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4 mm, with conspicuous, white, scarious margins between teeth and extending up awn, not corrugate, pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5–1 mm, awns straight with longer ones 1–2 mm and anterior one mostly 2 mm, these alternating with shorter (0.5–1 mm) ones. |
3–10+, grayish, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 3–4 mm, slightly corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly to densely pubescent; teeth erect to spreading, unequal, 1–2 mm; awns straight or uncinate with longer anterior one straight, mostly 1 mm, others uncinate, 0.5–1 mm. |
Flowers | exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, (3–)3.5–4.5 mm, pubescent nearly throughout; tepals connate 1/4 their length, dimorphic, oblong, truncate and erose to denticulate apically, those of outer lobes longer and wider than inner ones; stamens 9, included; filaments distinct, 3–4 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.6–0.8 mm. |
exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube greenish white to white and tepals white to pink, cylindric, 4–4.5(–5) mm, sparsely pubescent; tepals connate 1/2 their length, dimorphic, obovate, those of outer whorl spreading, 2 times longer than those of inner whorl, rounded or slightly obcordate apically, those of inner whorl erect, narrower, fimbriate apically; stamens (6–)9, mostly included; filaments distinct, 4–4.5 mm, glabrous; anthers yellow to golden, oblong, 0.9–1.1 mm. |
Achenes | light brown, globose-lenticular, 3–4.5 mm. |
brown, globose-lenticular, 3–3.5 mm. |
2n | = (72, 74, 76, 78), 80, (82, 84, 86, 88, 90). |
= 38, 40, 42. |
Chorizanthe howellii |
Chorizanthe obovata |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Sandy places in coastal dunes and grassland communities | Sandy or calcareous soils, mixed grassland, coastal scrub, or chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands |
Elevation | 0-20 m (0-100 ft) | 10-1300 m (0-4300 ft) |
Distribution |
CA |
CA
|
Discussion | Of conservation concern. Chorizanthe howellii is an octoploid probably derived from an ancient hybrid event involving C. cuspidata var. villosa and perhaps C. valida. It is known only from a dune area north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, and is federally listed as endangered. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Chorizanthe obovata is found in the Coast Ranges. The whitish flowers quickly distinguish it from C. palmeri and the other reddish-flowered members of this complex. Immature plants can be confused with C. staticoides; the floral features readily separate the two species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 456. | FNA vol. 5, p. 459. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 44, plate 3, fig. 1. (1934) | Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 70. (1934) |
Web links |