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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
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala
Sibling taxa
C. angustifolia, C. biloba, C. blakleyi, C. brevicornu, C. breweri, C. clevelandii, C. corrugata, C. cuspidata, C. diffusa, C. douglasii, C. fimbriata, 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. membranacea, 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
Name authority Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 44, plate 3, fig. 1. (1934) Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 70. (1934)
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