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Howell's spineflower, Mendocino spineflower

Santa Barbara spineflower, Wheeler's spineflower

Habit Plants spreading or decumbent to somewhat erect, 0.3–1 × 1–5 dm, villous. Plants erect to spreading, 0.5–2(–2.5) × 1–2 dm, thinly 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 0.5–3 cm;

blade elliptic to oblong, 0.5–2 × 0.2–0.6 cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, tomentose 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Achenes

light brown, globose-lenticular, 3–4.5 mm.

brown, lenticular, 2.5–3 mm.

2n

= (72, 74, 76, 78), 80, (82, 84, 86, 88, 90).

Chorizanthe howellii

Chorizanthe wheeleri

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy places in coastal dunes and grassland communities Gravelly to rocky slopes, coastal scrub communities
Elevation 0-20 m (0-100 ft) 0-400(-600) m (0-1300(-2000) 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 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.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 456. FNA vol. 5, p. 464.
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. 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. xanti
Synonyms C. insularis
Name authority Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 44, plate 3, fig. 1. (1934) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 272. (1877)
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