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Peninsular spineflower, Ramona spineflower

Brewer's spineflower, San Luis obispo spineflower

Habit Plants erect to spreading, 0.5–3(–3.5) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, thinly pubescent. Plants ascending to decumbent, (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–2) × 1–5(–7) dm, thinly pubescent.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 1–3(–4) cm;

blade oblong to oblong-ovate, 0.5–2(–3) × 0.3–0.5(–0.7) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, usually densely tomentose adaxially.

basal;

petiole 1–3 cm;

blade spatulate to ovate, 0.5–2 × 0.3–1.2(–1.5) cm, thinly pubescent to densely tomentose at least abaxially.

Inflorescences

mostly flat-topped and openly branched, usually reddish;

bracts soon deciduous, 2, occasionally leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, short-petiolate, ovate, 0.3–0.4 cm × 2–3 mm, otherwise sessile, linear and acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.3 cm × 0.7–1 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm.

mostly flat-topped, open to rather densely branched, greenish to reddish;

bracts persistent, 2, usually leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to leaf blades, short-petiolate, oblong to ovate, 0.3–0.8 cm × 2–6 mm, becoming 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

in congested clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4 mm, not corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 0.7–1.5 mm with longer of 3 longest ones more erect than 3 other shorter and less-prominent ones, awns uncinate, 0.5–1 mm.

in open clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 2.5–3 mm, corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly pubescent with slender curly hairs;

teeth spreading, unequal, 0.4–1.2 mm with 3 longer ones more erect than 3 shorter and less-prominent ones;

awns uncinate, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Flowers

long-exserted;

perianth rose to red, infrequently with white lobes, cylindric, 4.5–6 mm, pubescent;

tepals connate ca. 1/2 their length, dimorphic or sometimes monomorphic, narrowly oblanceolate, apex rounded, those of outer whorl slightly broader and occasionally longer than those of inner whorl;

stamens 9, mostly included;

filaments distinct, 4–6 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, ovate to oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

exserted;

perianth white to rose or red, usually with white lobes, cylindric, 3–3.5 mm, pubescent;

tepals connate ca. 1/2 their length, monomorphic to slightly dimorphic, narrowly oblong to obovate, rounded apically, those of outer whorl usually slightly broader and longer than those of inner whorl;

stamens 9, mostly included;

filaments distinct, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.4–0.5 mm.

Achenes

brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm.

brown, lenticular, 2.5–3 mm.

2n

= 38.

= 38.

Chorizanthe leptotheca

Chorizanthe breweri

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Mar–Jul.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, grassland and chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands Gravelly or rocky places, serpentine outcrops, mixed grassland and chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands
Elevation (300-)600-1600(-1900) m ((1000-)2000-5200(-6200) ft) 60-800 m (200-2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Chorizanthe leptotheca is found in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County southward along the eastern edge of the Santa Ana Mountains, and through the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains of Riverside County into the mountains of central San Diego County. The species is also found in north-central Baja California.

Ramona spineflower is clearly related to Chorizanthe staticoides, but that species occurs to the west of the range of C. leptotheca and the two are not known to be sympatric.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Chorizanthe breweri is found infrequently in the Coast Ranges of southwestern California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 463. 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. howellii, 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. 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. wheeleri, C. xanti
Name authority Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 61. (1934) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 270. (1877)
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