Chorizanthe orcuttiana |
Chorizanthe corrugata |
|
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Orcutt spineflower, Orcutt's spineflower, San Diego spineflower |
wrinkled spineflower |
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Habit | Plants prostrate, 0.1–0.5 × 0.3–2(–2.5) dm, villous. | Plants erect, 0.3–1.5 × 0.3–1 dm, thinly tomentose. |
Leaves | basal; petiole 1–2 cm; blade narrowly oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.2–0.35(–0.5) cm, thinly pubescent. |
basal or nearly so; petiole 0.5–2(–3) cm; blade round-ovate, (0.5–)0.8–1.5(–2) × (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–2) cm, thinly floccose to tomentose. |
Inflorescences | with involucres in small clusters 0.5–1 cm diam., greenish; bracts 2, sessile, unequal, 1 laminar and oblanceolate, 0.3–1 cm × 1–3 mm, awnless, this opposite linear, acicular, greatly reduced, 0.1–0.2 cm × 0.3–0.6 mm bract terminated by short, straight awn 0.6–1 mm. |
with involucres in small clusters 0.5–1 cm diam., green to tan or reddish; bracts 2, linear to linear-lanceolate, acicular, 2–7 cm × 1–2.5 mm, awns slightly curved, 0.5–1 mm. |
Involucres | 1, greenish, campanulate, 3-ribbed, 0.8–2 mm, faintly corrugate, pubescent; teeth 3, equal, 1.8–2 mm; awns uncinate, 0.6–1 mm. |
1, green to tan, cylindric, 3-angled but 3-ribbed, 3–4 mm, markedly transverse corrugate, glabrate; teeth 3, equal, 2–4.5 mm; awns uncinate, 0.6–1 mm. |
Flowers | 1, included to slightly exserted; perianth yellow, cylindric, 1.5–1.8 mm, densely pubescent abaxially; tepals connate ca. 1/2 their length, monomorphic, narrowly oblanceolate, obtuse to truncate, entire apically, slightly spreading; stamens 9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous; anthers reddish, ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm. |
1, included to slightly exserted; perianth white, cylindric, 2–2.5 mm, thinly pubescent abaxially; tepals connate ca. 2/3 their length, monomorphic, oblong, acute, entire apically; stamens 6, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 0.8–1 mm, glabrous; anthers cream, ovate, 0.4–0.5 mm. |
Achenes | dark brown, lenticular, 2–2.2 mm. |
brown, lenticular, 2.5–3 mm. |
2n | = (76, 78), 80, (84). |
= 38. |
Chorizanthe orcuttiana |
Chorizanthe corrugata |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–May. | Flowering Feb–May. |
Habitat | Sandy soil, mesas and hills near coast, coastal scrub communities | Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland, saltbush, creosote bush, and sagebrush communities |
Elevation | 60-200 m (200-700 ft) | -70-1000 m (-200-3300 ft) |
Distribution |
CA |
AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
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Discussion | Of conservation concern. Chorizanthe orcuttiana is known from a few populations on coastal mesas and hills near San Diego, San Diego County. It is federally listed as endangered. The species is an octoploid that may well have resulted from an ancient hybridization and doubling of chromosomes involving C. procumbens and C. polygonoides var. longispina. The Orcutt spineflower grows in soft, white sand; C. procumbens and C. polygonoides var. longispina are restricted to gravelly sites. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Chorizanthe corrugata is found mainly in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The narrow, transversely corrugated involucral tube is diagnostic. Some anomalous flowers with four or eight stamens have been seen but this condition was always associated with other flowers bearing the normal number. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 467. | FNA vol. 5, p. 468. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Acanthogonum corrugatum | |
Name authority | Parry: Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. 4: 54. (1884) | (Torrey) Torrey & A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 198. (1870) |
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