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Parry's spineflower, San Bernardino spineflower, San Fernando Valley spineflower

Photo is of parent taxon

San Fernando spineflower, San Fernando Valley spineflower

Habit Plants prostrate to spreading, 0.2–0.8(–1) × 0.5–4(–6) dm, strigose.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.5–2(–3.5) cm;

blade oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, 0.5–2.5(–4) × 0.2–0.6(–1.2) cm, thinly pubescent.

Inflorescences

with involucres in small, open clusters 0.3–1 cm diam., greenish or grayish to reddish;

bracts 2, sessile, usually leaflike, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1.5–7 mm, gradually reduced and becoming scalelike at distal nodes, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.1–0.5 cm × 1–2 mm, awns straight, 0.4–1 mm.

Involucres

3–5, greenish or grayish to reddish, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 1.5–2 mm, corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, pubescent;

teeth widely spreading to divergent or recurved, equal, 0.5–1.5 mm or 1–3 mm;

awns uncinate or straight, unequal, alternating 0.5–1.5 mm and 0.2–0.5 mm.

Flowers

slightly exserted;

perianth bicolored with floral tube greenish white and tepals white, cylindric, 2.5–3 mm, sparsely pubescent;

tepals connate 2/3 their length, slightly dimorphic, those of outer whorl oblong to oblong-ovate, 1.5 times longer than those of inner whorl, rounded, erose or rarely some entire to denticulate apically, those of inner whorl linear-oblanceolate, acute, entire or denticulate apically;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers white, ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm.

Achenes

brown, globose-lenticular, 2.5–3 mm.

Involucral

awns straight.

Chorizanthe parryi

Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy places on foothills, mixed grass-land and chaparral communities
Elevation 90-500 m (300-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Variety fernandina was thought to be extinct until two small populations were found on Laskey Mesa in Ventura County and on Grapevine Mesa in Los Angeles County. The first site consists of some 14 subpopulations in a sparsely vegetated, undisturbed area. The second site, found in 2000, has a single population. The species otherwise was last collected in Los Angeles County in 1929. A single collection (Geis 541, DS) was supposedly gathered near Santa Ana, Orange County, in 1902. San Fernando spineflower has been proposed for federal listing as an endangered species.

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

Key
1. Involucral awns uncinate
var. parryi
1. Involucral awns straight
var. fernandina
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 461. FNA vol. 5, p. 461.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Chorizanthe > subg. Amphietes > sect. Ptelosepala > Chorizanthe parryi
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. leptotheca, C. membranacea, C. obovata, C. orcuttiana, C. palmeri, 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. parryi var. parryi
Subordinate taxa
C. parryi var. fernandina, C. parryi var. parryi
Synonyms C. fernandina
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 271. (1877) (S. Watson) Jepson: Man. Fl. Pl. Calif., 298. (1923)
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