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prickly spineflower, straight-awn spineflower

Cleveland's spineflower

Habit Plants spreading to decumbent, 0.3–0.8(–1) × 0.5–4(–5) dm, appressed-pubescent. Plants spreading to decumbent, 0.2–0.8(–1) × 0.5–5(–7) dm, appressed-pubescent.
Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.5–2 cm;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.2–0.6 cm, thinly pubescent.

basal;

petiole 0.5–2 mm;

blade oblanceolate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.3–0.6(–0.8) cm, thinly pubescent.

Inflorescences

with involucres in small, open clusters 0.5–1.5 cm diam., greenish to grayish;

bracts 2, without whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, usually leaflike, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1.5–5 mm, gradually reduced and becoming scalelike at distal nodes, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.3–0.8 cm × 1–2 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1.5 mm.

with involucres in small, open clusters 0.5–1.5 cm diam., greenish or grayish to reddish;

bracts 2, sessile, usually leaflike, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1.5–5 mm, gradually reduced and becoming scalelike at distal nodes, linear, aciculate, acerose, 0.4–1 cm × 1–2(–3) mm, awns straight, 1–3 mm.

Involucres

3–10+, grayish to reddish, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 2–2.5(–3) mm, slightly corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, densely pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 1–2 mm;

awns straight or uncinate, unequal, with longer anterior one straight, mostly 1.5–2.5 mm, others uncinate, 0.3–0.6 mm.

3–10, grayish to reddish, urceolate, slightly ventricose basally, 3–3.5 mm, slightly corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, densely pubescent;

teeth widely spreading to divergent, unequal, 0.3–0.6 mm or 3–6 mm;

awns uncinate, unequal, with longer anterior one 1.5–2.5 mm, others spreading, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Flowers

exserted;

perianth bicolored with floral tube yellow and tepals yellow or white, cylindric, 3.5–4 mm, sparsely pubescent;

tepals connate 1/2 their length, dimorphic, obovate, those of outer whorl white, obovate to nearly orbiculate, 3–4 times longer than those of inner whorl, , truncate to slightly 2-lobed apically, those of inner lobes erect, yellow, broadly obovate, truncate and erose apically;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers yellow to golden, oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

included or only 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, dimorphic, linear-oblong, those of outer whorl spreading, 1.5 times longer than those of inner whorl, rounded, entire or emarginate to slightly 2-lobed apically, those of inner whorl erect, acute, entire to erose, slightly fimbriate or 2-lobed apically;

stamens 3, included;

filaments distinct, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers white, ovate, 0.3–0.4 mm.

Achenes

brown, globose-lenticular, 3–3.5 mm.

brown, globose-lenticular, 2.5–3 mm.

2n

= (36), 40, (44).

= 42.

Chorizanthe rectispina

Chorizanthe clevelandii

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland communities, pine-oak woodlands Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland and chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands
Elevation 200-600 m (700-2000 ft) 400-2000 m (1300-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Chorizanthe rectispina is infrequent and localized in the Coast Ranges of west-central California.

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

Chorizanthe clevelandii is locally infrequent to common in scattered locations in the Coast Ranges from Mendocino and Lake counties south to Santa Barbara County, and across the Transverse and Tehachapi ranges of Ventura and Kern counties to the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County. It is the most widely distributed of the spineflowers endemic to California. The involucres stick to fur, clothing, and fingers, aiding dispersal of the achenes.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 460. FNA vol. 5, p. 460.
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. leptotheca, C. membranacea, C. obovata, C. orcuttiana, C. palmeri, C. parryi, C. polygonoides, C. procumbens, C. pungens, 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. 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: 72. (1934) Parry: Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sci. 4: 62. (1884)
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