Chorizanthe rigida
Chorizanthe subg. Amphietes
devil's spineflower, rigid spineflower, rigid spiny-herb, spiny-herb
sometimes disarticulating at each node.
basal and cauline;
petiole 0.5–3(–4) cm;
basal blade broadly elliptic to obovate, 0.5–2.5 × (0.3–)0.5–2 cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, more densely so to tomentose abaxially;
proximal cauline leaf soon deciduous, 1, blade similar to basal leaf blades only 1–2(–2.5) × 0.5–1.5 cm, mucronate to awn-tipped, awn mostly 2–4 mm;
distal cauline leaf blade persistent, 1 per node, sessile, blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.1–1.5 × 0.05–0.15 cm, becoming hard and thornlike with age.
blades linear to lanceolate, obovate, round, or spatulate.
with involucres in dense clusters in axils of bracts, these on short shoots and each subtended by cauline leaves;
bracts 2, subopposite to opposite, linear, 0.5–1(–1.2) cm × 1–2 mm, awns straight, 2–4 mm.
bracts mostly 2, opposite, scalelike or if leaflike then similar to basal leaves only reduced, occasionally deciduous in early anthesis, with or without awns.
1, greenish, urceolate, 3-ribbed, 2–3 mm, corrugate, pubescent, rarely villous near base in some;
teeth 3, unequal, with thickened anterior tooth toward base, 5–10 mm, sometimes expanding and becoming lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, others 0.5–1.2 mm;
awns straight.
cylindric to narrowly turbinate, campanulate, or urceolate, occasionally ventricose basally, 3-,5-, or 6-toothed, with or without membranous or scarious margins;
teeth erect to spreading or divergent, connate at least 1/2 their length, typically shallow, mostly unequal, with alternating long and short awns, often with anterior one longest.
1–2, included to slightly exserted;
perianth yellow, cylindric, 1.5–1.8 mm, densely pubescent abaxially;
tepals connate ca. 2/3 their length, monomorphic, oblong, rounded, entire apically;
stamens 9, slightly exserted;
filaments distinct, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous;
anthers yellowish, ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm.
1(–2), white to pink or rose, maroon or purple, or yellow, thinly pubescent at least along midribs abaxially;
stamens 3–9;
filaments adnate at base of floral tube or faucially;
filaments sometimes connate into short tube.
brown, 3-gonous, (1.5–)1.8–2.2 mm.
brown, lenticular or globose-lenticular, or 3-gonous.
embryo straight or rarely curved.
= 38, 40.
Chorizanthe rigida
Chorizanthe subg. Amphietes
Anyone with the misfortune to step bare-footed on Chorizanthe rigida after the plant has dried instantly appreciates its common name. The species is widespread on the Mojave and Sonoran deserts but only occasionally is it locally abundant or weedy. It is found also along the Lahontan Trough in western Nevada, a well-known biogeographic extension route north of the Mojave Desert (J. L. Reveal 1980). The exceedingly compact and dense inflorescences with suppressed secondary branches result in a series of leaves and bracts that subtend a closely arranged series of bracteated and involucrated flowers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 39 (31 in the flora).
Most species of subg. Amphietes are found in California. Of the others, one is known only from southernmost Peru to central Chile (Chorizanthe commissuralis J. Rémy), while the rest are known only from Baja California, Mexico. Those include C. inequalis S. Stokes, C. turbinata Wiggins, C. mutabilis Brandegee, C. rosulenta Reveal, C. pulchella Brandegee, C. flava Brandegee, and C. interposita Goodman. The latter is the only member of sect. Clastoscapa, the only section of subg. Amphietes not found in our flora.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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