Chorizanthe spinosa |
Chorizanthe angustifolia |
|
---|---|---|
Mojave spineflower |
narrow-leaf spineflower |
|
Habit | Plants spreading to prostrate, 0.3–0.8(–1) × 0.5–8 dm. | Plants decumbent or prostrate, 0.3–1 × 0.5–10(–13) dm, villous. |
Leaves | basal; petiole 0.5–2 cm; blade (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–2) × (3–)5–10(–12) mm, thinly pubescent adaxially, more densely so to tomentose abaxially. |
basal; petiole 1–4 cm; blade oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–4(–5) × (0.2–)0.3–0.6 cm, villous. |
Inflorescences | greenish to reddish, mostly flat-topped and open to dense; bracts 3, whorled, short-petiolate, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, acerose, 0.5–1.5 cm × 3–8(–10) mm, awns straight, 1–3.5 mm. |
rather dense with secondary branches suppressed, grayish to reddish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1–4 cm × 2–8(–10) mm, awns absent. |
Involucres | usually congested in small terminal clusters of 1–3 at node of dichotomies, (4–)5-ribbed, weakly 3-angled, 2–2.5 mm, not corrugate, densely canescent; teeth (4–)5, essentially erect with longer, prominent, and thickened anterior one 2–4 mm, with straight awn 1–2.5 mm, remaining teeth smaller, 0.5–1 mm, with straight awns 0.3–0.8 mm. |
1, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 1.5–2(–2.5) mm, without scarious margins or if so then pinkish, thin, and restricted to basal portion of teeth, not corrugate, villous abaxially; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5–1.5(–2) mm; awns uncinate with longer ones 1.5–2.5 mm and anterior one mostly 2–2.5 mm, these alternating with shorter 1–1.5 mm ones. |
Flowers | 1, exserted; perianth, cylindric, 2.5–3.5 mm; tepals connate 1/2–2/3 their length, dimorphic, entire, those of outer whorl spreading, broadly obovate and rounded apically, those of inner whorl erect, narrowly oblanceolate, 1/2 length of outer ones, acute apically; stamens slightly exserted; filaments 2.5–3 mm, glabrous; anthers yellowish, oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm. |
slightly exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, campanulate, 2–3 mm, pubescent abaxially; tepals connate 1/3 their length, monomorphic, oblong, usually rounded and erose apically; stamens 3 or 6–9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous; anthers cream to rose, ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm. |
Achenes | 2.5–3 mm. |
light brown, globose-lenticular, 2–2.5 mm. |
2n | = (40), 44, (46). |
= 38, 40, (42, 44, 46). |
Chorizanthe spinosa |
Chorizanthe angustifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush communities | Sandy places, coastal scrub communities, pine-oak woodlands |
Elevation | 600-1300 m (2000-4300 ft) | 10-500 m (0-1600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CA
|
Discussion | G. J. Goodman (1934) referred Chorizanthe spinosa to Eriogonella, but C. spinosa and C. membranacea, the type of Eriogonella, are well isolated from one another, and both are well removed from the remainder of the annual spineflowers. The Mojave spineflower is local and uncommon from southeastern Kern and southern Inyo counties, south into adjacent northeastern Los Angeles and northwestern San Bernardino counties to Antelope and Lucerne valleys. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Chorizanthe angustifolia is common along the immediate coast and mesas mainly in west-central California. Plants with slightly scarious, pink involucral margins have been distinguished as var. eastwoodiae, but as both this and the nonscarious var. angustifolia occur together, no distinction is made here. William Gambel obtained the only collection known from Los Angeles County in the 1840s; it has not been found there since. Narrow-leaf spineflower often grows with C. diffusa in intermingled populations and care must be taken to avoid mixed collections. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 449. | FNA vol. 5, p. 454. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Eriogonella spinosa | C. angustifolia var. eastwoodiae |
Name authority | S. Watson: in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 2: 481. (1880) | Nuttall: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 4: 17. (1848) |
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