Chorizanthe xanti |
Chorizanthe howellii |
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riverside spineflower, Xantus' spineflower |
Howell's spineflower, Mendocino spineflower |
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Habit | Plants erect to infrequently spreading, (0.3–)0.5–2.5(–3) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, thinly pubescent. | Plants spreading or decumbent to somewhat erect, 0.3–1 × 1–5 dm, villous. | ||||
Leaves | basal or nearly so; petiole 1–2(–3) cm; blade oblong or oblong-ovate to ovate, 0.3–1(–1.5) × 0.3–0.8(–1) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially. |
basal or nearly so; petiole 1–4 cm; blade spatulate to broadly obovate, 1–3 × 0.5–1.5(–1.8) cm, villous. |
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Inflorescences | mostly flat-topped and openly branched, usually reddish; bracts persistent, 2, usually leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, short-petiolate, oblong-ovate to ovate, 0.3–0.8 cm × 2–6 mm, becoming sessile, reduced and scalelike at distal nodes, linear, acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.4 cm × 0.5–1 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm. |
with secondary branches suppressed, greenish to grayish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1–5 cm × 5–15 mm, awns absent. |
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Involucres | in open clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4.5 mm, not corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly to densely pubescent; teeth spreading, unequal, 0.7–1.5 mm, 3 longer ones more erect than 3 shorter and less-prominent ones; awns uncinate, 0.5–1 mm. |
1, greenish to grayish, broadly cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4 mm, with conspicuous, white, scarious margins between teeth and extending up awn, not corrugate, pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5–1 mm, awns straight with longer ones 1–2 mm and anterior one mostly 2 mm, these alternating with shorter (0.5–1 mm) ones. |
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Flowers | long-exserted; perianth rose to red, infrequently with white lobes, cylindric, 4.5–6 mm, pubescent; tepals connate ca. 2/3 their length, monomorphic to slightly dimorphic, narrowly oblanceolate, rounded apically, those of outer whorl occasionally slightly broader and longer than those of inner whorl; stamens 9, mostly included; filaments distinct, 4–6 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm. |
exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, (3–)3.5–4.5 mm, pubescent nearly throughout; tepals connate 1/4 their length, dimorphic, oblong, truncate and erose to denticulate apically, those of outer lobes longer and wider than inner ones; stamens 9, included; filaments distinct, 3–4 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.6–0.8 mm. |
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Achenes | brown, lenticular, 4–4.5 mm. |
light brown, globose-lenticular, 3–4.5 mm. |
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2n | = (72, 74, 76, 78), 80, (82, 84, 86, 88, 90). |
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Chorizanthe xanti |
Chorizanthe howellii |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | |||||
Habitat | Sandy places in coastal dunes and grassland communities | |||||
Elevation | 0-20 m (0-100 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA
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CA |
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Discussion | Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Chorizanthe howellii is an octoploid probably derived from an ancient hybrid event involving C. cuspidata var. villosa and perhaps C. valida. It is known only from a dune area north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, and is federally listed as endangered. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 463. | FNA vol. 5, p. 456. | ||||
Parent taxa | ||||||
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Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 272. (1877) | Goodman: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 44, plate 3, fig. 1. (1934) | ||||
Web links |