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California spineflower, spineflower

Habit Herbs, annual; taproot slender.
Stems

arising directly from the root, erect to spreading, solid, not fistulose or disarticulating into ringlike segments, sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Leaves

usually quickly deciduous, basal, rosulate;

petiole absent;

blade spatulate to obovate, margins entire.

Inflorescences

terminal, cymose, uniparous due to suppression of secondaries;

branches dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, sparsely glandular-pubescent;

bracts 3(–5), positioned to side of node or perfoliate and completely but unequally surrounding node, connate nearly completely, triangular to ovate or oblong, awned, sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

1–3 per node, tubular, cylindric, (2–)3–4-angled, slightly ventricose on the angles in some;

teeth (2–)3–4, awn-tipped.

Flowers

1(–2) per involucre;

perianth white to pink, campanulate when open, cylindric when closed, pubescent abaxially;

tepals 6, connate ca. 1/3 their length, monomorphic, entire or erose to fimbriate apically;

stamens 6–9;

filaments free, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong.

Achenes

mostly included, brown to black, not winged, globose-lenticular, glabrous.

Seeds

embryo straight.

x

= 19.

Mucronea

Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Inflorescence bracts positioned to side of node, involucres 1-3 per node, 2.5-5(-7) mm,bracts (2-)3(-4), awns (0.5-)1-2.5 (3) mm; flowers 1-2; tepals entire apically
M. californica
1. Inflorescence bracts perfoliate; involucres 1 per node, 3-5(-6) mm, bracts 4, awns (0.3-)0.5-1.2 mm; flowers 1; tepals entire to fimbriate apically
M. perfoliata
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 470. Author: James L. Reveal.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae
Subordinate taxa
M. californica, M. perfoliata
Synonyms Chorizanthe section M.
Name authority Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 405, 419, plate 20. (1836)
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