Chorizanthe aphanantha

Irish hills spineflower, Irish Hills spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Irish hills spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in San Luis Obispo County in serpentine chaparral at elevations of 100 to 370 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers with rose-pink to purple anthers in small, tightly clustered inflorescences. Growing as a tufted or mat-forming plant with prostrate to ascending branches reaching up to 26 centimeters in diameter, it has delicate, minutely hairy stems. Its basal leaves are distinctive, with spoon-shaped to widely ovate blades 4 to 8 millimeters long and 0.6 to 5 millimeters wide, typically glabrous or slightly strigose. The plant's involucre is three-angled with six ribs, featuring needle-like bracts and hooked awns that add to its intricate architectural structure.

Habitat: Serpentine chaparral

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 100-370 m

Bioregions: San Luis Obispo

California counties: San Luis Obispo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.