Chorizanthe biloba var. immemora

Hernandez spineflower, Hernandez Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Hernandez spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in eastern San Luis Obispo and San Benito and eastern Monterey counties on serpentine, gravel, and vertic clay habitats at elevations of 600 to 800 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white to pale flowers with distinctive outer perianth lobes that are notched or slightly heart-shaped at the tip. Growing with delicate branching stems typically 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters in harsh serpentine environments. Its leaves are small and narrow, adapting to the challenging clay and rocky substrates where it thrives. The plant's unique chromosome count of 17 to 23 and specialized flower structure make it a remarkable endemic of California's serpentine landscapes.

Habitat: Serpentine, gravel, vertic clay

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 600-800 m

Bioregions: e SCoRI (se San Benito, e Monterey cos.).

California counties: San Benito, Fresno, Monterey

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