Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu

Brittle spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Brittle spineflower is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada and desert regions in sandy and gravelly habitats at elevations of 60 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces delicate white to pale pink flowers in distinctive involucres with prominent ribs. Growing with slender stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, it spreads in low, compact formations. Its leaves are narrow and linear, measuring 1.5 to 3 centimeters long with sharp, acute tips rarely wider than 3 millimeters. The plant forms intricate, fine-textured clusters in open, arid landscapes.

Habitat: Sand, gravel, common

Bloom period: Feb-Jul

Elevation: 60-2300 m

Bioregions: s SNE, D

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, San Diego, Inyo, Los Angeles, Imperial, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Ventura, Mono

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