Chorizanthe brevicornu var. spathulata

Great basin brittle spineflower, Great Basin Brittle Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Great basin brittle spineflower is a native perennial found in the southeastern Great Basin desert region in sandy and gravelly habitats at elevations of 700 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces small white to pale pink flowers in delicate involucres with obscurely ribbed structures. Growing with compact stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clusters characteristic of desert spineflowers. Its leaves are distinctively oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 1 to 2 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1 centimeter wide, with rounded tips that give the plant a soft, understated appearance. The fruit develops within its characteristically textured involucre, adapted to harsh desert conditions.

Habitat: Sand, gravel

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 700-2900 m

Bioregions: SNE

California counties: Inyo, Mono, Lake

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