Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata

San francisco bay spineflower, San Francisco Bay Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

San francisco bay spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern California Coast and San Francisco Bay bioregions in sandy habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pink flowers with hooked awns in delicate involucre structures. Growing with decumbent to prostrate branches 10 to 25 centimeters long, it spreads low across sandy ground. Its small leaves are approximately 5 to 25 millimeters long and 3 to 7 millimeters wide, forming dense ground-hugging clusters. The fruit measures 2 to 2.5 millimeters long, contributing to its compact and intricate growth form.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: n CCo, SnFrB.

California counties: San Francisco, Sonoma, San Mateo, Marin, Alameda, Monterey

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