Chorizanthe minutiflora

Fort ord spineflower, Fort Ord Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Fort ord spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in central Coast Ranges at Fort Ord in northwestern Monterey County in sandy coastal scrub at elevations of 140 to 150 meters. Flowering from late April to early July, this plant produces white flowers with green-white tubes in small, dense clusters. Growing as a mat-forming plant with prostrate branches 5 to 20 millimeters tall and spreading up to 2 meters in diameter, it has sparsely hairy yellow-green herbage. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate, 5 to 20 millimeters long and 3 to 6 millimeters wide, with delicate branching stems emerging from the plant base. Each tiny flower features 3 stamens fused to the perianth tube base, with distinctively hooked awns 1 to 2 millimeters long.

Habitat: Uncommon. Sandy places in coastal scrub

Bloom period: Late Apr-early Jul

Elevation: 140-150 m

Bioregions: c CCo (Fort Ord, nw Monterey Co.).

California counties: Monterey

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