Chorizanthe orcuttiana

Orcutt's spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Orcutt's spineflower is a rare California native perennial ranked 1B.1 by CNPS, found in southern Southern California coastal areas around Del Mar to Point Loma in San Diego County, growing in sandy habitats at elevations of 60 to 200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in small clusters with delicate, narrowly oblanceolate perianth segments. Growing as a low, mat-forming plant only 1 to 5 centimeters tall with a spread of 3 to 20 centimeters, it has decumbent or prostrate branches spreading from its base. Its basal leaves are narrow, measuring 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters long and 0.2 to 0.5 centimeters wide, with a distinctive oblanceolate shape. The plant produces small three-angled involucres with three spreading lobes and minute hooked awns, creating a delicate and intricate botanical structure.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 60-200 m

Bioregions: s SCo (Del Mar to Point Loma, San Diego Co., extirpated elsewhere).

California counties: San Diego

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