Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina

San fernando valley spineflower, San Fernando Valley Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Candidate

San fernando valley spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in western Transverse Ranges in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, specifically Laskey Mesa and Santa Susana Mountains, growing in sandy habitats at elevations of 90 to 500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive straight involucre awns. Growing with delicate stems that form low, spreading clusters, it develops compact, intricate branching patterns. Its leaves are small and narrow, typical of spineflower species, with fine texture that blends into the sandy landscape. The plant's unique involucre structure, with straight, needle-like awns, provides excellent adaptation to its arid, sandy environment.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 90-500 m

Bioregions: WTR (Laskey Mesa, Ventura Co. n Santa Susana Mtns, Los Angeles Co.).

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