Chorizanthe parryi var. parryi

Parry's spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Parry's spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in central and southern California coastal areas, eastern Transverse Ranges, and northwestern edge of the Desert Mountains in sandy habitats at elevations of 90 to 800 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white to pink flowers with distinctive hooked involucre awns. Growing with delicate branching stems less than 30 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clusters in sandy terrain. Its leaves are small and narrow, emerging from the base of the plant in sparse, thin arrangements. The plant's unique hooked awns serve as a key identification feature, helping it disperse seeds by catching onto passing animals.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 90-800 m

Bioregions: c&ampe SCo, e TR, nw edge DSon.

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura

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