Chorizanthe procumbens
Prostrate spineflower
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Prostrate spineflower is a California native perennial found in southern California coastal areas, southern Transverse Ranges, and western Peninsular Ranges in sandy or gravelly habitats at elevations of 10 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white to yellow flowers in small clusters with delicate, hooked involucre bracts. Growing as a low-spreading mat only 2 to 8 centimeters tall and spreading up to 50 centimeters wide, it forms dense, hairy ground-hugging patches. Its basal leaves are oblong-oblanceolate, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long and less than 1 centimeter wide, providing a fine textural groundcover. The plant produces tiny fruits 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long, nestled among its intricate branching structure.
Habitat: Common. Sand or gravel
Bloom period: Apr-Jun
Elevation: (0)10-1300 m
Bioregions: c&s SCo, s TR, w PR
California counties: San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.