Chorizanthe rectispina

Straight-awned spineflower, Straight-Awned Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Straight-awned spineflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties in sandy or gravelly habitats at elevations of 200 to 600 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white and yellow flowers with white outer lobes and a yellow tube, arranged in small, loose clusters. Growing low and diffusely branched to 8 centimeters tall with a spread of 50 to 40 centimeters, it has spreading to decumbent stems that emerge from the plant base. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 5 to 15 millimeters long and 2 to 6 millimeters wide, with distinctive involucres featuring straight and hooked awns. The fruit is 3 to 3.5 millimeters long, with intricately structured floral bracts and lobes.

Habitat: Sand or gravel

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 200-600 m

Bioregions: SCoRO (s Monterey, San Luis Obispo cos.).

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara

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