Chorizanthe xanti
Riverside spineflower
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chorizanthe xanti (Riverside spineflower) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family.
Riverside spineflower is a California native perennial found in southern California's desert and coastal regions in sandy or rocky habitats at elevations of 300 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces delicate pink to purple flowers in open, flat-topped clusters with hooked awns. Growing with erect, diffusely branched stems 15 to 25 centimeters tall, it spreads with ascending branches from a short stem base. Its leaves are primarily basal, with oblong to ovate blades 3 to 10 millimeters long, densely covered in soft white hairs on the underside. The fruit is a small, three-angled structure 4 to 4.5 millimeters long, surrounded by a hairy perianth.
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Tulare, Fresno, Monterey, San Bernardino, Mono, Riverside, Merced, San Benito, Kings, Inyo
How to tell it apart
vs Eriogonum: Chorizanthe has 1 flower per involucre; Eriogonum has multiple flowers per involucre.; vs Eremothera: Chorizanthe has 6-parted flowers in spiny cups; Eremothera has 4-petaled evening-primrose flowers.; vs Calyptridium: Chorizanthe has flowers in awned involucres; Calyptridium has naked flowers with papery sepals.; vs Lastarriaea: Chorizanthe has thin papery flowers; Lastarriaea has distinctly thick, leathery-textured flowers.; vs Navarretia: Chorizanthe is in Polygonaceae with 6-parted flowers; Navarretia is in Polemoniaceae with 5-lobed tubular flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chorizanthe xanti native to California?
Yes. Chorizanthe xanti is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Chorizanthe xanti grow?
Chorizanthe xanti occurs in Kern, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Tulare, Fresno, Monterey and other counties.
What plant family does Chorizanthe xanti belong to?
Chorizanthe xanti is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Chorizanthe.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca — White-bracted spineflower
- Chorizanthe xanti var. xanti — Pinyon spineflower
- Chorizanthe angustifolia — Narrow-leaf spineflower
- Chorizanthe aphanantha — Irish hills spineflower
- Chorizanthe biloba — Two lobed spineflower
- Chorizanthe biloba var. biloba — Two-lobe spineflower
- Dedeckera eurekensis — July gold
- Dedeckera sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.