Chorizanthe xanti var. xanti

Pinyon spineflower, Pinyon Spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Pinyon spineflower is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands, northern and eastern Transverse Ranges, and southern Sierra Nevada east to Mono County in sandy and gravelly habitats at elevations of 300 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces small white to pale pink flowers in delicate, thinly hairy involucres. Growing with slender, branching stems typically 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clusters. Its leaves are narrow and sparse, with basal leaves often more prominent than stem leaves. The plant has distinctive chromosome counts of 19 or 21, contributing to its unique genetic profile in its native range.

Habitat: Common. Sand, gravel

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: (60)300-1600 m

Bioregions: s SN, Teh, s SCoRI, n&ampe TR (exc e SnBr), SNE (s Mono Co.).

California counties: Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, Tulare, Riverside, San Benito

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