Systenotheca vortriedei

Vortriede's spineflower

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Vortriede's spineflower is a California native annual found in the Santa Lucia Range of Monterey and Santa Luis Obispo counties in sandy habitats at elevations of 700 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate plant produces white to pink or rose-colored flowers in small, 4-angled involucres about 2.5 to 4 millimeters long. Growing with a spreading habit, the plant reaches 2 to 15 centimeters in diameter, featuring glandular stems that sprawl across the sandy ground. Its basal leaves are relatively large, measuring 1 to 5 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1 centimeter wide, spreading outward from the plant's base. The fruit is small, 2 to 2.5 millimeters long, turning from brown to black as it matures.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 700-1500 m

Bioregions: SCoRO (Santa Lucia Range, Monterey, Santa Luis Obispo cos.).

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Monterey

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