Chorizanthe cuspidata
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe cuspidata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common name San Francisco spineflower. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area
and to the immediate north and south. It grows in sandy coastal habitat.
The inflorescence
is a dense cluster of cylindrical flowers, each bordered by white or pink bract
s with hooked or straight spines at the tips. The flower itself is 2 or 3 millimeters long, white or pink, and hairy. The minute tepal
s are lobed, with the central lobe longest and coming to a point.
Varieties
There are two varieties of this species:
Polygonaceae
Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known informally as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"— "buckwheat family" in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers...
known by the common name San Francisco spineflower. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and to the immediate north and south. It grows in sandy coastal habitat.
Description
The Chorizanthe cuspidata plant grows flat along the ground, its stems extending up to about half a meter in length. The leaves are located about the base of the stem and are generally oval in shape and up to 5 centimeters long. The herbage is hairy to woolly in texture and green to reddish in color.The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense cluster of cylindrical flowers, each bordered by white or pink bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s with hooked or straight spines at the tips. The flower itself is 2 or 3 millimeters long, white or pink, and hairy. The minute tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s are lobed, with the central lobe longest and coming to a point.
Varieties
There are two varieties of this species:
- Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata is quite rare due to its Bay Area habitat having been mostly consumed for development.
- Chorizanthe cuspidata var. villosa can be found in the protected habitat of Point Reyes National SeashorePoint Reyes National SeashorePoint Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California, USA. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park Service as a nationally important nature preserve within which existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue...
.