Chorizanthe douglasii
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe douglasii, San Benito spineflower, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common name Douglas' spineflower. It is endemic to California
, where it grows in the mountains of the Central Coast Range from the Santa Lucia Range east to the Gabilan Range
.
is a cluster of flowers, each surrounded by six purple to bright pink bract
s which may be all fused together. The bracts are tipped in straight awns. The flower itself is 3 or 4 millimeters wide and white or pink in color.
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 Douglas' 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 grows in the mountains of the Central Coast Range from the Santa Lucia Range east to the Gabilan Range
Gabilan Range
The Gabilan Range or Gabilan Mountains are located on the Pacific Coast Range of California's Central Coast trending in a northwest-southeast direction along the Monterey County and San Benito County line. It is bordered by the Diablo Range, the San Andreas Fault, and State Route 25 to the east and...
.
Description
It is an erect herb producing a hairy stem up to about half a meter in maximum height. The leaves are up to 4 centimeters long and mainly arranged about the base of the plant, with a whorl of leaves at the middle of the stem as well. The inflorescenceInflorescence
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 cluster of flowers, each surrounded by six purple to bright 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 which may be all fused together. The bracts are tipped in straight awns. The flower itself is 3 or 4 millimeters wide and white or pink in color.