Chorizanthe leptotheca
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe leptotheca is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common names Ramona spineflower and Peninsular spineflower. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges
of southern California
and Baja California
, where it grows in chaparral
and forest habitat. It is very similar to its close relative, Turkish rugging (Chorizanthe staticoides
).
Chorizanthe leptotheca is an erect herb growing up to about 35 centimeters tall. The leaves are basal, oval in shape and up to about 3 centimeters long. The herbage is fuzzy to quite hairy in texture, and generally reddish in color. The inflorescence
is a loose cluster of flowers, each surrounded by six reddish bract
s coated in curly hairs and tipped in hooked awns. The flower itself is up to 6 millimeters wide, pink or red in color and hairy.
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 names Ramona spineflower and Peninsular spineflower. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
of southern 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...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, where it grows in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and forest habitat. It is very similar to its close relative, Turkish rugging (Chorizanthe staticoides
Chorizanthe staticoides
Chorizanthe staticoides is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Turkish rugging. It is endemic to California, where it is a common member of the flora in the chaparral and scrub habitats in a number of regions....
).
Chorizanthe leptotheca is an erect herb growing up to about 35 centimeters tall. The leaves are basal, oval in shape and up to about 3 centimeters long. The herbage is fuzzy to quite hairy in texture, and generally 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 loose cluster of flowers, each surrounded by six reddish 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 coated in curly hairs and tipped in hooked awns. The flower itself is up to 6 millimeters wide, pink or red in color and hairy.