Chorizanthe membranacea
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe membranacea is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common name pink spineflower. It is native to Oregon
and California
, where it is widespread and in some areas quite common. It can be found in a wide variety of habitats.
This herb grows erect to a maximum height near 1 metres (3.3 ft). It is woolly in texture and most of its parts may bear a pink tint. The leaves are mostly linear in shape and they may occur along the stem as well as at the base. The longest may reach 5 centimeters.
The inflorescence
is a dense cluster of flowers, each surrounded by a unit of six fused bract
s which are generally white to pinkish in color. The bracts are tipped with hooked awns. The flower itself is just a few millimeters long, white to pink, and quite hairy. There are sometimes small inflorescences located in the cauline leaf axils along the stem.
Chorizanthe membranacea is easily distinguished from other spineflowers by its relative abundance of leaves, its height and upright habit, and the fusion of the bracts of the involucre into a continuous body.
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 pink spineflower. It is native to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and 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 widespread and in some areas quite common. It can be found in a wide variety of habitats.
This herb grows erect to a maximum height near 1 metres (3.3 ft). It is woolly in texture and most of its parts may bear a pink tint. The leaves are mostly linear in shape and they may occur along the stem as well as at the base. The longest may reach 5 centimeters.
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 flowers, each surrounded by a unit of six fused 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 are generally white to pinkish in color. The bracts are tipped with hooked awns. The flower itself is just a few millimeters long, white to pink, and quite hairy. There are sometimes small inflorescences located in the cauline leaf axils along the stem.
Chorizanthe membranacea is easily distinguished from other spineflowers by its relative abundance of leaves, its height and upright habit, and the fusion of the bracts of the involucre into a continuous body.