Chorizanthe obovata
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe obovata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common name spoonsepal spineflower. It is endemic to California
, where it grows in the mountains of the Central Coast Range from Monterey
to Santa Barbara Counties
.
Chorizanthe obovata grows in chaparral
and woodland habitat. The plant is variable in appearance, growing prostrate or erect, its stem up to 40 centimeters long. The herbage is red to gray-green in color and hairy in texture. The inflorescence
is a cluster of flowers surrounded by six bract
s, each tipped with hooked awns except the longest, which may have a straight awn. The flower itself is 4 or 5 millimeters wide and white to pinkish 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 spoonsepal 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 Monterey
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
to Santa Barbara Counties
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
.
Chorizanthe obovata 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 woodland habitat. The plant is variable in appearance, growing prostrate or erect, its stem up to 40 centimeters long. The herbage is red to gray-green in color and hairy in texture. 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 cluster of flowers surrounded by six 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, each tipped with hooked awns except the longest, which may have a straight awn. The flower itself is 4 or 5 millimeters wide and white to pinkish in color.