Chorizanthe wheeleri
Encyclopedia
Chorizanthe wheeleri is a rare species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family
known by the common names Santa Barbara spineflower and Wheeler's spineflower. It is endemic to Santa Cruz
and Santa Rosa Islands
, two of the Channel Islands of California
.
It resembles the closely related plant known as Turkish rugging (Chorizanthe staticoides
) and any reported mainland occurrences are actually specimens of this much more common species.
C. wheeleri is erect, growing up to about 25 centimeters tall, reddish in color and hairy in texture. The inflorescence
is a dense cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by six hairy bract
s with hooked awns at the tips. The flower is white to red and only 2 or 3 millimeters wide.
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 Santa Barbara spineflower and Wheeler's spineflower. It is endemic to Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island was the largest privately owned island off the continental United States, but is currently part-owned by the National Park service . The island, located off the coast of California, is long and from wide...
and Santa Rosa Islands
Santa Rosa Island, California
Santa Rosa Island is the second largest of the Channel Islands of California at 53,195 acres . Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block 3009, Block Group 3, Census Tract 29.10 of Santa Barbara County, California, the 2000 census showed an official population of 2 persons. It is part of...
, two of the Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
.
It resembles the closely related plant known as 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....
) and any reported mainland occurrences are actually specimens of this much more common species.
C. wheeleri is erect, growing up to about 25 centimeters tall, reddish 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 dense cluster of flowers, each flower surrounded by six hairy 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 awns at the tips. The flower is white to red and only 2 or 3 millimeters wide.