Chorizanthe ventricosa

Priest Valley spineflower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Chorizanthe
Species: C. ventricosa
Binomial name
Chorizanthe ventricosa
Goodman
Synonyms

Chorizanthe palmeri var. ventricosa (Goodman) Munz

Chorizanthe ventricosa, common name Priest Valley spineflower, is a plant species endemic to a small region in the Coastal Ranges of west-central California. It is found only on serpentine outcrops in grasslands and pine-oak woodlands at elevations of 500-1000 m. It has been reported from 4 counties: Monterey, San Benito, Fresno and San Luis Obispo.[1]


Chorizanthe ventricosa is an herb up to 70 cm tall, forming large spreading colonies. Leaves are up to 5 cm long. Flowers are formed in clusters up to 6 cm across, with green bracts with pointed tips giving the impression of spines. Flowers are 2-colored, white or yellow plus red or maroon. [1][2][3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Flora of North America v 5
  2. Goodman, George Jones. 1939. A new species of Chorizanthe. Leaflets of Western Botany 2(11): 193–195, f. 1–2.
  3. Hickman, J. C. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California 1–1400. University of California Press, Berkeley.