Chorizanthe cuspidata
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 379. 1882.
Plants decumbent to prostrate or ascending, 0.5–2(–2.5) × 0.5–10 dm, villous. Leaves basal; petiole (0.5–)1–3 cm; blade oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–5 × (0.3–)0.4–0.7(–1) cm, villous. Inflorescences rather dense with secondary branches suppressed, greenish to reddish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming narrowly elliptic to linear-lanceolate and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.5–5 cm × 2–7 mm, awns 0.5–1.2 mm. Involucres 1, greenish, cylindric, often ventricose basally, 1–3 mm, without scarious margins or if so then white to pink, thin, and restricted to basal portions of teeth, corrugate, villous abaxially; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5–2 mm; awns uncinate or straight with longer ones 2–3 mm and anterior one mostly 2.5–3 mm, these alternating with shorter 1–1.5(–1.7) mm ones. Flowers included to slightly exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, 2–3 mm, pubescent abaxially; tepals connate less than 1/4 their length, monomorphic, oblong, truncate to 3-lobed and distinctly cuspidate apically; stamens 9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 2–3 mm, glabrous; anthers cream to rose, narrowly oblong, 0.3–0.4 mm. Achenes light brown, globose-lenticular, 2–3 mm.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Involucral awns uncinate apically; San Francisco area | Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata |
| 1 | Involucral awns straight, rarely curved or with 1 awn uncinate; Marin and Sonoma counties | Chorizanthe cuspidata var. villosa |