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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

CHORIZANTHE SPINEFLOWER
Annual [per], prostrate to erect, generally hairy.
Leaf: basal or cauline, alternate, linear to narrow, awns 0; ocreae 0.
Inflorescence: terminal, generally cyme- or head-like, hairy [( glabrous)]; peduncles 0; involucres generally 1–6, tubular, 3–6-ribbed, teeth 3, 5, or 6, awned.
Flower: 1(2), glabrous or hairy; perianth white, yellow, red, maroon, or purple, lobes (5)6, entire, notched or lobed to fringed; stamens generally 3, 6, or 9.
Fruit: generally brown or black, generally elliptic, glabrous; embryo straight or curved.
± 50 species: temperate w North America; sw South America. (Greek: divided flower, for perianth lobes) Involucre length measurements including teeth and awns unless otherwise specified.

Key to Chorizanthe

1. Involucre 3–5-toothed or -ribbed

2. Involucre teeth (4)5

3. Involucre awns straight; flower glabrous; stamens fused to tube base — w DMoj ..... C. spinosa

3' Involucre awns hooked; flower hairy; stamens fused to near tube top

4. Involucre bell-shaped, tube 2–2.5 mm, abaxial tooth not longer, not wider than others; flower white to rose, 1.5–1.8(2) mm; c&n CA ..... C. polygonoides var. polygonoides (2)

4' Involucre cylindric, tube 3–4.5 mm, abaxial tooth longer, wider than others; flower yellow, 1.5–2.5 mm; sw SnJV, n edge TR, GB, w DMoj ..... C. watsonii

2' Involucre teeth 3

5. Involucre cylindric, markedly transversely ridged; stamens 6 — D ..... C. corrugata

5' Involucre urn- to bell-shaped, not markedly transversely ridged; stamens 9

6. Plant prostrate; involucre bell-shaped; abaxial tooth 1.8–2 mm, awn hooked; s SCo ..... C. orcuttiana

6' Plant erect; involucre urn-shaped; abaxial tooth 5–10 mm, awn straight; SNE, D ..... C. rigida

1' Involucre 6–toothed or -ribbed

7. Involucre teeth with scarious margins

8. Involucre teeth scarious margins continuous across sinuses

9. Perianth lobes obcordate to 2-lobed — NCoRI, CaRF, SNF, e SnFrB ..... C. stellulata (2)

9' Perianth lobes entire

10. Involucre hairy, 3–5 mm; flower 3.5–4(4.5) mm; SCoR ..... C. douglasii

10' Involucre tomentose to ± glabrous, 3–4 mm; flower (1.5)2.5–3 mm; more widespread in CA-FP ..... C. membranacea

8' Involucre teeth scarious margins not continuous across sinuses

11. Involucre awns straight

12. Involucres 3–4 in small bracted clusters; perianth lobes alike — NCoRI, CaRF, SNF, e SnFrB ..... C. stellulata (2)

12' Involucres 1; perianth lobes not alike

13. Fl (3)3.5–4.5 mm, hairy generally throughout; plant generally spreading to decumbent; c NCo ..... C. howellii

13' Fl (4)5–6 mm, hairy on lower 1/2; plant erect to spreading; n CCo ..... C. valida (2)

11' Involucre awns hooked

14. Fl glabrous; perianth lobes entire, tube yellow — CCo, w SnFrB, w SCoRO ..... C. diffusa

14' Fl hairy; perianth lobes 2-lobed, jagged, or short-pointed, tube white

15. Involucre tube 2.5–4 mm, thinly hairy; flower 2.5–4 mm ..... C. robusta

16. Involucre lobes rose-pink; plant erect; s SnFrB ..... var. hartwegii

16' Involucre lobes white; plant spreading or decumbent; n-c CCo, sw SnFrB ..... var. robusta

15' Involucre tube 1–2.5(3) mm, densely hairy; flower 2–3 mm

17. Perianth lobes awned ..... C. cuspidata var. cuspidata (2)

17' Perianth lobes minutely jagged

18. Involucre teeth margins ± pink; involucre tube 1.5–2(2.5) mm; flower 2–3 mm; stamens 3 or 6–9 ..... C. angustifolia (2)

18' Involucre teeth margins white (± pink) or dark ± pink to purple; involucre tube 2–2.5(3) mm; flower 2–3.5 mm; stamens 9 ..... C. pungens

19. Involucre teeth margins dark ± pink to purple; plant ± ascending to erect; 90–500 m ..... var. hartwegiana

19' Involucre teeth margins white (± pink); plant prostrate to ± ascending; 0–65 m ..... var. pungens

7' Involucre teeth without scarious margins (except Chorizanthe fimbriata, Chorizanthe procumbens)

20. Involucre teeth of unequal, not of equal or alternating, lengths, abaxial tooth >> others

21. Abaxial awn hooked ..... C. clevelandii

21' Abaxial awn straight

22. Outer perianth lobes entire or ± 2-lobed, inner jagged; stamens 9; SCoRO ..... C. rectispina

22' Outer perianth lobes with 1 or 3 teeth, inner entire; stamens 3; s SN, e CW, n WTR ..... C. uniaristata

20' Involucre teeth of equal or alternating lengths, abaxial tooth not >> others

23. Perianth lobes all or at least inner fringed or 2-lobed

24. Outer and inner perianth lobes fringed — SW ..... C. fimbriata

25. Perianth lobes with terminal segment linear to lanceolate, wider than lateral; flower 6–7(8) mm ..... var. fimbriata

25' Perianth lobes with terminal segment linear, barely wider than lateral; flower 8–9(10) mm ..... var. laciniata

24' Outer and/or inner perianth lobes not fringed

26. Perianth lobes white to ± pink

27. Inner perianth lobes 2-lobed ..... C. blakleyi

27' Inner perianth lobes fringed ..... C. obovata

26' Perianth lobes red, rose, maroon, or dark purple

28. Outer perianth lobes entire; involucre tube 3.5–4 mm, awns 0.5–1 mm ..... C. palmeri

28' Outer perianth lobes 2-lobed or minutely jagged; involucre tube 4–6 mm, awns 0.5–2 mm

29. Outer perianth lobes minutely jagged or wavy-margined, inner fringed or ± 2-lobed; flower 4–4.5 mm; involucre tube 4–4.5 mm, swollen; SCoRI ..... C. ventricosa

29' Outer perianth lobes 2-lobed or notched, inner fringed; flower (4.5)5–6 mm; involucre tube 4–6 mm, ± swollen; SCoR ..... C. biloba

30. Outer perianth lobes deeply 2-lobed ..... var. biloba

30' Outer perianth lobes notched or ± cordate at tip ..... var. immemora

23' Perianth lobes entire, awned, or minutely jagged

31. Perianth lobes alike, outer and inner similar in width and length

32. Plant generally erect; branches breaking at nodes; stamens 3, fused to tube top ..... C. brevicornu

33. Lf blades 1–3(5) mm wide; involucres ribbed ..... var. brevicornu

33' Lf blades 5–10 mm wide; involucres obscurely ribbed ..... var. spathulata

32' Plant prostrate to erect; branches not breaking at nodes; stamens 3–9 and fused to tube base or (6)9 and fused to tube top

34. Stamens fused to tube top; perianth lobes entire or minutely notched; CA-FP ..... C. polygonoides

35. Involucre tube 1.5–2 mm, awns of prominent teeth 2–3 mm; PR ..... var. longispina

35' Involucre tube 2–2.5 mm, awns of prominent teeth 1.5–2 mm; NW, CaR, n SNF, ScV, CW ..... var. polygonoides (2)

34' Stamens fused to tube base; perianth lobes entire, awned, or minutely jagged

36. Perianth lobes entire; stamens fused basally — c&s SCo, s TR, w PR ..... C. procumbens

36' Perianth lobes awned or minutely jagged; stamens free

37. Perianth lobes minutely jagged; CCo ..... C. angustifolia (2)

37' Perianth lobes awned; n CCo, SnFrB

38. Involucre awns hooked, teeth with or without scarious margins; n CCo, SnFrB ..... C. cuspidata var. cuspidata (2)

38' Involucre awns straight, teeth without scarious margins; n CCo ..... C. cuspidata var. villosa

31' Perianth lobes not alike, inner narrower and shorter

39. Involucre awns straight

40. Involucre tube 1.5–2 mm; WTR ..... C. parryi var. fernandina

40' Involucre tube 3–4(4.5) mm; n CCo ..... C. valida (2)

39' Involucre awns hooked

41. Involucre tube 1.5–2 mm — TR ..... C. parryi var. parryi

41' Involucre tube 2.5–6 mm

42. Proximal leaf-like bracts of stem early-deciduous or 0

43. Fl 4.5–6 mm; e PR ..... C. leptotheca

43' Fl 3–4(5) mm; c&s CCo, SCoRO, SW (except e PR) ..... C. staticoides

42' Proximal leaf-like bracts of stem persistent

44. Fl 4.5–6 mm, long exserted from involucre ..... C. xanti

45. Involucre densely hairy; e SnBr, n SnJt ..... var. leucotheca

45' Involucre thinly hairy; s SN, Teh, s SCoRI, n&e TR (except e SnBr), SNE ..... var. xanti

44' Fl 2.5–3.5 mm, ± exserted from involucre

46. Fl 3–3.5 mm; involucre tube 2.5–3 mm; stamens 9; SCoRO ..... C. breweri

46' Fl 2.5–3 mm; involucre tube 2–2.5 mm; stamens 6; n ChI ..... C. wheeleri

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