''Chorizanthe'' is a genus of plants in the buckwheat family known generally as spineflowers. These are small, squat, herbaceous plants with spiny-looking

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. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s of flowers. The flowers may be in shades of red or yellow to white. The

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 usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s are pointed and sometimes tipped with a hooked

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, and the inflorescence often dries into a rounded, spiny husk. Spineflowers are found in western North America and South America. Name derivation: The word ''Chorizanthe'' comes from the Greek roots chorizo and anthos meaning "to divide," and "flower," thus meaning "divided flowers," but actually used in reference to the divided calyx. Selected species: * '' Chorizanthe angustifolia'' - narrowleaf spineflower * '' Chorizanthe biloba'' - twolobe spineflower * '' Chorizanthe blakleyi'' - Blakley's spineflower * '' Chorizanthe brevicornu'' - brittle spineflower * '' Chorizanthe breweri'' - San Luis Obispo spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe corrugata ''Chorizanthe corrugata'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name wrinkled spineflower. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and two states of northwest Mexico ...

'' - wrinkled spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe cuspidata ''Chorizanthe cuspidata'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name San Francisco spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the San Francisco Bay Area and to the immediate north ...

'' - San Francisco spineflower * '' Chorizanthe diffusa'' - diffuse spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe douglasii ''Chorizanthe douglasii'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common names San Benito spineflower and Douglas' spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountains of the Southern California ...

'' - San Benito spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe fimbriata ''Chorizanthe fimbriata'', the fringed spineflower, is an annual plant in the family Polygonaceae, the buckwheats. It is a member of the genus ''Chorizanthe'', the spineflowers, and is native to southern California and northern Baja California.

'' - fringed spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe howellii ''Chorizanthe howellii'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common names Mendocino spineflower and Howell's spineflower. It is endemic to coastal Mendocino County, California, where it is known only from the san ...

'' - Mendocino spineflower * '' Chorizanthe leptotheca'' - Ramona spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe membranacea ''Chorizanthe membranacea'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name pink spineflower. It is native to Oregon and California, where it is widespread and in some areas quite common. It can be found in a wi ...

'' - pink spineflower * '' Chorizanthe obovata'' - spoonsepal spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe orcuttiana Chorizanthe orcuttiana is a rare small annual plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. It is known commonly as Orcutt's spineflower or the San Diego spineflower, and it is endemic to San Diego County, California. The plant is diminutive, and ...

'' - San Diego spineflower * '' Chorizanthe palmeri'' - Palmer's spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe parryi ''Chorizanthe parryi'' is a species of flowering plant in the Polygonaceae, buckwheat family known by the common name Parry's spineflower and San Bernardino spineflower. The plant is Endemism, endemic to Southern California, where it is found in ...

'' - San Bernardino spineflower * '' Chorizanthe polygonoides'' - knotweed spineflower * '' Chorizanthe procumbens'' - prostrate spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe pungens ''Chorizanthe pungens'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Monterey spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area south along the Central Coast. Descri ...

'' - Monterey spineflower * '' Chorizanthe rectispina'' - prickly spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe rigida ''Chorizanthe rigida'', with the common names of devil's spineflower, rigid spineflower, spiny-herb, rigid spiny-herb, is an annual plant in the family Polygonaceae the buckwheats. It is a member of the genus ''Chorizanthe'', the spineflowers and ...

'' - devil's spineflower, rigid spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe robusta ''Chorizanthe robusta'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It is endemic to California, where it is a rare, federally listed endangered species. Description ''Chorizanthe robusta'' is variable in form, growing decumbent or ...

'' - robust spineflower * '' Chorizanthe spinosa'' - Mojave spineflower * ''

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 o ...

'' - Turkish rugging * '' Chorizanthe stellulata'' - starlet spineflower * '' Chorizanthe uniaristata'' - one-awned spineflower * ''

Chorizanthe valida ''Chorizanthe valida'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Sonoma spineflower. It is endemic to West Marin, Marin County, California, where it is known from only one remaining natural population ...

'' - Sonoma spineflower * '' Chorizanthe ventricosa'' - Priest Valley spineflower * '' Chorizanthe watsonii'' - fivetooth spineflower * '' Chorizanthe wheeleri'' - Santa Barbara spineflower * '' Chorizanthe xanti'' - Riverside spineflower

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment

Polygonaceae genera Taxa named by George Bentham {{Polygonaceae-stub