13. Mucronea Bentham, Trans. Linn. Soc. London. 17: 405, 419, plate 20. 1836.
California spineflower [Latin mucronis, sharp point, alluding to awns of bracts and involucres]
James L. Reveal
Chorizanthe R. Brown ex Bentham sect. Mucronea (Bentham) A. Gray
Herbs, annual; taproot slender. Stems arising directly from the root, erect to spreading, solid, not fistulose or disarticulating into ringlike segments, sparsely glandular-pubescent. Leaves usually quickly deciduous, basal, rosulate; petiole absent; blade spatulate to obovate, margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, uniparous due to suppression of secondaries; branches dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, sparsely glandular-pubescent; bracts 3(-5), positioned to side of node or perfoliate and completely but unequally surrounding node, connate nearly completely, triangular to ovate or oblong, awned, sparsely glandular-pubescent. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1-3 per node, tubular, cylindric, (2-)3-4-angled, slightly ventricose on the angles in some; teeth (2-)3-4, awn-tipped. Flowers 1(-2) per involucre; perianth white to pink, campanulate when open, cylindric when closed, pubescent abaxially; tepals 6, connate ca. 1/ 3 their length, monomorphic, entire or erose to fimbriate apically; stamens 6-9; filaments free, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong. Achenes mostly included, brown to black, not winged, globose-lenticular, glabrous. Seeds: embryo straight. x = 19.
Species 2 (2 in the flora): California.
