Chorizanthe pungens Bentham var. cuspidata (S. Watson) Parry

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 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.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): California.