Howell's spineflower

Plants spreading or decumbent to somewhat erect, 0.3-1 × 1-5 dm, villous. Leaves basal or nearly so; petiole 1-4 cm; blade spatulate to broadly obovate, 1-3 × 0.5-1.5(-1.8) cm, villous. Inflorescences with secondary branches sup-pressed, greenish to grayish; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1-5 cm × 5-15 mm, awns absent. Involucres 1, greenish to grayish, broadly cylindric, not ventricose, 3-4 mm, with conspicuous, white, scarious margins between teeth and extending up awn, not corrugate, pubescent; teeth spreading, equal, 0.5-1 mm, awns straight with longer ones 1-2 mm and anterior one mostly 2 mm, these alternating with shorter (0.5-1 mm) ones. Flowers exserted; perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, (3-)3.5-4.5 mm, pubescent nearly throughout; tepals connate 1/ 4 their length, dimorphic, oblong, truncate and erose to denticulate apically, those of outer lobes longer and wider than inner ones; stamens 9, included; filaments distinct, 3-4 mm, glabrous; anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.6-0.8 mm. Achenes light brown, globose-lenticular, 3-4.5 mm. 2n = (72, 74, 76, 78), 80, (82, 84, 86, 88, 90).

Flowering May-Jul. Sandy places in coastal dunes and grassland communities; of conservation concern; 0-20 m; Calif.

Chorizanthe howellii is an octoploid probably derived from an ancient hybrid event involving C. cuspidata var. villosa and perhaps C. valida. It is known only from a dune area north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, and is federally listed as endangered.