Chorizanthe leptotheca (Peninsular Spineflower)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Peninsular Spineflower, Ramona Spineflower

Description

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Family Polygonaceae

Herbs, shrubs , or small trees , sometimes monoecious or dioecious. Stems erect , prostrate , twining , or scandent , often with swollen nodes, striate , grooved , or prickly. Leaves simple , alternate, rarely opposite or whorled , petiolate or subsessile ; stipules often united to a sheath (ocrea) . Inflorescence terminal or axillary , spicate , racemose, paniculate , or capitate. Pedicel occasionally articulate . Flowers small, actinomorphic , bisexual , rarely unisexual . Perianth 3-6-merous, in 1 or 2 series, herbaceous, often enlarged in fruit or inner tepals enlarged, with wings , tubercles , or spines. Stamens usually (3-) 6-9, rarely more; filaments free or united at base ; anthers 2-loculed, opening lengthwise; disk annular (often lobed ) . Ovary superior, 1-loculed; styles 2 or 3, rarely 4, free or connate at lower part. Fruit a trigonous , biconvex , or biconcave achene; seed with straight or curved embryo and copious endosperm.

About 50 genera and 1120 species: worldwide, but primarily N temperate with a few species in tropical regions ; 13 genera (two endemic) and 238 species (65 endemic) in China.[1]

Genus Chorizanthe

Herbs [or subshrubs ], annual [or perennial ]; taproot slender to stout. Stems prostrate or decumbent to erect , pubescent ; aerial flowering stems arising [at nodes of caudex branches, at distal nodes of aerial stems or] directly from the root , decumbent to erect, slender [to stout and solid, not disarticulating in ringlike segments], sometimes disarticulating at each node. Leaves persistent or quickly deciduous, basal and rosulate or basal and cauline, alternate; petiole present; blade linear to oblanceolate or spatulate , entire apically. Inflorescences terminal , cymose or capitate, uniparous due to suppression of secondaries; branches open and spreading or erect, typically trichotomously branched at proximal node, otherwise dichotomous, sometimes brittle and disarticulating into segments, round , pubescent [or rarely glabrous ]; bracts mostly 2, opposite, sometimes numerous , whorled , distinct , leaflike to subulate or linear, occasionally awn-tipped, thinly pubescent (sometimes appressed ), hirsute , villous , strigose , or tomentose , rarely woolly-floccose or minutely glandular . Peduncles absent. Involucres 1-6+ per node, 3-6-ribbed, tubular , cylindric to urceolate or turbinate to campanulate ; teeth 3, 5, or 6, awn-tipped. Flowers bisexual , 1(-2) per involucre, pedicellate ; perianth white to yellow or pink to rose-pink, red, maroon or purple, cylindric, funnelform , or campanulate when open, cylindric when closed , glabrous or pubescent abaxially; tepals (5-) 6, connate 3 their length , monomorphic or dimorphic , entire, emarginate , or lobed to laciniate apically; stamens 3, 6, or 9, or variously 3-9; filaments distinct or connate into staminal tube , sometimes adnate to floral tube , glabrous or pubescent; anthers maroon to red or cream to white or yellow, oval to oblong ; styles erect to spreading. Achenes included , light brown to dark brown or black, not winged , lenticular , globose-lenticular, or 3-gonous, glabrous. Seeds: embryo straight or curved . x = 10.

Species 50: North America (including Mexico), South America.

Like Eriogonum, Chorizanthe is the basal element in its own subtribe , Chorizanthineae Reveal. Nonetheless, recent molecular data indicate that Chorizanthe is embedded within Eriogonum (A. S. Lamb Frye, pers. comm. ), meaning that either all species of the Chorizanthineae should be moved to Eriogonum, or Eriogonum should be fragmented into several genera. Obviously, therefore, all of the segregate genera that follow could be merged into Chorizanthe, and this was common practice until 1989. A key factor still unresolved is the relationship between the perennial species of Chorizanthe (including the type of the genus) and Eriogonum. The traditional assumption is that Eriogonum and Chorizanthe represent independent lines of evolution from a basal, diploid (n = 10) ancestor that is now extinct . A corollary to this assumption is that this divergence occurred during the Eocene and the perennial spineflowers were successfully introduced into southern South America, whereas the wild buckwheats€”lacking a ready means for long-distance dispersal€”failed to make the trip . Thus, it is possible that the perennial members of Chorizanthe represent a genus distinct from the annuals treated here (33 of the 41 annuals occur in the flora area, the rest are in Mexico or in South America). In that case, our annual members (if not submerged into Eriogonum) would be called Acanthogonum Torrey.

The segregate genera allied to Chorizanthe, like those allied to Eriogonum, differ primarily in their involucres. Aristocapsa and Dodecahema, with haploid chromosome numbers of 14 and 17, respectively, are difficult to associate with any extant member of Chorizanthe (mainly n = 19, 20, 38, 40). Centrostegia, Lastarriaea, Mucronea, and Systenotheca all appear much more akin to Chorizanthe. A point of origin can be suggested only for Lastarriaea, namely Chorizanthe interposita Goodman of central Baja California, Mexico. C. D. Hardham (1989) reported a range of gametic numbers from single individuals. Until somatic counts are made, the primary chromosome numbers of some species remain uncertain.

J. L. Reveal and C. B . Hardham (1989b) divided the annual species of Chorizanthe genus into three subgenera : subg. Amphietes (39 species), and subg. Eriogonella and subg. Quintaria (one species each). The first is divided into four sections (Ptelosepala, Acanthogonum, Fragile, and Clastoscapa Reveal & Hardham), all but the last of which are found in our region. Some sections were divided into subsections, which are not treated here.

The approximately nine perennial species of subg. Chorizanthe occur only in arid regions of Chile and Argentina.[2]

Physical Description

Species Chorizanthe leptotheca

Plants erect to spreading , 0.5-3(-3.5) × 0.5-3(-5) dm, thinly pubescent . Leaves basal; petiole 1-3(-4) cm; blade oblong to oblong-ovate, 0.5-2(-3) × 0.3-0.5(-0.7) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, usually densely tomentose adaxially. Inflores-cences mostly flat-topped and openly branched, usually reddish; bracts soon deciduous, 2, occasionally leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, short-petiolate, ovate , 0.3-0.4 cm × 2-3 mm, otherwise sessile, linear and acicular , often acerose , 0.1-0.3 cm × 0.7-1 mm, awns straight, 0.5-1 mm. Involucres in congested clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric , not ventricose , 3-4 mm, not corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins , thinly pubescent; teeth spreading, unequal, 0.7-1.5 mm with longer of 3 longest ones more erect than 3 other shorter and less-prominent ones, awns uncinate , 0.5-1 mm. Flowers long-exserted; perianth rose to red, infrequently with white lobes , cylindric, 4.5-6 mm, pubescent; tepals connate ca. 1/ 2 their length , dimorphic or sometimes monomorphic , narrowly oblanceolate , apex rounded , those of outer whorl slightly broader and occasionally longer than those of inner whorl; stamens 9, mostly included ; filaments distinct , 4-6 mm, glabrous ; anthers pink to red, ovate to oblong, 0.5-0.6 mm. Achenes brown, lenticular , 3-4 mm. 2n = 38. [source]

Chorizanthe leptotheca is found in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County southward along the eastern edge of the Santa Ana Mountains, and through the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains of Riverside County into the mountains of central San Diego County. The species is also found in north-central Baja California. [source]

Ramona spineflower is clearly related to Chorizanthe staticoides, but that species occurs to the west of the range of C. leptotheca and the two are not known to be sympatric. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: May, June, July, August.

Habitat

Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes , grassland and chaparral communities, pine-oak woodlands; (300-)600-1600(-1900) m [3].

Peninsular spineflower is found in open habitats , typically on granitic-derived or alluvial surfaces. At higher elevations , this species appears to be associated with chaparral, sage scrub and coniferous forest openings and at lower elevations it is typically associated with old formation alluvial benches (Reveal and Hardham 1995).

Biology

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Reproduction

This annual herb blooms from May through August and has white, pink or red flowers. The flowers produce narrow, brown achenes that are 3 to 4 mm long (Reveal and Hardham 1989).

Duration: Annual

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Magnoliopsida () - Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Caryophyllidae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Polygonanae () - Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
        Order: Caryophyllales () - Perleb, 1826
        Family: Polygonaceae () - A.L. de Jussieu, 1789, nom. cons. - knotweed, renouées
        Subfamily: Eriogonoideae ()
        Tribe: Eriogoneae ()
        Genus: Chorizanthe () - R. Brown ex Bentham, 1836 - Spineflower [Greek chorizo, to divide, and anthos, flower, alluding to tepals]
        Specific epithet: leptotheca - Goodman
        Botanical name: - Chorizanthe leptotheca Goodman

Notes

Publishing author : Goodman Publication : Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 61 1934 [12 Apr 1934]

Similar Species

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Peninsular spineflower is similar in appearance to, and sympatric with, Chorizanthe staticoides (Skinner and Pavlik 1994). Where peninsular spineflower occurs on the alluvial benches of Kolb Creek near Highway 79, it is associated with Dodecahema leptoceras (Boyd and Banks 1995).

Members of the genus Chorizanthe

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 54 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 25, 2007:

Berkeley Natural History Museums, University and Jepson Herbaria DiGIR provider
USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2647118
Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-21016
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13740857
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:693497-1
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 21016
International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 57273-2
MoBot NameID: 26000965
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDPGN040D0
U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CHLE6
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 30544

Footnotes

Anjen Li, Bojian Bao, Alisa E. Grabovskaya-Borodina, Suk-pyo Hong, John McNeill, Sergei L. Mosyakin, Hideaki Ohba & Chong-wook Park "Polygonaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 5 Page 277. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
James L. Reveal "Chorizanthe". in Flora of North America Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
"Chorizanthe leptotheca". in Flora of North America Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

Chorizanthe leptotheca

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Polygonaceae

Genus Chorizanthe

Physical Description

Species Chorizanthe leptotheca

Habitat

Biology

Reproduction

Taxonomy

Notes

Similar Species

Members of the genus Chorizanthe

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Data Sources

Identifiers

Footnotes