Chorizanthe rigida

(Torrey) Torrey & A. Gray

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 198. 1870.

Common names: Devil’s spineflower
Illustrated
Basionym: Acanthogonum rigidum Torrey in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 133. 1857
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 467. Mentioned on page 447, 466.
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Illustrator:

Copyright:

Plants erect, 0.2–0.8 (–1.5) × 0.1–0.7 (–1) dm, pubescent. Leaves basal and cauline; petiole 0.5–3 (–4) cm; basal blade broadly elliptic to obovate, 0.5–2.5 × (0.3–) 0.5–2 cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, more densely so to tomentose abaxially; proximal cauline leaf soon deciduous, 1, blade similar to basal leaf-blades only 1–2 (–2.5) × 0.5–1.5 cm, mucronate to awn-tipped, awn mostly 2–4 mm; distal cauline leaf-blade persistent, 1 per node, sessile, blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.1–1.5 × 0.05–0.15 cm, becoming hard and thornlike with age. Inflorescences with involucres in dense clusters in axils of bracts, these on short-shoots and each subtended by cauline leaves; bracts 2, subopposite to opposite, linear, 0.5–1 (–1.2) cm × 1–2 mm, awns straight, 2–4 mm. Involucres 1, greenish, urceolate, 3-ribbed, 2–3 mm, corrugate, pubescent, rarely villous near base in some; teeth 3, unequal, with thickened anterior tooth toward base, 5–10 mm, sometimes expanding and becoming lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, others 0.5–1.2 mm; awns straight. Flowers 1–2, included to slightly exserted; perianth yellow, cylindric, 1.5–1.8 mm, densely pubescent abaxially; tepals connate ca. 2/3 their length, monomorphic, oblong, rounded, entire apically; stamens 9, slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous; anthers yellowish, ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm. Achenes brown, 3-gonous, (1.5–) 1.8–2.2 mm. 2n = 38, 40.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–Jun.
Habitat: Sandy to gravelly or rocky flats and slopes, desert scrub
Elevation: -60-1900 m.

Distribution

V5 980-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah, Mexico (Baja California), Mexico (Sonora)

Discussion

Anyone with the misfortune to step bare-footed on Chorizanthe rigida after the plant has dried instantly appreciates its common name. The species is widespread on the Mojave and Sonoran deserts but only occasionally is it locally abundant or weedy. It is found also along the Lahontan Trough in western Nevada, a well-known biogeographic extension route north of the Mojave Desert (J. L. Reveal 1980). The exceedingly compact and dense inflorescences with suppressed secondary branches result in a series of leaves and bracts that subtend a closely arranged series of bracteated and involucrated flowers.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"longest" is not a number."/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Chorizanthe rigida"
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
3-gonous +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br />) +
James L. Reveal +
(Torrey) Torrey & A. Gray +
alternating +
straight +
anterior +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
tomentose +  and pubescent +
broadly elliptic;obovate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
alternate +  and rosulate +
stipelike +
Acanthogonum rigidum +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
linear;linear-lanceolate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
awnless +  and awned +
subopposite +  and opposite +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
deciduous +
distinct +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
glandular +, woolly-floccose +, tomentose +, strigose +, villous +, hirsute +  and pubescent +
scale-like +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
disarticulating +, dichotomous +, branched +  and open +
erect +  and spreading +
just below the soil surface or and above the soil surface +  and spreading +
Devil’s spineflower +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, Utah +, Mexico (Baja California) +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
-60-1900 m. +
curved +  and straight +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
white +  and pink or rose maroon or purple or yellow +
included +  and slightly exserted +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Sandy to gravelly or rocky flats and slopes, desert scrub +
uniparous +, capitate +  and cymose +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
connate +  and free +
villous +  and pubescent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
nonmembranous +
oblanceolate +  and elliptic or round +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
bractlike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
lobed +, undulate +, crisped +, crenulate +  and entire +
scarious +  and membranous +
not swollen +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
cylindric +
accrescent +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Feb–Jun. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
Illustrated +
not disarticulating +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
prostrate +  and erect +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
consisting of a series +  and tubular +
distinct +
erect;spreading +
spreading;erect +
Chorizanthe sect. Chorizanthella +
chambered +, , +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Chorizanthe rigida +
Chorizanthe sect. Acanthogonum +
species +
rounded +  and oblong +
coriaceous +
shallow +
erect +  and spreading +
lanceolate +  and narrowly elliptic +
expanding +  and unequal +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +