Taxon Report

Chorizanthe palmeri Wats.

Palmer's spineflower

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Chorizanthe palmeri, commonly known as Palmer's spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 55 to 945 meters. Chorizanthe palmeri is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Chorizanthe palmeri Wats.
Common Name:
 Palmer's spineflower
Family: Polygonaceae
Element Code: PDPGN040H0
USDA Plants Symbol: CHPA8
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Aug Apr-Aug
Elevation: 55-945 (180-3100)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat: Rocky, Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 4.2
Global Rank: G4
State Rank:
 S4
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0

Location
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Kern (KRN), Monterey (MNT), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Alder Peak (3512183), Arroyo Grande NE (3512025), Atascadero (3512046), Bryson (3512171), Burnett Peak (3512172), Burro Mountain (3512173), Cape San Martin (3512184), Casmalia (3412075), Cayucos (3512048), Cone Peak (3612114), Cypress Mountain (3512058), Goleta (3411947), Guadalupe (3412085), Jolon (3512182), Lake Isabella South (3511854), Lopez Mtn. (3512035), Lopez Point (3612115), Morro Bay North (3512047), Morro Bay South (3512037), Oceano (3512015), Paso Robles (3512066), Pebblestone Shut-in (3512161), Piedras Blancas (3512163), Pismo Beach (3512026), Port San Luis (3512027), San Luis Obispo (3512036), San Simeon (3512162), Santa Barbara (3411946), Santa Margarita Lake (3512034), Shedd Canyon (3512054), Tar Spring Ridge (3512024), Templeton (3512056), Tranquillon Mtn. (3412055), Villa Creek (3512174), Williams Hill (3512181), York Mountain (3512057)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 0
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
0 0 %

Notes
Does plant occur in SBT Co.? Isolated populations show local differences. Taxonomic revision in Phytologia 66(4):295-441 (1989) indicates species occurs mainly in the Santa Lucia Mtns. of MNT and SLO counties. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 12:271 (1877) for original description, and Phytologia 66(2):135-137 (1989) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 23 February 2025].