Taxon Report

Chorizanthe xanti Wats. var. leucotheca Goodm.

white-bracted spineflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca, commonly known as white-bracted spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal scrub (alluvial fans), Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 300 to 1200 meters. Chorizanthe xanti var. leucotheca is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chorizanthe xanti Wats. var. leucotheca Goodm.
Common Name:	white-bracted spineflower
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN040Z1
USDA Plants Symbol:	CHXAL
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	300-1200 (985-3935)
General Habitats:	Coastal scrub, Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Gravelly (sometimes), Sandy (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G4T3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_USDA; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	59
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	10
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	46

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD), San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Anza (3311656), Blackburn Canyon (3311667), Bucksnort Mtn. (3311645), Cabazon (3311687), Cahuilla Mtn. (3311657), Cajon (3411734)?, Catclaw Flat (3411616), Desert Hot Springs (3311685), Devore (3411724), Idyllwild (3311666), Lake Arrowhead (3411732), Morongo Valley (3411615), Old Woman Springs (3411646), Onyx Peak (3411626), Palm Springs (3311675), Palm View Peak (3311665), Telegraph Peak (3411735), Toro Peak (3311654), White Water (3311686), Yucaipa (3411711)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	11	19 %
Development	10	16%
Non-native plant impacts	10	16%
Grazing	8	13%
ORV activity	1	1%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	1%

Notes



Threatened by development, flood control projects, mining, and vehicles. See Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 21:60 (1934) for original description, and Phytologia 66(2):160-163 (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 16 September 2025].