Taxon Report

Chorizanthe minutiflora Rand. Morgan, Styer & Reveal

Fort Ord spineflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chorizanthe minutiflora, commonly known as Fort Ord spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (maritime), and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 55 to 150 meters. Chorizanthe minutiflora is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chorizanthe minutiflora Rand. Morgan, Styer & Reveal
Common Name:	Fort Ord spineflower
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN04100
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul	Apr-Jul
Elevation:	55-150 (180-490)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:	Openings, Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.2 on 2017-01-17

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	5
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	5

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Monterey (MNT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Marina (3612167), Salinas (3612166), Seaside (3612157)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Discovered in 1994 by R. Morgan.
Threats:
Threatened by lack of disturbance and chaparral succession. Also threatened by non-native plants.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to CRPR 1B.2, G1 / S1 (2017)

Phytoneuron 63:1-9 (2014)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 4 November 2025].