Taxon Report

Chorizanthe howellii Goodm.

Howell's spineflower

Print Report



  Classification

Scientific Name:
Chorizanthe howellii Goodm.
Common Name:
Howell's spineflower
Family: Polygonaceae
Element Code: PDPGN040C0
USDA Plants Symbol: CHHO2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul May-Jul
Elevation: 0-45 (0-150)
General Habitats: Coastal dunes, Coastal prairie, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat: Disturbed areas (often), Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 9
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 6
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 3
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mendocino (MEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Fort Bragg (3912347), Inglenook (3912357), Mendocino (3912337)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 8
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
8 89 %
Foot traffic/trampling 5 55%
Other 5 55%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 4 44%
Non-native plant impacts 3 33%
Development 2 22%
Road/trail construction/maint. 2 22%
Erosion/runoff 1 11%
ORV activity 1 11%

Notes

Known only from north of Ft. Bragg. Threatened by development, foot traffic, recreational activities, vehicles, and non-native plants. Potentially threatened by trail construction. Closely related to C. pungens. See Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 21:44 (1934) for original description, and Phytologia 66(2):131-132 (1989) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 9 January 2025].