Taxon Report

Chorizanthe orcuttiana Parry

Orcutt's spineflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chorizanthe orcuttiana, commonly known as Orcutt's spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (maritime), Closed-cone coniferous forest, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 3 to 125 meters. Chorizanthe orcuttiana is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chorizanthe orcuttiana Parry
Common Name:	Orcutt's spineflower
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN040G0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CHOR
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	3-125 (10-410)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Closed-cone coniferous forest, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:	Openings, Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	18
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	4
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	5
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Del Mar (3211782), Encinitas (3311713), La Jolla (3211772), Point Loma (3211762), Rancho Santa Fe (3311712)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	12	67 %
Non-native plant impacts	8	44%
Foot traffic/trampling	6	33%
Road/trail construction/maint.	4	22%
Development	3	16%
Erosion/runoff	2	11%
Improper burning regime	1	5%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	5%

Notes



Most historical habitat urbanized. Threatened by foot traffic and non-native plants. See Phytologia 66(2):183 (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 6 November 2025].