Taxon Report
Chorizanthe parryi S. Watson var. fernandina (S. Watson) Jeps.San Fernando Valley spineflower |
 © 2008 Anuja Parikh and Nathan Gale |
Taxon Summary
Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina, commonly known as San Fernando Valley spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal scrub (sandy), and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 150 to 1220 meters. Chorizanthe parryi var. fernandina is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Chorizanthe parryi S. Watson var. fernandina (S. Watson) Jeps. |
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Common Name: |
San Fernando Valley spineflower |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Element Code: | PDPGN040J1 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | CHPAF |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Jul | Apr-Jul |
| Elevation: | 150-1220 (490-4005) |
| General Habitats: | Coastal scrub, Valley and foothill grassland |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G3T1 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | CE |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 21 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 1 |
| Good (B) | 2 |
| Fair (C) | 9 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 9 |
| Unknown (U) | 0 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Los Angeles (LAX), Orange (ORA)*, Ventura (VEN) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Black Star Canyon (3311776), Burbank (3411823)*, Calabasas (3411826), Canoga Park (3411825), Lake Hughes (3411864)*, Newhall (3411845), Oat Mountain (3411835)*, San Fernando (3411834)*, Sunland (3411833)*, Val Verde (3411846), Van Nuys (3411824)*, Venice (3311884)*, Warm Springs Mountain (3411855), Whitaker Peak (3411856) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 9 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 17 | 81 % | |
| Development | 17 | 80% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 3 | 14% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 3 | 14% |
| Agriculture | 3 | 14% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 1 | 4% |
| ORV activity | 1 | 4% |
| Other | 1 | 4% |
| Erosion/runoff | 1 | 4% |
| Grazing | 1 | 4% |
Notes
| Rediscovered in 1999. Most historical habitat is now heavily urbanized. See Madroño 48(2):78 (2001) for information about rediscovery. |
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Threats: |
| Seriously threatened by development and non-native plants. |
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Taxonomy: |
| See Botany of California 2:481 (1880) for original description and Phytologia 66(2):147-149 (1989) for taxonomic treatment. |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 December 2025].