Taxon Report
Chorizanthe pungens Benth. var. pungensMonterey spineflower |
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Species Description:
Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens, commonly known as Monterey spineflower, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (maritime), Cismontane woodland, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 3 to 450 meters. Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.
Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Chorizanthe pungens Benth. var. pungens |
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Common Name: |
Monterey spineflower |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Element Code: | PDPGN040M2 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | CHPUP3 |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Jun(Jul-Aug) | Apr-Jun(Jul-Aug) |
| Elevation: | 3-450 (10-1475) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Valley and foothill grassland |
| Microhabitat: | Sandy |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G2T2 |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | FT |
| Other Status: | SB_SBBG; SB_UCBG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 51 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 6 |
| Good (B) | 12 |
| Fair (C) | 6 |
| Poor (D) | 2 |
| None (X) | 3 |
| Unknown (U) | 22 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Monterey (MNT), San Luis Obispo (SLO)*, Santa Cruz (SCR) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Espinosa Canyon (3612111), Laurel (3712118), Loma Prieta (3712117), Marina (3612167), Monterey (3612158), Moss Landing (3612177), Prunedale (3612176), Salinas (3612166), San Ardo (3612018), San Juan Bautista (3612175), San Lucas (3612121), San Simeon (3512162)*, Seaside (3612157), Soledad (3612143), Spreckels (3612156), Watsonville East (3612186), Watsonville West (3612187) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 12 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 29 | 57 % | |
| Development | 15 | 29% |
| Other | 12 | 23% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 11 | 21% |
| ORV activity | 5 | 9% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 5 | 9% |
| Agriculture | 3 | 5% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 3 | 5% |
| Erosion/runoff | 2 | 3% |
| Biocides | 1 | 1% |
| Improper burning regime | 1 | 1% |
| Mining | 1 | 1% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 1% |
Notes
| Collected in SLO Co. only once (1842). See Phytologia 66(2):123-125 (1989) for taxonomic treatment, and Fremontia 24(4):8-11 (1996) for taxonomic discussion. |
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Threats: |
| Threatened by foot traffic, urbanization, recreational development and activities, agriculture, military activities, and non-native plants. Possibly threatened by road construction. |
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Taxonomy: |
| See C. pungens in The Jepson Manual. |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 22 January 2025].