Plant Image
Flowers


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Chorizanthe rigida - devil's spineflower

Synonyms: Acanthogonum rigidum
Other Common Names: spine herb, rigid spine flower, spiny Chorizanthe.
Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub

Family: Polygonaceae


   
 
line decor
  Home   Plant Communities Plant List Search Forbs and Subshrubs Search Grasses Search Woody Plants Additional Resources About this Website
line decor
 

Click on Any Image for a Larger View

Leaves
Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)
Plant
Frankie Coburn @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)
Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native   Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: Erect hairy stems and leaves; basal rosette leaves are oval with narrowing at the stem attachment; stem leaves are mostly bract-like, some basal-like leaves also present; flowers spiny, hairy; plant persists as brown-blackened herbage long after death.
Identification notes: Loose mat of basal leaves; woolly stems; stem leaves opposite or in threes, hard, pointed with age; yellow to greenish flowers on erect stems; base (involucre) supporting the flowers 3-angled, 3-ribbed and 3-toothed; 2 spiny tipped bracts subtend flowers.
Height: 3/4 inch to 4 inches


Habitat

Habitat Description: Found on sandy or gravely soils on slopes, flats and desert scrub communities. Widespread on the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub,
Elevation: Below 2500 feet


Flower Characteristics

Color: Yellow to greenish     Shape: Regular in clusters     Tubular: Y     Flowering Period: Mar - May
Description: Dense clusters of yellow to greenish spiny flowers with 1 to 2 lobes, hairy; 9 stamens; flower is enclosed by an whorl of 3-angled, 3-ribbed, 3-toothed, spine-tipped bracts (involucre); below the involucre are 2 additional bracts.


Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green     Leaf Type: Simple     Leaf Shape: Narrow     Leaf Margin: Smooth     Leaf Attachment: Basal and opposite     Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: Leaves and stems     Spines: Y
Leaf Description: Erect hairy stems arise from a rosette of narrow somewhat oval basal leaves; stems are straight at the base becoming branched; stem leaves lance-like, opposite or in threes, woolly hairs underneath, 3/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide; sharp spines at tip.


Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Brown   
Fruit Type: Achene
Fruit Notes: Fruit is hard, 3-angled; oval, 1/16 inch long; pointed at top (beak); does not open at maturity along lines or pores.


  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
Legal Disclaimer