San Benito spineflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Benito spineflower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chorizanthe
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| Species: |
douglasii
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| Synonyms | |
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Chorizanthe nortonii |
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The San Benito spineflower (also called Douglas' spineflower) is a type of flowering plant. Its scientific name is Chorizanthe douglasii. It belongs to the buckwheat family. This plant grows only in California, especially in the mountains of the Southern California Coast Ranges. You can find it from the Santa Lucia Range all the way to the Gabilan Range.
What Does the San Benito Spineflower Look Like?
This plant is an upright herb. It has a stem that can grow up to about 50 centimeters (half a meter) tall. The stem is often covered in small hairs.
Its leaves are usually found near the bottom of the plant. They can grow up to 4 centimeters long. Sometimes, there is also a ring of leaves around the middle of the stem.
Flowers and Bracts
The flowers grow in a group called an inflorescence. Each tiny flower is surrounded by six special leaves called bracts. These bracts can be purple or bright pink. They might even be joined together.
The bracts have straight, pointy tips. The actual flower is quite small, only about 3 or 4 millimeters wide. Its petals can be white or pink.
