About Chorizanthe howellii Goodman
Chorizanthe howellii is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, with the common names Mendocino spineflower and Howell's spineflower. It is endemic to coastal Mendocino County, California, and is only found growing in sand dunes and coastal scrub near Fort Bragg. An estimated 95% of all remaining individuals of this plant belong to a single population located at MacKerricher State Park, and it is a federally listed endangered species. This plant is a decumbent, spreading species that grows hairy stems along the ground, reaching up to about 10 centimeters long. Its inflorescence is a cluster of flowers, where each individual flower is surrounded by a star-shaped arrangement of six spreading white bracts, which are tipped with straight brown awns. The flower itself is a few millimeters wide and ranges in color from white to pale pink. Historically, threats to this species have included off-road vehicle use, trampling by people on foot and horseback, and invasion by non-native plant species such as the iceplant Carpobrotus edulis and beachgrass Ammophila arenaria. These negative impacts have been reduced within the state park through an off-road vehicle ban, limits on foot and horse traffic, and removal of non-native plant species.
