About Chorizanthe palmeri S.Watson
Chorizanthe palmeri is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, commonly called Palmer's spineflower. This species is endemic to California, and it has only been recorded from the Central Coast Ranges in western Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties. It grows on mountain slopes that have serpentine soils. This herbaceous plant varies in appearance: isolated populations often look quite different from each other, but these differences are not large enough to classify the populations as separate taxa. Generally, it is an erect plant that reaches up to 40 centimeters in height. Its stem, leaves, bracts, and flowers can all range in color from reddish to a distinct purple-red. When a large population is in bloom, the patch of red stands out against the surrounding brown hillside and can even be spotted from aircraft. Its inflorescence is a cluster of flowers surrounded by six red or purple bracts tipped with hooked awns. The individual flower is only a few millimeters across, is red or purple, and has a white or yellow throat.
