Chorizanthe valida

Chorizanthe valida is a rare species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Sonoma spineflower. It is endemic to West Marin, Marin County, California, where it is known from only one remaining natural population at Point Reyes National Seashore. It was thought to be extinct until 1980 when the Point Reyes population was discovered. Chorizanthe valida is a federally listed endangered species. This plant is erect in form, reaching up to about 30 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers with each flower surrounded by six reddish or gray bracts, each tipped with a straight awn. The awns are bright red when new and age ivory white. They are not hard or hooked in shape like those of many other Chorizanthe. The flower is a few millimeters long and white or pink in color. This rare plant once had a wider distribution; specimens were collected many decades ago in neighboring Sonoma County. Today it is limited to Point Reyes where there is one na......read more on Wikipedia.