Brittle Spine Flower
Chorizanthe brevicornu
Photographed along Cave Creek, New River Mountains, Maricopa Co., Arizona. April 2008.
ANNUAL: Low growing, rather obscure annual of spring. Mostly less than
30 cm tall. Upright and intricately branched. The stems turn orange-red after maturity and readily break into segments carrying hooked seeds.
ARMED. The bracts surrounding the flowers grow tough and hook-like as they mature.
LEAVES: Leaves are narrow, linear and mostly basal - few leaves above ground.
RANGE: Frequent throughout the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico on rocky slopes and along washes. Green plants visible from mid spring; drying stems and seeds present through late spring/early summer.
FRUIT: Dry capsules encircled by verticle bract-hooks. When mature these readily detach and hook into socks, etc.
FLOWERS: Mostly hidden behind the usually six hooked bracts.