Chorizanthe robusta

Chorizanthe robusta is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It is endemic to California, where it is a rare, federally listed endangered species.

Description
Chorizanthe robusta is variable in form, growing decumbent or erect and reaching a maximum length of half a meter. It is grayish in color and hairy. The inflorescence is made up of several flowers with each flower surrounded by white or pink bracts with hooked tips. The flower itself is just a few millimeters long and white to pink in color.

Varieties
It is composed of two varieties:
 * var. robusta, known generally as the robust spineflower, which is known only from southern Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties,
 * var. hartwegii, the Scotts Valley spineflower, which is known from a few locations in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County.

The plant is closely related to Chorizanthe pungens, another rare endemic from the area.