Plants spreading to erect, 0.5-3(-5) × 0.5-3 dm, thinly pubescent, often with appressed hairs, infrequently somewhat strigose or glabrate. Leaves basal; petiole 0.5-2 cm; blade oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic or spatulate, (1-)1.5-3(-4) × 0.1-1 cm, pubescent. Inflorescences green; bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, 0.3-1(-1.5) cm × 1-2.5 mm, becoming sessile and scalelike at distal nodes, linear, acicular, awns 0.2-0.5 mm. Involucres 1, green, 3-5 mm, not corrugate, thinly strigose; teeth divergent, 0.4-1.2 mm; awns uncinate, 0.2-0.5 mm. Flowers included; perianth greenish white to white or pale yellowish white, cylindric, 2-4 mm; tepals connate 3/ 4 their length, monomorphic, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, acute, entire apically; stamens slightly exserted; filaments distinct, 2-3.5 mm, glabrous; anthers white to pale yellow, ovate, 0.3-0.4 mm. Achenes dark brown, lenticular, 3-4 mm.
Chorizanthe brevicornu has stems and branches that easily disarticulate at the nodes. Dried specimens often are reduced to a mere jumble without careful handling. The vegetative fragments will not regenerate new plants, but the involucres (each with a single flower bearing a single achene) easily disarticulate from the parent plant, and with the aid of the awns on the teeth of the involucre, may be readily distributed.
Duration: Annual
Nativity: Native
Lifeform: Forb/Herb
General: Erect annual with several to numerous puberulent, greenish stems branching profusely from base often very brittle at nodes when mature.
Leaves: Mostly basal, petiolate, oblanceolate-spatulate, 3-6 cm long, strigose-puberulent, bracts foliaceous at lower nodes, acerose above, acerose ones 3-6 mm long, reddish.
Flowers: Involucres solitary in axils, 3-angled, 6 ribbed toward apex of puberulent tube, this 3.5-6 mm long, somewhat falcately curved, 6-toothed, teeth short, subequal, 1 mm long or less, uncinate; perianths short-pedicellate, 3-4 mm long, almost or completely included, greenish yellow, lobes similar, linear-oblong, about 1 mm long, 3 stamens inserted at base of perianth tube, opposite inner lobes.
Fruits: Achenes slightly curved, slightly exserted.
Ecology: Found on sandy desert slopes, flats, and washes below 2,500 ft (762 m); flowers March-May.
Distribution: WA and ID to AZ, UT, and CA
Notes: This species is often recognizable by its diffuse branching, largely devoid of leaves, and what leaves there are they are often very reduced. Can be confused in a small measure in appearance with Nemacladus glanduliferus, but pay attention to the ocrea in C. brevicornu and you will have no problem.
Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera has use.
Etymology: Chorizanthe comes from Greek chorizo, to divide, and anthos flower, referring to the divided calyx, while brevicornu means short-horned.
Synonyms: None
Editor: SBuckley, 2010
