Flora of North America species comparison

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Clarkia australis

Clarkia similis

Small's southern clarkia

Ramona clarkia
Stems

erect, to 100 cm, puberulent.

erect, 30–90 cm, puberulent.
Leaves

petiole 10–30 mm;

blade linear to lanceolate, 2–5 cm.

petiole to 8 mm;

blade narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, 2–4 cm.
Inflorescences

open racemes, axis recurved only at tip in bud, straight 4+ nodes distal to open flowers;

buds pendent, narrowly obovoid, tip obtuse.

open racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud;

buds pendent.
Flowers

floral tube 2–4 mm;

sepals reflexed individually;

corolla rotate, petals lavender-purple, mottled or spotted reddish purple, ± rhombic, unlobed, 6–12(–14) ×3–7 mm, length 2.2–3 times width;

stamens 8, subequal, subtended by ciliate scales, pollen blue-gray;

ovary shallowly 4-grooved;

stigma exserted beyond anthers.

floral tube 1.5–2 mm;

sepals reflexed together to 1 side;

corolla rotate to bowl-shaped, petals pale pink shading nearly white near base, purple-flecked, fading pink, oblanceolate or obovate to diamond-shaped, 6–10 mm;

stamens 8, unequal, outer anthers dark pink, inner smaller, paler;

ovary shallowly 8-grooved.
Capsules

10–20 mm;

pedicel 0–4 mm.

15–30 mm;

subsessile.
Seeds

brown, 1–1.5 mm, scaly.

brown, 1 mm, tuberculate, crest inconspicuous.
2n

= 10.

= 34.

Clarkia australis

Clarkia similis
Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Yellow-pine forests. Shady sites, oak woodlands, chaparral.
Elevation 800–1500 m. (2600–4900 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Clarkia australis is found in the foothills of the central Sierra Nevada range, from Calaveras, Madera, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties, and has been designated as rare by the California Native Plant Society.

Clarkia australis is morphologically very similar to C. virgata and, based on its more southern distribution, may be derived from it. They are most readily distinguished morphologically by the narrower leaves of C. australis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Clarkia similis is known from southwestern California and northern Baja California, Mexico, mainly in the South Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges, from Monterey and San Benito counties in the north to San Diego County in the south. Reports from the Southern Sierra Nevada Foothills in Kern County and the Sacramento Valley in Tehama County are not confirmed.

Clarkia similis is a tetraploid species derived through polyploidization following hybridization between C. epilobioides and C. modesta.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Clarkia > sect. Myxocarpa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Clarkia > sect. Phaeostoma > subsect. Prognatae
Sibling taxa
C. affinis, C. amoena, C. arcuata, C. biloba, C. borealis, C. bottae, C. breweri, C. concinna, C. cylindrica, C. davyi, C. delicata, C. dudleyana, C. epilobioides, C. exilis, C. franciscana, C. gracilis, C. heterandra, C. imbricata, C. jolonensis, C. lassenensis, C. lewisii, C. lingulata, C. mildrediae, C. modesta, C. mosquinii, C. prostrata, C. pulchella, C. purpurea, C. rhomboidea, C. rostrata, C. rubicunda, C. similis, C. speciosa, C. springvillensis, C. stellata, C. tembloriensis, C. unguiculata, C. virgata, C. williamsonii, C. xantiana
C. affinis, C. amoena, C. arcuata, C. australis, C. biloba, C. borealis, C. bottae, C. breweri, C. concinna, C. cylindrica, C. davyi, C. delicata, C. dudleyana, C. epilobioides, C. exilis, C. franciscana, C. gracilis, C. heterandra, C. imbricata, C. jolonensis, C. lassenensis, C. lewisii, C. lingulata, C. mildrediae, C. modesta, C. mosquinii, C. prostrata, C. pulchella, C. purpurea, C. rhomboidea, C. rostrata, C. rubicunda, C. speciosa, C. springvillensis, C. stellata, C. tembloriensis, C. unguiculata, C. virgata, C. williamsonii, C. xantiana
Synonyms C. virgata var. australis
Name authority E. Small: Canad. J. Bot. 49: 1216, fig. 4D. (1971) H. Lewis & W. R. Ernst: Madroño 12: 89. (1953)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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