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beak clarkia

Ramona clarkia

Stems

erect, to 60 cm, puberulent.

erect, 30–90 cm, puberulent.

Leaves

petiole to 10 mm;

blade lanceolate, 1–6 cm.

petiole to 8 mm;

blade narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, 2–4 cm.

Inflorescences

open racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud;

buds pendent.

open racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud;

buds pendent.

Flowers

floral tube 1.5–2.5 mm, with ring of hairs at distal margin inside;

sepals reflexed together to 1 side;

corolla bowl-shaped, petals pinkish lavender shading white near middle, often flecked reddish purple, base reddish purple, 10–25 mm;

stamens 8, unequal, width of all filaments equal or inner slightly thinner, outer anthers lavender, inner smaller, paler.

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

10–30 mm, beak 7–15 mm.

15–30 mm;

subsessile.

Seeds

unknown.

brown, 1 mm, tuberculate, crest inconspicuous.

2n

= 18.

= 34.

Clarkia rostrata

Clarkia similis

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Oak-pine woodlands. Shady sites, oak woodlands, chaparral.
Elevation 500 m. (1600 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 rostrata is known only from the Merced River drainage in the central Sierra Nevada Foothills, including Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, and (barely) Tuolumne counties. Because of its very limited distribution, C. rostrata is listed as rare by the California Native Plant Society.

Clarkia rostrata is closely related to C. cylindrica and C. lewisii but can be distinguished readily from both by the conspicuous beak of the capsule.

(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. Phaeostoma > subsect. Sympherica Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Clarkia > sect. Phaeostoma > subsect. Prognatae
Sibling taxa
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. 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
Name authority W. S. Davis: Brittonia 22: 281. (1970) H. Lewis & W. R. Ernst: Madroño 12: 89. (1953)
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