common clarkia (diamond clarkia)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a slender taproot; stems 15-100 cm tall, usually simple, short stiff-hairy.
Leaves:
Few, mostly somewhat opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, 2-7 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, entire to finely toothed; stalks slender, 1-3 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a few-flowered, short raceme, buds nodding; hypanthium 1-3 mm long, scaly and white-hairy at the base of the stamens; corollas wheel-shaped, slightly irregular; petals rose-purple and often purple-dotted, 5-10 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, claw 2-lobed, the blade lance- to widely egg-shaped or diamond-shaped; sepals usually free; fertile stamens 8, all alike; stigmas oval, about 0.5 mm long, white to purple; styles not exceeding stamens.
Fruits:
Capsules, 1.5-3.3 cm long, short-beaked.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Dry, open areas in the lower montane zone; rare in SE BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, known only from Trail and Pend d'Oreille River; S to ID, UT, AZ and CA.Status Information
Taxonomic Keys
1. Petals not narrowing to a claw at the base; flowers regular, closing at night.
2. Sepals usually joined and turned to one side; ovaries and immature fruits 4-grooved; stigmas 1-6 mm long........................C. amoena 1. Petals with a distinct, narrow claw at the base; flowers slightly irregular, not closing at night.
3. Petals 3-lobed; fertile stamens 4; leaves often alternate........................C. pulchella |