E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Downingia elegans (Douglas ex Lindl.) Torr.
common downingia (elegant calicoflower)
Campanulaceae (Bellflower family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Distribution of Downingia elegans
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Species Information

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General:
Annual herb from fibrous roots; stems erect or curved-ascending, simple or branched, 10-50 cm tall, glabrous.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, stalked, 0.5-2.5 cm long, lower ones linear, middle and upper ones lanceolaáte.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary flowers in the axils of the middle and upper leaves; corollas blue to pink or white with a yellow-ridged white eye, mostly 8-18 mm long; corolla tubes short and widely flaring.
Fruits:
Capsules, 2-5 cm long, 1-2 mm thick, broadest near the base, opening by long slits down the sides.
Notes:
This species was probably extirpated when the water level of Leach Lake was raised during a Ducks Unlimited waterfowl enhancement project.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Wet meadows, lakeshores and ponds in the steppe and lower montane zones; rare in SE BC, known only from Leach Lake (Creston area); S to NV and N CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

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General References