Kingdom Plantae Family Onagraceae Scientific name Clarkia tembloriensis Rank Species | Order Myrtales Genus Clarkia Higher classification Clarkia | |
Similar Clarkia, Onagraceae, Clarkia exilis, Clarkia delicata, Clarkia modesta | ||
Clarkia tembloriensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family, known by the common name Temblor Range clarkia.
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Distribution
The wildflower is endemic to California, where it is native to the San Joaquin Valley, and into the adjacent Inner South California Coast Ranges on its west, including the namesake Temblor Range, and occasionally into the Sierra Nevada foothills on its southeast. It is found in chaparral scrub and grassland habitats, at 100–500 metres (330–1,640 ft) in elevation.
Description
Clarkia tembloriensis is an erect annual herb exceeding 0.5 metres (1.6 ft) in maximum height. The lance-shaped leaves are gray-green in color and waxy, reaching 7 centimeters long.
The inflorescence has open flowers and hanging closed buds. The fuzzy greenish sepals stay fused together as the petals bloom from one side. The herbage may be tinted with red.
The flower petals have diamond-shaped blades at the end of long claws. They are pinkish-lavender, sometimes with a large purple spot near the base. There are 8 stamens, some with large red or purple anthers and some with smaller, paler anthers.
Subspecies
Hybrids between subspecies have low fertility. The two current subspecies are: