Clarkia arcuata
Encyclopedia
Clarkia arcuata is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family
known by the common name glandular clarkia. It is endemic to California
, where it grows in the chaparral
and woodlands of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range
. It is an annual herb producing a slender, erect stem often exceeding half a meter in height. The leaves are narrow, usually linear or lance-shaped, and up to 6 centimeters long. The inflorescence
bears a few flowers, which dangle when they are buds and grow erect as they open. The sepal
s stay fused as the petals open and emerge from one side. They are coated in glandular hairs. The petals are up to 3 centimeters long, pink-lavender in color, sometimes with a reddish blotch at the base. They form a bowl-shaped corolla. There are 8 stamen
s and a protruding, four-chambered ovary
. The fruit is an elongated capsule which may reach 3.5 centimeters long.
Onagraceae
Onagraceae, also known as the Willowherb family or Evening Primrose family, are a family of flowering plants. The family includes about 640-650 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees in 20-24 genera...
known by the common name glandular clarkia. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in the chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and woodlands of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. It is an annual herb producing a slender, erect stem often exceeding half a meter in height. The leaves are narrow, usually linear or lance-shaped, and up to 6 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears a few flowers, which dangle when they are buds and grow erect as they open. The sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s stay fused as the petals open and emerge from one side. They are coated in glandular hairs. The petals are up to 3 centimeters long, pink-lavender in color, sometimes with a reddish blotch at the base. They form a bowl-shaped corolla. There are 8 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and a protruding, four-chambered ovary
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
. The fruit is an elongated capsule which may reach 3.5 centimeters long.