Clarkia modesta
Encyclopedia
Clarkia modesta is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family
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 Waltham Creek 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 is known from the woodlands of several of the central mountain ranges, including the North and Central Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is an erect annual herb often exceeding half a meter in height. The oval, linear, or lance-shaped leaves are 2 to 4 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 opening flowers and closed, hanging flower buds. 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 remain fused as the petals bloom from one side. The petals are about a centimeter long and vary in shape from diamond to widely lance-shaped. They are pale to deep pink and generally dark-flecked or spotted.

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