Clarkia prostrata
Encyclopedia
Clarkia prostrata 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 prostrate clarkia. It is endemic to the coastline of San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...

, where it grows on seaside bluffs in forested and grassy areas. This annual herb is prostrate as opposed to erect as most other Clarkia species are. Its stems extend to a maximum length approaching half a meter and are usually somewhat fuzzy in texture. The leaves are oval in shape, up to 2.5 centimeters long, and lack petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...

. 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 of the flower separate into two pairs, revealing the lavender-pink blooming petals. Each petal is just over a centimeter long, fan-shaped to oval, and sometimes with a yellow base marked with a red spot.

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