Clarkia epilobioides

(Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride

Bot. Gaz. 65: 60. 1918.

Common names: Canyon or willowherb clarkia
Basionym: Oenothera epilobioides Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray Fl. N. Amer. 1: 511. 1840
Synonyms: Godetia epilobioides (Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) S. Watson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Stems erect, 20–70 cm, sparsely puberulent. Leaves: petiole to 7 mm; blade linear to nar­rowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 1.5–2.5 cm. Inflorescences open racemes, sometimes few-branched, axis recurved at tip in bud; buds pendent. Flowers usually cleistogamous; floral-tube 1–3 mm; sepals reflexed together to 1 side or in pairs; corolla bowl-shaped, petals fading pink, obovate; stamens 8, unequal, anthers white or cream, outer ones larger than inner. Capsules 10–30 mm; pedicel 5–11 mm. Seeds brown, 0.5–1 mm, scaly, crest inconspicuous. 2n = 18.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Shady sites, woodlands, chaparral.
Elevation: 0–1000 m.

Distribution

Ariz., Calif., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Clarkia epilobioides is known from south-central Arizona in Gila, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties, and widely in west-central and southwestern California and adjacent Baja California, Mexico. In California, it occurs from Contra Costa and San Mateo counties in the San Francisco Bay area to San Diego County in the south, including most of the Channel Islands.

Clarkia epilobioides is modally self-pollinating, and up to half of its flowers do not open, yet set a full complement of seeds (H. Lewis and M. E. Lewis 1955). However, outcrossing does occur, and C. epilobioides is one of the parents of the tetraploid species C. similis, from which it differs by having white, unflecked petals; it is also one of the parents of the tetraploid C. delicata.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Clarkia epilobioides"
cream +  and white +
Harlan Lewis† +  and Peter C. Hoch +
(Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride +
Oenothera epilobioides +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
denticulate +  and entire +
oblanceolate +  and lanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
subsessile +  and long-pedicellate +
curved +  and straight +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
subclavate +, subfusiform +  and cylindrical +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
elongated +
Canyon or willowherb clarkia +
bowl--shaped +
inconspicuous +
Ariz. +, Calif. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
0–1000 m. +
basifixed +  and versatile +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
campanulate +  and obconic +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
actinomorphic +
cleistogamous +
pedicellate +  and sessile +
curved +  and straight +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
terete +, 4-angled +, clavate +, fusiform +, cylindrical +  and elongate +
Shady sites, woodlands, chaparral. +
cream +  and pale-pink +
unicellular-papillose +
deciduous +
purple +  and darker-pink +
ribbed +  and grooved +
subterete +
numerous +  and 1 +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
fading pink +
obovate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–May. +
red +, lavender +, blue-gray +, yellow +  and cream +
basal +  and cauline +
several +  and 1 +
clavate +  and globose +
few +  and numerous +
sculptured +  and smooth +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
pink +  and purplish red +
deciduous +
0 +  and 1 +
parenchymatous +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
1 +, 4 +  and 2 +
unequal +
aquatic +, amphibious +  and terrestrial +
unequal +
2 times as many or as many as sepals +
unbranched +  and sparsely branched +
decumbent +  and prostrate +
puberulent +
slender +  and stout +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
petiolate +  and sessile +
intrapetiolar +
aquatic +, amphibious +  and terrestrial +
Godetia epilobioides +
Clarkia epilobioides +
Clarkia subsect. Micranthae +
species +
3(-5)-aperturate +
short-acute +
smooth +  and erose +
papillate +