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| Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera |
| Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) |
| Flowers — color: purple, size: 3/4", type: 4 petals |
The Purple Clarkia flower has four petals that overlap to form a shallow bowl about 3/4" wide. The subspecies name, quadrivulnera, and the nickname, Four-Spot, refers to the triangular magenta spot at the jagged end of each petal, but coloration may vary among plants in the same field. The Winecup common name may apply to a darker variant. Four long and four short white stamens having large white anthers project from the flower's throat, centered with a pistil having a prominent pink stigma.
The flowers grow singly from leaf nodes on the main or auxillary stems. One photo shows a seedpod developing beind a closed flower. The flowers in this species of Clarkia always face skyward and open and close every day. When I found some specimens at 4 PM, the partially closed flowers prevented a good identification. Some waviness apparent in the flower photos may be related to opening/closing.
Habit:
Purple Clarkia is an annual herb with columnar form. The reddish main stem rises 1/2–3 feet and may have fine white hair. Larger plants will develop ascending branches on the top half, and these may rise to the height of the main stem. The narrow leaves are lanceolate [shaped like a lance head, rounded base and sharper tip] and several inches long. They attach directly to the stem and have a tendency to fold lengthwise.
Clarkia in the common and scientific names honors the explorer William Clark. Sunny grassy areas.
Observations:
I found these blooming on a hillside south of Burton Mesa Rd. and an open field north of Vanguard.