Farewell-to-spring, ruby chalice clarkia

Godetia rubicunda Lindley, Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 22: plate 1856. 1836; Clarkia rubicunda subsp. blasdalei (Jepson) H. Lewis & M. E. Lewis; G. blasdalei Jepson

Stems erect or decumbent, to 150 cm, puberulent; buds erect. Leaves: petiole to 10 mm; blade lanceolate to elliptic, 1–4 cm. Inflorescences open or dense spikes or racemes, axis straight; buds erect. Flowers: floral tube 4–10 mm; sepals reflexed together to one side; corolla bowl-shaped, petals pink to lavender, base red or purplish red, fan-shaped, 10–30 mm, apex erose; stamens 8, subequal; ovary cylindrical, 4-grooved, puberulent; stigma exserted beyond anthers. Capsules 20–40 mm; pedicel 0–25(–40) mm. Seeds brown to grayish brown, 1.2–1.5 mm, scaly, crest 0.2 mm. 2n = 14.

Flowering May–Aug. Openings in woodlands, forests, chaparral, coastal scrub; 0–500 m; Calif.

Clarkia rubicunda is known from the central coast of California, from Contra Costa and Marin counties south along the coast and foothills to northern San Luis Obispo County.

Clarkia rubicunda is probably a derivative of C. amoena and may be ancestral to C. franciscana. Clarkia rubicunda is distinguishable from some populations of C. amoena only by the absence of a red spot or group of spots near the middle of the petal and the presence of a red area at the base of the petal. Clarkia rubicunda can be distinguished from C. franciscana by the position of the stigma and size and shape of the petals. All three species differ in chromosome arrangement and hybrids are highly sterile.