Glandular clarkia or fairyfan

Oenothera arcuata Kellogg, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 58. 1855; Godetia hispidula (S. Watson) S. Watson; O. hispidula S. Watson

Stems erect, to 8 cm, glabrous or puberulent. Leaves sessile; blade linear to narrowly lan­ceolate or oblanceolate, 1.5–6 cm, surfaces glabrate. Inflo­rescences racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud; buds pendent. Flowers: floral tube 3–7 mm, puberulent with spreading hairs and shorter glandular hairs; corolla bowl-shaped, petals pinkish lavender, lighter prox­imally, often with dark reddish spot at base, broadly obo­vate or obdeltate, 10–30 mm; stamens 8, subequal; ovary 8-grooved, sparsely puberulent, hairs mostly glan­dular; stigma exserted beyond anthers. Capsules 10–35 mm; pedicel 5–15 mm. Seeds brown, 2 mm, minutely scaly, crest 0.5 mm, prominent. 2n = 14.

Flowering Apr–Jun. Openings in woodlands and chaparral, serpentine soil; 0–1600 m; Calif.

Clarkia arcuata is primarily distributed in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada from Mariposa to Tehama counties, sparsely south to Kern County, and with one disjunct occurrence in Shasta County; it has also been reported from Napa County.

Clarkia arcuata is morphologically most similar to C. lassenensis, from which it differs in fruit char­acter­istics. The two species have distinct areas of distribution and attempts to produce hybrids have not been successful.