9. Clarkia gracilis (Piper) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride, Bot. Gaz. 65: 63. 1918.
[E F]
Slender clarkia
Godetia gracilis Piper in C. V. Piper and R. K. Beattie, Fl. N.W. Coast, 251. 1915; G. amoena (Lehmann) G. Don var. gracilis (Piper) C. L. Hitchcock
Stems erect, to 90 cm, glabrous or puberulent. Leaves: petiole to 11 mm; blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–7 cm. Inflorescences racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud; buds pendent. Flowers: floral tube 1.5–10 mm; corolla bowl-shaped, petals pink to lavender or light purple, often lighter toward base, unspotted or with red spot near middle or base, obovate or obdeltate, 6–40 mm; stamens 8, subequal; ovary 4-grooved, puberulent; stigma exserted or not beyond anthers. Capsules 25–50 mm, usually wider distally; pedicel 0–10 mm. Seeds brown or mottled with dark spots, 1.5–2 mm, scaly, crest 0.1 mm.
Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora): w United States.
Clarkia gracilis is a tetraploid derived from C. amoena and an unknown, presumably extinct, species related to C. arcuata and C. lassenensis. Clarkia gracilis is readily distinguished from C. amoena by the axis of the inflorescence in bud, which is not recurved in C. amoena; it is distinguished from C. arcuata and C. lassenensis by its four rather than eight-grooved ovary.
