Small’s southern clarkia

Clarkia virgata Greene var. australis (E. Small) D. W. Taylor

Stems erect, to 100 cm, puber­ulent. Leaves: petiole 10–30 mm; blade linear to lanceolate, 2–5 cm. Inflorescences open racemes, axis recurved only at tip in bud, straight 4+ nodes distal to open flowers; buds pendent, narrowly obovoid, tip obtuse. Flowers: floral tube 2–4 mm; sepals reflexed individually; corolla rotate, petals lavender-purple, mottled or spotted reddish purple, ± rhombic, unlobed, 6–12(–14) ×3–7 mm, length 2.2–3 times width; stamens 8, sub­equal, subtended by ciliate scales, pollen blue-gray; ovary shallowly 4-grooved; stigma exserted beyond anthers. Capsules 10–20 mm; pedicel 0–4 mm. Seeds brown, 1–1.5 mm, scaly. 2n = 10.

Flowering Jun–Jul. Yellow-pine forests; of conservation concern; 800–1500 m; Calif.

Clarkia australis is found in the foothills of the cen­tral Sierra Nevada range, from Calaveras, Madera, Mari­posa, and Tuolumne counties, and has been designated as rare by the California Native Plant Society.

Clarkia australis is morphologically very similar to C. virgata and, based on its more southern distribution, may be derived from it. They are most readily distinguished morphologically by the narrower leaves of C. australis.