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.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Clarkia gracilis subsp. albicaulis, Clarkia gracilis subsp. gracilis, Clarkia gracilis subsp. sonomensis, Clarkia gracilis subsp. tracyi

Key

1	Stigmas not exserted beyond anthers; petals 6–23 mm.	Clarkia gracilis subsp. gracilis
1	Stigmas exserted beyond anthers; petals20–40 mm.	> 2
2	Petals with red spot near mid blade, base of blades white.	Clarkia gracilis subsp. sonomensis
2	Petals unspotted, base of blades red or bright red.	> 3
3	Petals 20–30 mm.	Clarkia gracilis subsp. tracyi
3	Petals 30–40 mm.	Clarkia gracilis subsp. albicaulis