Clarkia cylindrica

(Jepson) H. Lewis & M. E. Lewis

Madroño 12: 33. 1953. (as cyclindrica)

Common names: Speckled clarkia
Basionym: Godetia bottae var. cylindrica Jepson Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 2: 332. 1907
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Stems erect, to 60 cm, puber­ulent or glabrous. Leaves: petiole to 5 mm; blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1–6 cm. Inflorescences open racemes, axis recurved at tip in bud; buds pendent. Flowers: floral tube 2–7 mm, with ring of hairs proximal to distal margin inside; sepals reflexed together to 1 side; corolla bowl-shaped, petals purple to pinkish lavender shading white near middle, often reddish purple-flecked, base bright purplish red, 10–35 mm; stamens 8, unequal, width of outer filaments about 2 times inner, outer anthers lavender, inner smaller, paler. Capsules 20–50 mm, beak 3–5 mm. Seeds brown, 1–1.5 mm, minutely scaly to puberulent, crest 0.1 mm.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

As defined by Davis, the subspecies of Clarkia cylindrica have distinct but partly overlapping geographical ranges; subsp. cylindrica mainly in the South Coast and Transverse Ranges to the Tehachapi Mountain area, and subsp. clavicarpa mainly in the central and southern Sierra Nevada Foothills to the Tehachapi Mountain area. More recent collections suggest more substantial geographical overlap. Mor­phological variation correlates with geographical distribution, with the most consistent difference in ovary and capsule shape. According to Davis, the taxa are moderately interfertile, less so for more distantly separated individuals.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Ovaries and capsules cylindrical. Clarkia cylindrica subsp. cylindrica
1 Ovaries and capsules subclavate, enlarged distally. Clarkia cylindrica subsp. clavicarpa