Clarkia purpurea is a species of wildflower known by the common names winecup clarkia, winecup fairyfan, and purple clarkia.
Clarkia purpurea | |
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Clarkia purpurea (artist:M. Hart) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Onagraceae |
Genus: | Clarkia |
Species: | C. purpurea |
Binomial name | |
Clarkia purpurea | |
This annual plant is native to western North America, including: Baja California; California; Arizona; Oregon; Washington; and British Columbia. — where it is found in a diverse variety of habitats. In the California Floristic Province it is found in all the zones, except the deserts, from the coasts to high interior mountains, including the Sierra Nevada.[3][4]
Clarkia purpurea erects a thin reddish stem which may approach 1 meter (3 ft.) in height and has a few lance-shaped leaves.[5]
The bowl-shaped flowers have four petals, usually one to two centimeters long. They are in shades of pink, purple, or deep wine red; often with a streak or spot of pink or red in the middle.[5]
Subspecies include:
The Indigenous peoples of California sowed the plant, to later harvest the seeds to grind for food.[5]
The conspicuous flowers support native bees, making it a "honey plant".[5]
Clarkia purpurea was first described in 1796 as Oenothera purpurea in Curtis's Botanical Magazine.[9] In 1918, it was redescribed by Aven Nelson and James Francis Macbride, who allocated it to the genus Clarkia, as Clarkia purpurea.[9]
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Taxon identifiers | |
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Clarkia purpurea |
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Oenothera purpurea |
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