''Clarkia mildrediae'' is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Mildred's clarkia. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where it is known from the forests of the southernmost

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

and northern

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

. It is an erect annual herb often exceeding half a meter in height. The oval leaves grow up to 6 centimeters long and are borne on petioles of up to 4 centimeters. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

bears opening flowers and hanging, pointed flower buds. As the bud opens the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s all separate instead of remaining fused as those of many other ''Clarkia'' species do. The triangular to semicircular petals are about 2 centimeters long and lavender to bright reddish-purple, sometimes with dark speckling. There are 8

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s with anthers all alike, and a protruding stigma.

References

External links

Jepson Manual ProfilePhoto gallery
mildrediae Endemic flora of California Plants described in 1940 {{Myrtales-stub