''Clarkia purpurea'' is a species of wildflower known by the common names winecup clarkia, winecup fairyfan, and purple clarkia. This annual plant is native to western North America, including: Baja California; California; Arizona; Oregon; Washington; and British Columbia, and is found in diverse 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 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 ...

Description

''Clarkia purpurea'' has a thin reddish stem that may approach 1 meter (3 ft.) in height and has a few lance-shaped leaves. 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.The fruit type is a capsule. The conspicuous flowers bloom from April to August.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (NPIN): ''Clarkia purpurea'' (Winecup clarkia)
. accessed 2.2.2013

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

include: *''Clarkia purpurea'' ssp. ''purpurea'' *''Clarkia purpurea'' ssp. ''quadrivulnera'' *''Clarkia purpurea'' ssp. ''viminea''Calflora database: ''Clarkia purpurea'' ssp. ''viminea''
/ref>

Uses

The Indigenous peoples of California sowed the plant, to later harvest the seeds to grind for food. The conspicuous flowers support native

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

s, making it a " honey plant".

Taxonomy

''Clarkia purpurea'' was first described in 1796 as ''Oenothera purpurea'' in ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''.Curtis, W. (1796
Curtis's Botanical Magazine 10t. 352.
/ref> In 1918, it was redescribed by

Aven Nelson Aven Nelson (March 24, 1859 – March 31, 1952) was an American botanist who specialized in plants of the Rocky Mountains. He was one of the founding professors of the University of Wyoming, where he taught for 55 years as professor and served as ...

and

James Francis Macbride James Francis Macbride (19 May 1892 16 June 1976) was an American botanist who devoted most of his professional life to the study of the flora of Peru. Early life and education Born on 19 May 1892 in Rock Valley, Iowa, Macbride graduated from t ...

, who put it in the genus '' Clarkia'', as ''Clarkia purpurea''.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Profile: ''Clarkia purpurea''''Clarkia purpurea'' — U.C. Photo gallery
purpurea Flora of Baja California Flora of California Flora of Arizona Flora of Oregon Flora of Washington (state) Flora of British Columbia Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Plants described in 1796 Plants used in Native American cuisine Plants described in 1918 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Myrtales-stub