''Clarkia springvillensis'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Springville 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 ...

to central

Tulare County, California Tulare County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia, California, Visalia. The county is named for ...

, where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences around Springville. It is a federally listed

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

Distribution and habitat

A few populations of this plant are located on private land, but several others grow on land at least partially protected by the

California Department of Fish and Game The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...

, the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

, and the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

within the bounds of

Sequoia National Forest Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundar ...

. Threats to the species include non-native plant species, road maintenance, grazing and trampling by livestock, and development; the population growing on the type locality near Springville was

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

when the land was made into a

mobile home park A trailer park,caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and eas ...

.USFS Threatened, Endangered, & Proposed Profile
/ref>

Description

''Clarkia springvillensis'' is an annual herb growing erect to approach a maximum height near . The lance-shaped leaves are up to 9 centimeters long. The herbage is hairless and waxy in texture. 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 open flowers and hanging, closed flower buds. The deep red

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 remain fused together as the petals bloom from one side. Each petal is a diamond-shaped blade at the end of a long claw. It is pinkish-lavender with a purple spot at the base. 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, some with large, red anthers and some with smaller, paler anthers. The stigma protrudes from the center. ''Clarkia springvillensis'' was first described by Frank Charles Vasek in a 1964 issue of '' Madroño'', the journal of the

California Botanical Society The California Botanical Society was founded by Willis Linn Jepson in 1913, since when it has advanced the knowledge of botanical sciences in the Western United States Services The society services are: the journal ''Madroño'', published since ...

References

External links

Jepson Manual Profile — ''Clarkia springvillensis''''Clarkia springvillensis'' Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5127564 springvillensis Endemic flora of California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of Tulare County, California Sequoia National Forest Plants described in 1964 Threatened flora of California