''Downingia ornatissima'' is a species of flowering plant in the
bellflower family known by the common name folded calicoflower. This showy wildflower 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
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 a resident of
vernal pools and other wet places in the
Central Valley. This annual grows an erect, branching stem with usually one tubular flower at the top of each branch. The flower has an upper lip made up of two narrow, pointed lobes in shades of light purple, and a lower lip made up of three lobes fused into one surface, which is the same color as the upper lip and has a central field of white with two prominent yellow projections. The flower is similar to those of other
downingia
''Downingia'' is a genus of 13 annual plants native to western North America and Chile. Commonly known as calico flowers, they are notable for forming mass displays of small but colorful blooms around vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called ver ...
s, except it is lightly crinkled, with the upper lobes often curled back and the edges of the lower lobes uneven. The dark blue
anther
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 filam ...
just emerges from where it is tucked between the upper lobes.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
ornatissima
Flora of California
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