''Downingia yina'' is a distinctive, colorful wildflower known by the common name Cascade calico-flower. It bears small, easily recognizable flowers up to 1 centimeter in width. Each flower has three fused lower petals which are blue or violet with a central spot which is white with a yellow center. This pattern is attractive to pollinating insects and helps them navigate to the flower's center. The two upper blue petals may fold together to face each other, or stick straight out.
This flower grows in moist habitats including
vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...
s, wet meadows, and edges of lakes. It can be found in the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
from Washington to northern California.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
yina
Flora of the Northwestern United States
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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