''Clarkia unguiculata'' is a species of

wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

known by the common name elegant clarkia or mountain garland.

Distribution and habitat

This plant is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where it is found in many woodland

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s. It grows along the coastal ranges of Mendocino and San Diego. ''Clarkia unguiculata'' can also be found in the Sierran foothills. Specifically, it is common on the

forest floor The forest floor, also called detritus or wikt:duff#Noun 2, duff, is the part of a forest ecosystem that mediates between the living, aboveground portion of the forest and the mineral soil, principally composed of dead and decaying plant matter ...

of many

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the c ...

s, along with typical

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...

wildflowers that include ''

Calochortus luteus ''Calochortus luteus'', the yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California. Description The primarily bright deep yellow flower is 3–5 cm across and perianth bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central r ...

'', '' Cynoglossum grande'' and ''

Delphinium variegatum ''Delphinium variegatum'' is a species of larkspur known by the common name royal larkspur. It is endemic to California, where it grows in mountains, valley and coast in woodlands and grasslands. On the forest floor of California oak woodlands ...

''. It flowers in the summer and fall and thrives in somewhat neutral soil pH. Commonly found on open slopes or slightly shaded areas. These slopes are below and have dry conditions, where the plant thrives.

Description

''C. unguiculata'' presents a spindly, hairless, waxy stem with a red hue. The species can grow up to tall with a small number of leaves populating the stem. The showy flowers have hairy, fused

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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s forming a cup beneath the corolla, and four petals each one to long. The paddle-like petals come in shades of pink to reddish to purple and are slender and diamond-shaped or triangular in a

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

formation, in which each flower is connected to the main stalk by a pedicel, a short stem extension. There are eight long

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s, the outer four of which have large red anthers. The stigma protrudes from the flower and can be quite large. Its pistil is a long white structure, this combined with the red stamens allow this flower to be easily identifiable. The base of the stem has the leaves arranged in an opposite formation, however further up the stem the leaf arrangement becomes alternate. Produces a small indehiscent fruit, similar to a nut which hold the many little seeds.

Ecology

''Clarkia unguiculata'' is pollinated by a variety of bees, butterflies and some bats. The main pollinator is ''

Hesperapis regularis ''Hesperapis regularis'' is an oligolectic bee in the family Melittidae. Distribution This bee is native to California, and inhabits meadows, fields, and gardens, where it visits only flowers in the genus ''Clarkia''. Numerous native species of ...

'', a native species of bees found in similar environments to ''C. unguiculata''. This plant has the ability to

self-pollinate Self-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms) of the same plant. The term cross-pollination is used for the opposite case, where pollen from one ...

. This means the species is less reliant on the presence of pollinators like bees or butterflies to propagate itself. The caterpillars of the mariposa forester feed on it.Powell, Jerry A. & Opler, Paul A. (2009). ''Moths of Western North America''. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA.

Cultivation and uses

This species is cultivated in gardens, requiring dry air and dry soil for it to bloom. It can be grown in any soil condition; sand, loamy or clay soils as long as the plant remains in dry conditions. As a

hermaphroditic A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

species, being pollinated by pollinators is very easy and requires less energy from the plant. The species cannot be grown in shaded areas, it must be exposed to the sun for majority of the day as it does not do well in cold conditions. If grown correctly, the seed will germinate within two weeks and bloom late summer and early fall. Although not typically eaten, some parts of the plant are edible, specifically the seed. The seed can be eaten raw or cooked and ground into a fine powder.

Commercial cultivars

File:U Albatross1ara.jpg, 'Albatross' File:U Firebrand1ara.jpg, 'Firebrand' File:U Gloriosa1ara.jpg, 'Gloriosa' File:U Lilac1ara.jpg, 'Lilac' File:TallDoubleMix1ara.jpg, 'Tall Double Mix'

References

External links

Calphotos photo gallery
unguiculata Endemic flora of California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1837 Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Myrtales-stub