Canyon clarkia, aka willow-herb clarkia, is a slender, erect, simple to branched annual growing 1' to 2' tall with slightly pubescent stem and leaves.  The leaves are linear to narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, alternate, entire to minutely-toothed, and on short petioles.  The inflorescence axis is reflexed in bud and erect at anthesis, and the flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, the four sepals united or fused in pairs and turned to one side, and the four petals white to pale cream, aging to pink, obovate and barely clawed, forming a slight bowl.  There are eight stamens with the outer anthers larger than the inner and white to cream-colored, and the stigma does not extend beyond the anthers.  The fruit is a somewhat 4-sided capsule to an inch long with a short beak and containing brown seeds.  Canyon clarkia blooms from March to May in coastal sage scrub, oak woodland and chaparral, in generally shady places below 2500', from San Diego Co. to San Francisco and the Channel Islands.  These pictures were taken on the Mishe Mokwe Trail in the Santa Monica Mts.

Click here for name derivations: 1) Clarkia 2) epilobioides.
Pronunciation: KLAR-kee-a ep-il-oh-bee-OH-i-dees.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.