Purple clarkia, or winecup clarkia as it is sometimes called, is a decumbent to erect-stemmed annual which is glabrous to densely puberulent.  It may be found in many plant communities at generally lower elevations throughout cismontane s. California but its range extends to Washington and Arizona.  The alternate leaves are linear to linear-lanceolate, and up to 2" long.  The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, and the sepals separate and deflex at anthesis.  The four petals are lavender to purple, or frequently deep red, and obovate to elliptic.  The stigma may be beyond the anthers or not.  The capsules are conspicuously eight-ribbed, sessile or subsessile, and short-beaked.  Buds, flowers and seed capsules are all erect.  Purple clarkia blooms from April to July.  These pictures were taken in the Santa Monica Mts.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Clarkia 2) purpurea 3) quadrivulnera.
Pronunciation: KLAR-kee-a pure-PURE-ee-a kwad-ri-VUL-ner-a.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.