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Clarkia
Also called Clarkias, Godetias
Clarkia is a genus within the flowering plant family Onagraceae. Over 40 species are currently classified in Clarkia; almost all are native to western North America, though one species (Clarkia tenella) is native to South America.
Clarkias are typically annual herbs, growing either prostrate or erect to a height of less than 2 metres. Their leaves are small and simple, from 1 to 10 cm in length depending on the species. Their flowers have four sepals and four petals, usually white, pink, or red, and are often spotted or streaked. Their fruit are elongated, cylindrical pods, usually 4-grooved or 8-grooved, and when mature they hold many tiny, cubical seeds.
Some species are popular garden plants, for example the Clarkia unguiculata (mountain garland), Clarkia speciosa (redspot clarkia), Clarkia amoena (farewell to spring) and Clarkia bottae. There are cultivated varieties of some of these species.
Clarkia species play important roles in their local ecosystems, as they provide habitat for native pollinators. Some pollinators even rely on Clarkia exclusively, such as the "clarkia bee". They are also used as host plants by some species as caterpillars, such as sphingid moths.
Chaparral clarkia · Farewell to spring · Glandular clarkia · Small's southern clarkia · Twolobe clarkia · Northern clarkia · Botta's clarkia · Fairy fans · Red ribbons · Speckled clarkia · Davy's clarkia · Campo clarkia
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Clarkia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
