Clarkia affinis
Chaparral clarkia
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia affinis (Chaparral clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by fused sepals and extremely elongated ovary.
Chaparral clarkia is a California native annual found in the northern Coast Ranges, central Sierra Nevada foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in woodland and chaparral openings at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale pink to dark wine-red flowers with purple flecks, 5 to 15 millimeters long in a bowl-shaped arrangement. Growing with erect stems up to 80 centimeters tall and covered in fine soft hairs, it has a delicate upright form. Its leaves are narrow and linear to lance-shaped, 1.5 to 7 centimeters long with very short or absent petioles. The fruit develops as a cylindric pod 1.5 to 3 centimeters long with a short 3 to 7 millimeter beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 51 sympatric species; key features are fused sepals and extremely elongated ovary
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in woodland, chaparral
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Modoc, Fresno, Contra Costa, Monterey, Solano, Lake, Kern, Stanislaus, El Dorado, Colusa, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Placer, Santa Barbara, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Ventura, Yolo, Merced, Tehama, Napa, Glenn, Trinity, Shasta, Butte, Sacramento, Marin, Tuolumne, Nevada
Bloom period
Clarkia affinis blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Epilobium: Clarkia seeds lack a hair tuft and its petals are broad, often clawed or lobed; Epilobium and Chamerion have seeds bearing a tuft of silky hairs and long, thin capsules.; vs Oenothera: Clarkia flowers are pink to lavender-purple and its buds nod before opening; Oenothera flowers are generally yellow (or white), larger, and open at dusk.; vs Camissonia: Clarkia petals are pink-purple, often fan-shaped or lobed with a distinct claw; Camissonia and Camissoniopsis have yellow, unlobed petals.; vs Sidalcea: Clarkia has 4 petals, an inferior ovary, and a 4-lobed stigma; Sidalcea (checkerbloom) has 5 petals, a superior ovary, and a central mallow staminal column.; vs Gayophytum: Clarkia is showy with petals 10-35 mm; Gayophytum has minute white-to-pink flowers only a few mm across on thread-like branches.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clarkia affinis native to California?
Yes. Clarkia affinis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clarkia affinis bloom?
Clarkia affinis blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Clarkia affinis grow?
Clarkia affinis occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Modoc, Fresno, Contra Costa, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Clarkia affinis belong to?
Clarkia affinis is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
What habitat does Clarkia affinis grow in?
Clarkia affinis grows in Openings in woodland, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.