Clarkia australis
Small's southern clarkia
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Clarkia australis (Small's southern clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by diamond-shaped petals and blue-gray pollen.
Small's southern clarkia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in central Sierra Nevada Foothills and northern and central Sierra Nevada at elevations of 800 to 1,500 meters in yellow-pine forest. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces lavender-purple to red-purple flowers with distinctive mottled or spotted petals 8 to 15 millimeters long in a delicate rotate shape. Growing with erect stems less than one meter tall and covered in fine soft hairs, it has lance-linear leaves with petioles 1 to 3 centimeters long. Its leaves measure 2 to 5 centimeters in length, with distinctive blue-gray pollen and stamens subtended by ciliate scales. The tiny seeds are 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, with flowers featuring petals that are approximately 1.9 to 3 times longer than their width.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 35 sympatric species; key features are diamond-shaped petals and blue-gray pollen
Habitat and range
Habitat: Yellow-pine forest
Elevation: 800-1500 m
California counties: Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Madera
Bloom period
Clarkia australis blooms Jun-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 australis native to California?
Yes. Clarkia australis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clarkia australis bloom?
Clarkia australis blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Clarkia australis grow?
Clarkia australis occurs in Tuolumne, Mariposa, Calaveras, Madera, at elevations of 800-1500 m.
What plant family does Clarkia australis belong to?
Clarkia australis is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
Is Clarkia australis rare or endangered?
Clarkia australis carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.