Clarkia cylindrica
Speckled clarkia
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Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia cylindrica (Speckled clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by distinctive tricolored, speckled flower pattern.
Speckled clarkia is a California native annual found in lowland regions in open grasslands and disturbed areas. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces distinctive bowl-shaped flowers with striking color variations - bright purple-red at the base, white in the middle, and lavender to pink-purple at the edges, often speckled with red-purple accents. Growing with erect stems up to 60 centimeters tall that are lightly hairy or smooth, it develops narrow linear to lance-shaped leaves. Its leaves are small, measuring 1 to 6 centimeters long, with very short petioles less than 5 millimeters. The fruit develops as a cylindrical pod 2 to 5 centimeters long with a short 3 to 5 millimeter beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species; key feature is distinctive tricolored, speckled flower pattern
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Mariposa, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Nevada, Tuolumne, San Benito, Butte, Fresno, Kings, San Mateo, Monterey, Madera, Calaveras, Placer, Riverside
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 cylindrica native to California?
Yes. Clarkia cylindrica is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Clarkia cylindrica grow?
Clarkia cylindrica occurs in Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Mariposa, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Nevada and other counties.
What plant family does Clarkia cylindrica belong to?
Clarkia cylindrica is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
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.