Clarkia franciscana

Presidio clarkia

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Presidio clarkia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the Presidio of San Francisco and Oakland hills on serpentine soil at elevations around 50 meters. Flowering from May to June, this delicate plant produces lavender-pink flowers with white centers and red bases, featuring wedge-shaped petals 5 to 13 millimeters long in bowl-shaped blooms. Growing with erect stems less than 40 centimeters tall and covered in fine puberulent hairs, it has a slender, upright form. Its narrow lanceolate leaves measure 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, with petioles shorter than 5 millimeters. The plant's distinctive flowers have 8 uniform stamens and a 4-grooved ovary, creating an elegant silhouette against its serpentine habitat.

Habitat: Serpentine soil

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: +- 50 m.

Bioregions: CCo (Presidio, San Francisco), SnFrB (Oakland hills).

California counties: San Francisco, Alameda

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.