Clarkia mildrediae
Clarkia
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia mildrediae (Clarkia) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family.
Clarkia is a California native annual found in rocky or open habitats at elevations of 1,000 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces lavender to purple-red flowers with darker flecks or spots, each petal 1.5 to 2 centimeters long with a distinctive two-lobed claw and triangular blade. Growing with erect stems less than one meter tall and covered in fine downy hairs, it has an elegant, slender form. Its leaves are elliptic to ovate, with petioles 1.5 to 4 centimeters long and blades 3 to 6 centimeters in length. The flower buds are notably pendent with acute tips, creating a delicate and graceful appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species; geographically isolated but subspecies exist with overlaps
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 mildrediae native to California?
Yes. Clarkia mildrediae is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Clarkia mildrediae belong to?
Clarkia mildrediae is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.