Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea
Photo: parent species Clarkia purpurea · Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by dense inflorescence and ovary longer than distal internode distinctive.
Clarkia purpurea is a California native annual found in the Central Valley and Central Coast bioregions in grassland habitats at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces lavender to purple or purple-red flowers 10 to 25 millimeters long, often with a lighter proximal color and a darker spot near the tip. Growing with delicate stems, it forms dense inflorescences that showcase its distinctive flower coloration. Its leaves are broadly lanceolate to elliptic, measuring 1.5 to 4.5 centimeters long and appearing glabrous to sparsely puberulent. The flower's stigma extends noticeably beyond the anthers, creating an elegant and distinctive botanical profile.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; dense inflorescence and ovary longer than distal internode distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Grassland
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: Placer, Monterey, Marin, Solano, Lake, Butte, Yolo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, El Dorado, Merced, Sacramento, Madera, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, Mendocino, Humboldt, Sutter, San Mateo, Napa, Kern, Orange, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Calaveras, Fresno, Lassen, Mariposa, Riverside, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Nevada, Colusa, Santa Cruz
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea blooms Apr-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 purpurea subsp. purpurea native to California?
Yes. Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea bloom?
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea grow?
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea occurs in Placer, Monterey, Marin, Solano, Lake, Butte, Yolo, Santa Clara and other counties, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea belong to?
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea is in the Onagraceae family, genus Clarkia.
What habitat does Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea grow in?
Clarkia purpurea subsp. purpurea grows in Uncommon. Grassland.
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.