Clarkia tembloriensis subsp. calientensis

Vasek's clarkia, Vasek's Clarkia

Family: Onagraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Vasek's clarkia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the southern Sierra Nevada Foothills in the Caliente Hills of Kern County in grassland habitats at an elevation of approximately 500 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate petals approximately 10 millimeters wide with stigmas nestled among its anthers. Growing with slender, upright stems typical of annual wildflowers, it develops quickly in its seasonal grassland environment. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, characteristic of clarkia species and adapted to the dry grassland ecosystem. The plant completes its annual life cycle in the late spring, producing seeds that will potentially germinate in the following growing season.

Habitat: Grassland

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: +- 500 m.

Bioregions: s SNF (Caliente Hills, Kern Co.).

California counties: Kern

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