Downingia bacigalupii

Bach's calicoflower

Family: Campanulaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bach's calicoflower is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in vernal pools and grassy meadows at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to August, this delicate plant produces distinctive blue flowers with a striking lower lobe featuring a central white area and two oblong orange-yellow spots, occasionally accented by diffuse purple markings near the throat. Growing with slender stems typically 15 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant emerges in seasonal wet habitats. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, adapting to the ephemeral nature of vernal pool environments. The fruit develops 25 to 45 millimeters long with papery walls that easily rupture when dry, helping to disperse its uniquely lined seeds.

Habitat: Vernal pools, grassy meadows

Bloom period: Apr-Aug

Elevation: < 2000 m

Bioregions: KR, CaR, n SNH, MP

California counties: Modoc, Del Norte, Butte, Sierra, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Contra Costa, Siskiyou, Nevada, Tehama, Trinity, San Diego, Humboldt, Alpine, Yuba

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