CLARKIA

Clarkia unguiculata

Willowherb Family [Onagraceae]

month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZneophyte
flower
flower8pink
inner
inner8red
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ4
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

16th Sept 2014, Portsdown Hill, Hampshire. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
A member of the Willowherbs but in the Clarkia genus. This one is a garden or municipal park plant which here has escaped into the wild. It grows to 50cm in height (max 80cm).


16th Sept 2014, Portsdown Hill, Hampshire. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
These are the as-yet unopened pendant flower buds which have a 'shoulder' and are hairy with a short stalk.


16th Sept 2014, Portsdown Hill, Hampshire. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The flowers themselves have 4 petals splayed out in the shape of a square from 4 longish, redder stalks which in this plant are called claws because the 'flower-stalk' is flattish. The flower stalks are as long as the petals at the ends of them. Here the flowers are flore pleno which means there are more than what are normal (because it is a garden plant).


16th Sept 2014, Portsdown Hill, Hampshire. Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The leaves are without hairs and lanceolate to ovate in shape. The fruits are hairy, green, upwardly banana-shaped but with several deep grooves/prominent ridges on them. Inside they probably(?) contain many seeds in rows as do Willowherb.


The sepals are 10 to 16mm long; the petals slightly larger at 10 to 20mm. The hypanthium (the tube the flower sits in - but unseen in these photos) is between 2 to 5mm long.


  Clarkia unguiculata  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Onagraceae  

Distribution
 family8Willowherb family8Onagraceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Clarkia
Clarkia
(Clarkias)

CLARKIA

Clarkia unguiculata

Willowherb Family [Onagraceae]