Downingia
Encyclopedia
Downingia is a genus
of 13 annual plant
s native to western North America
and Chile
. Commonly known as "calicoflowers", they are notable for forming mass displays of small but colorful blooms around vernal pool
s. A number are uncommon endemics in California.
The stems may be decumbent or erect, 10-40 cm in length, with narrow cauline leaves that may drop off before the flower develops. The flowers are typically inverted by the twisting of the ovary during blooming. Colors range from blue and pink to white, with the lower (larger) lip including a white or yellow patch. The lower lip generally consists of three lobes, while the upper lip is much smaller and has two lobes.
The genus is named after American horticulturalist A. J. Downing (1815-1852).
Species:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of 13 annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
s native to western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Commonly known as "calicoflowers", they are notable for forming mass displays of small but colorful blooms around vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s. A number are uncommon endemics in California.
The stems may be decumbent or erect, 10-40 cm in length, with narrow cauline leaves that may drop off before the flower develops. The flowers are typically inverted by the twisting of the ovary during blooming. Colors range from blue and pink to white, with the lower (larger) lip including a white or yellow patch. The lower lip generally consists of three lobes, while the upper lip is much smaller and has two lobes.
The genus is named after American horticulturalist A. J. Downing (1815-1852).
Species:
- Downingia bacigalupiiDowningia bacigalupiiDowningia bacigalupii is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name Bach's calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to the western United States from California to Idaho, where it is a resident of moist meadows and vernal pool ecosystems. This annual grows...
- Downingia bellaDowningia bellaDowningia bella, also known as Hoover's calicoflower or Hoover's Downingia, is a member of the Bellflower Family . The genus is named after A.J. Downing a noted American horticulturist and landscape architect....
- Downingia bicornutaDowningia bicornutaDowningia bicornuta is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name doublehorn calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to the western United States from California to Idaho, where it is a resident of lakesides and vernal pool ecosystems. This annual grows on...
- Downingia concolorDowningia concolorDowningia concolor is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common names maroonspot calicoflower and fringed downingia. This showy wildflower is endemic to California, where it is a resident of ponds and vernal pool ecosystems in the northern part of the state. This...
- Downingia cuspidataDowningia cuspidataDowningia cuspidata is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name toothed calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to California, where it is a resident of ponds, meadows, and vernal pool ecosystems throughout the state. Its range may extend into Mexico....
- Downingia elegansDowningia elegansDowningia elegans is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name elegant calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to western North America from California to British Columbia, where it is a resident of meadows and vernal pool ecosystems. This annual grows on...
- Downingia insignisDowningia insignisDowningia insignis is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common names harlequin calicoflower and cupped downingia. This showy wildflower is native to the western United States from California to Idaho, where it is a resident of lakesides and vernal pool ecosystems...
- Downingia laetaDowningia laetaDowningia laeta is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name Great Basin calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to western North America from California to Saskatchewan, where it is a resident of riverbanks, ponds, and vernal pool ecosystems. This annual...
- Downingia montanaDowningia montanaDowningia montana is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name Sierra calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to California, where it lives in the meadows and pine forests of the high mountains. Its range may extend into Oregon. This annual grows an erect...
- Downingia ornatissimaDowningia ornatissimaDowningia ornatissima is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name folded calicoflower. This showy wildflower is endemic to California, where it is a resident of vernal pools and other wet places in the Central Valley. This annual grows an erect, branching stem...
- Downingia pulchellaDowningia pulchellaDowningia pulchella is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common names flatface calicoflower and valley calicoflower. This showy wildflower is endemic to California, where it is a resident of vernal pools and other wet places in the central part of the state from the...
- Downingia pusillaDowningia pusillaDowningia pusilla is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name dwarf calicoflower. This wildflower is found in two separate parts of the world, Chile and the US state of California. It grows in wet areas such as ditches and vernal pools...
- Downingia yinaDowningia yinaDowningia yina is a distinctive, colorful wildflower known by the common name cascade calicoflower. It bears small, easily recognizable flowers up to 1 centimeter in width. Each flower has three fused lower petals which are blue or violet with a central spot which is white with a yellow center...