Downingia pulchella
Encyclopedia
Downingia 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 pool
s and other wet places in the central part of the state from the Tehachapi Mountains
to the San Francisco Bay Area
. This annual produces an erect, branching stem which has usually one tubular flower at the top of each branch. The upper lip of the flower is made up of two narrow, pointed lobes which usually stick straight out and are lavender or white. The lower lip is the same color and made up of three fused lobes, each of which may have a tooth. In the center of the lower lip is a large white area with two bright yellow spots and smaller dark purple spots near the mouth of the tube. A large anther
sticks out of the mouth of the flower on a stalk of fused stamens. The flower is one to two centimeters wide. The fruit is a capsule three to seven centimeters long.
Campanulaceae
The family Campanulaceae , of the order Asterales, contains about 2000 species in 70 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky non-toxic sap...
known by the common names flatface calicoflower and valley calicoflower. This showy wildflower is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is a resident of 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 and other wet places in the central part of the state from the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. This annual produces an erect, branching stem which has usually one tubular flower at the top of each branch. The upper lip of the flower is made up of two narrow, pointed lobes which usually stick straight out and are lavender or white. The lower lip is the same color and made up of three fused lobes, each of which may have a tooth. In the center of the lower lip is a large white area with two bright yellow spots and smaller dark purple spots near the mouth of the tube. A large anther
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
sticks out of the mouth of the flower on a stalk of fused stamens. The flower is one to two centimeters wide. The fruit is a capsule three to seven centimeters long.