Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. is a plant in the Onagraceae family, order Myrtales, kingdom Plantae. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. (Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.)
🌿 Plantae

Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.

Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.

Clarkia purpurea is a flowering plant with colored four-petaled blooms, used by California Indigenous peoples for seed food.

Family
Genus
Clarkia
Order
Myrtales
Class
Magnoliopsida
⚠️ Toxicity Note

Insufficient toxicity evidence; avoid direct contact and ingestion.

About Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.

Clarkia purpurea (Curtis) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. has a thin reddish stem that can reach nearly 1 meter (3 feet) in height, and bears a small number of lance-shaped leaves. Its bowl-shaped flowers have four petals, which are typically one to two centimeters long. The petals come in shades of pink, purple, or deep wine red, and often have a pink or red streak or spot in the center. The fruit of this species is a capsule, and its noticeable flowers bloom from April to August. Indigenous peoples of California historically sowed this plant, later harvesting its seeds to grind for food. Its prominent flowers attract and support native bees, so it is classified as a honey plant.

Photo: (c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey · cc-by-nc

Taxonomy

Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Myrtales Onagraceae Clarkia

More from Onagraceae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

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