About Diplacus angustatus (A.Gray) G.L.Nesom
Diplacus angustatus is a small annual herb that grows in ground-level tufts, with hair-thin stems that are barely one centimeter tall. Its above-ground foliage ranges from green to reddish in color, and it bears paired linear leaves that spread out to between 1 and 3 centimeters long. The tubular base of each flower is surrounded by a hairy calyx of sepals that ranges in color from greenish to red. The flower corolla is pale to bright pink to reddish-purple, with one or more large purple spots in the throat, and sometimes yellow markings as well. The trumpet-shaped corolla can be several centimeters long, which is much longer than the stem that holds it. Research indicates that the population size of this wildflower is positively impacted by disturbance to the soil it grows in, particularly disturbance from the activity of pocket gophers. Plants growing in disturbed soil produce larger flowers, face fewer competing plant species, and carry more pollen on their stigmas, due to a greater number of neighboring Diplacus angustatus plants. This species is endemic to California. Its scattered range extends through the North Coast Ranges and the San Joaquin Valley, and also covers part of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in moist open habitats, such as vernal pools and meadows, and sometimes forms a carpet of tiny pink blooms across an open area.
