About Downingia cuspidata (Greene) Rattan
Downingia cuspidata (Greene) Rattan is a flowering plant species in the bellflower family, commonly called toothed calicoflower. This showy wildflower is native to California, where it grows naturally in ponds, meadows, and vernal pool ecosystems across the entire state. Its distribution may also extend into Mexico. This is an annual plant that grows a branching, erect stem, with small leaves spaced at intervals along the stem. One or more flowers grow at the top of each stem branch; each flower is roughly one centimeter wide. The flower is tubular, with two long, narrow, pointed upper lobes that can range in color from blue or purple to nearly white. The lower lip of the flower is fused into a single three-lobed surface, which is blue, purple, or white, with one large yellow blotch or two smaller yellow blotches in its center, outlined in white. Each lobe can bear a toothlike point.
