Clarkia springvillensis
Encyclopedia
Clarkia springvillensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family
known by the common name Springville clarkia. It is endemic to central Tulare County, California
, where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences around Springville
. It is a federally listed threatened species
. Threats to the species include non-native plant species
, road maintenance, grazing and trampling by livestock, and development; the population growing on the type locality
near Springville was extirpated
when the land was made into a mobile home park
.
This is an annual herb growing erect to approach a maximum height near one meter. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 9 centimeters long. The herbage is hairless and waxy in texture. The inflorescence
bears open flowers and hanging, closed flower buds. The deep red sepal
s remain fused together as the petals bloom from one side. Each petal is a diamond-shaped blade at the end of a long claw. It is pinkish-lavender with a purple spot at the base. There are 8 stamen
s, some with large, red anthers and some with smaller, paler anthers. The stigma
protrudes from the center.
A few populations of this plant are located on private land, but several others grow on land at least partially protected by the California Department of Fish and Game
, the Bureau of Land Management
, and the US Forest Service
within the bounds of Sequoia National Forest
.
Clarkia springvillensis was first described by Frank Charles Vasek in a 1964 issue of Madroño, the journal of the California Botanical Society.
Onagraceae
Onagraceae, also known as the Willowherb family or Evening Primrose family, are a family of flowering plants. The family includes about 640-650 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees in 20-24 genera...
known by the common name Springville clarkia. It is endemic to central Tulare County, California
Tulare County, California
Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
, where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences around Springville
Springville, California
Springville is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 934 at the 2010 census, down from 1,109 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Springville is located at ....
. It is a federally listed threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
. Threats to the species include non-native plant species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, road maintenance, grazing and trampling by livestock, and development; the population growing on the type locality
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
near Springville was extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
when the land was made into a mobile home park
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
.
This is an annual herb growing erect to approach a maximum height near one meter. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 9 centimeters long. The herbage is hairless and waxy in texture. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears open flowers and hanging, closed flower buds. The deep red sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s remain fused together as the petals bloom from one side. Each petal is a diamond-shaped blade at the end of a long claw. It is pinkish-lavender with a purple spot at the base. There are 8 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s, some with large, red anthers and some with smaller, paler anthers. The stigma
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
protrudes from the center.
A few populations of this plant are located on private land, but several others grow on land at least partially protected by the California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
, the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
, and the US Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
within the bounds of Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest....
.
Clarkia springvillensis was first described by Frank Charles Vasek in a 1964 issue of Madroño, the journal of the California Botanical Society.