Downingia is a genus of 13 annual plants native to western North America and Chile. Commonly known as calico flowers, they are notable for forming mass displays of small but colorful blooms around vernal pools. A number are uncommon endemics in California.
The stems may be decumbent or erect, 10–40 cm in length, with narrow cauline leaves that may drop off before the flower develops. The flowers are typically inverted by the twisting of the ovary during blooming. Colors range from blue and pink to white, with the lower (larger) lip including a white or yellow patch. The lower lip generally consists of three lobes, while the upper lip is much smaller and has two lobes.
The genus is named after American horticulturalist A. J. Downing (1815-1852).
downingia, genus, annual, plants, native, western, north, america, chile, commonly, known, calico, flowers, they, notable, forming, mass, displays, small, colorful, blooms, around, vernal, pools, number, uncommon, endemics, california, concolorscientific, clas. Downingia is a genus of 13 annual plants native to western North America and Chile Commonly known as calico flowers they are notable for forming mass displays of small but colorful blooms around vernal pools A number are uncommon endemics in California DowningiaDowningia concolorScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder AsteralesFamily CampanulaceaeSubfamily LobelioideaeGenus DowningiaTorr Type speciesDowningia elegansSpecies13 see textSynonymsBolelia Raf The stems may be decumbent or erect 10 40 cm in length with narrow cauline leaves that may drop off before the flower develops The flowers are typically inverted by the twisting of the ovary during blooming Colors range from blue and pink to white with the lower larger lip including a white or yellow patch The lower lip generally consists of three lobes while the upper lip is much smaller and has two lobes The genus is named after American horticulturalist A J Downing 1815 1852 Species editImage Scientific name Common name Distribution nbsp Downingia bacigalupii Bach s calicoflower or Bacigalupi s downingia western United States from California to Idaho nbsp Downingia bella Hoover s calicoflower or Hoover s Downingia Riverside County to areas in the Great Central Valley California nbsp Downingia bicornuta doublehorn calicoflower United States from California to Idaho nbsp Downingia concolor maroonspot calicoflower and fringed downingia CaliforniaDowningia cuspidata toothed calicoflower California to Mexico nbsp Downingia elegans elegant calicoflower or Californian lobelia western North America from California to British ColumbiaDowningia insignis harlequin calicoflower or cupped downingia western United States from California to IdahoDowningia laeta Great Basin calicoflower California to SaskatchewanDowningia montana Sierra calicoflower CaliforniaDowningia ornatissima folded calicoflower CaliforniaDowningia pulchella flat face calicoflower or valley calicoflower Tehachapi Mountains to the San Francisco Bay Area CaliforniaDowningia pusilla dwarf calicoflower Chile and the US state of California nbsp Downingia yina Cascade calicoflower Washington to northern CaliforniaExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Downingia nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Downingia Jepson Manual Treatment USDA Plants Profile Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Downingia amp oldid 1001514576, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
