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Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Great Basin Downingia
Downingia laeta (Greene) Greene

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

Family: Bellflower (Campanulaceae)
Flowering: May-August
Field Marks: This Downingia is readily distinguished by its smaller flowers up to 1/3 inch across, with the petals white or pale blue or pink and the lower lip petal with yellow blotches dotted with purple.
Habitat: Vernal pools, edge of ponds and lakes, in roadside ditches.
Habit: Annual herb with fibrous roots.
Stems: Upright to ascending or even spreading, unbranched, hollow, up to 8 inches tall, smooth.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, narrowly lanceolate, up to 1 inch long, up to 1/6 inch wide, pointed or sometimes more or less rounded at the tip, tapering to the base, smooth, without teeth, the lowest leaves withering early, the uppermost reduced t
Flowers: Borne singly in the axils of the uppermost reduced leaves (bracts), the bracts green, narrowly lanceolate, up to 3/4 inch long; flowers sessile, but appearing to be stalked because of the very slender floral tube.
Sepals: 5, green, united below to form a slender floral tube, the lobes up to 1/3 inch long, narrowly lanceolate, smooth.
Petals: 5, united to form 2 lips, up to 1/3 inch long, white to pale blue or pink, the lower lip with 2 yellow blotches dotted with purple.
Stamens: 5, not attached to the petals, with the filaments and anthers united, the anthers bearing untwisted bristles.
Pistils: Ovary inferior, borne at the base of the slender floral tube.
Fruits: Capsules linear, terete, up to 2 inches long, usually smooth; seeds pale brown.
Notes: As the vernal pools dry up, this species may spread rapidly and form dense colorful patches.

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URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/8/downlaet.htm
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Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:27:56 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww55]