Downingia
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.
| Downingia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Downingia concolor | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Campanulaceae |
| Subfamily: | Lobelioideae |
| Genus: | Downingia Torr. |
| Type species | |
| Downingia elegans | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
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
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Downingia bacigalupii | Bach's calicoflower or Bacigalupi's downingia | western United States from California to Idaho |
 | Downingia bella | Hoover's calicoflower or Hoover's Downingia | Riverside County to areas in the Great Central Valley, California |
 | Downingia bicornuta | doublehorn calicoflower | United States from California to Idaho |
| Downingia concolor | maroonspot calicoflower and fringed downingia | California |
| Downingia cuspidata | toothed calicoflower | California to Mexico | |
 | Downingia elegans | elegant calicoflower or Californian lobelia | western North America from California to British Columbia |
| Downingia insignis | harlequin calicoflower or cupped downingia | western United States from California to Idaho | |
| Downingia laeta | Great Basin calicoflower | California to Saskatchewan | |
| Downingia montana | Sierra calicoflower | California | |
| Downingia ornatissima | folded calicoflower | California | |
| Downingia pulchella | flat-face calicoflower or valley calicoflower | Tehachapi Mountains to the San Francisco Bay Area, California | |
| Downingia pusilla | dwarf calicoflower | Chile and the US state of California | |
 | Downingia yina | Cascade calicoflower | Washington to northern California |
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