Cupped downingia as seen along the South Loop Road of the Steens Mt in southeastern Oregon..........June 20, 2004. Note the bent and exserted stamen tube and the purple markings at the base of the lower lip, both key identifying characteristics for this species.
The
photo at right shows a clowe-up view of the flower of cupped downingia as seen
along a small vernal creek along the South Loop Road at the Steens Mt in southeastern
Oregon..........June 20, 2004.
Cupped downingia is an attractive annual wildflower of vernally moist areas with simple to branched stems spreading or ascending at the base and erect at the upper ends. The often hollow stems arise from 5-20 cm. The oblanceolate leaves and bracts range from 0.8-1.5 cm long.
The flowers are sessile in leafy bracted spikes and are subtended by elongated hypanthiums (which may cause the flowers to look long pedicelled). The 5 calyx segments are lanceolate-elliptic in shape with blunt tips and each measures 3-7 mm long. The corolla is strongly two-lipped with two upright upper lobes and three larger lower lobes. The corolla measures 8-15 mm long and is blue to bluish-purple with darker veins. The lower lip also contains two white-margined yellow to greenish spots and purplish markings or spots at the mouth of the throat. The corolla tube is 3-4 mm long and is broadly funnelform. The lower lip is 6-9 mm long with broad, ovate lobes. The upper lip is 6-9.6 mm long with erect lanceolate lobes which are parallel or crossed. The stamen-tube extends beyond the mouth of the flower with the anther tube bent at a right angle from its junction with the filament tube (See flower photos on this page.).
Cascade downingia is found on wet ground in marshes, wet meadows, and the edges of vernal ponds below 1650 meters of elevation.
Cupped downingia may be found from southern Malheury County in southeastern Oregon south to northwestern Nevada (north of Reno) and west to northeastern California.
