[Calico Flowers: The Genus Downingia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Cascade Calicoflower, Cascade Downingia, Willamette Downingia

Downingia yina

Synonyms: Downingia yina var. major, Downingia yina var. yina, Downingia pulcherrima, Downingia willamettensis

Cascade Calicoflower, Cascade Downingia, Willamette Downingia: Downingia yina (Synonyms: Downingia yina var. major, Downingia yina var. yina, Downingia pulcherrima, Downingia willamettensis)

Cascade downingia observed in vernally moist swales at Mud Creek Campground, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 30, 2019.
Cascade Calicoflower, Cascade Downingia, Willamette Downingia: Downingia yina (Synonym: Downingia yina var. major, Downingia yina var. yina, Downingia pulcherrima, Downingia willamettensis)The photo at right shows a side view of the corolla and long calyx lobes of Cascade downingia (from the Steens Mt.). Note that the lower lip is sharply reflexed downward and the stamen column does not extend beyond the throat, both characteristics of this species.
Characteristics:

Cascade downingia is also known by the following acronyms: Willamette downingia and spreading downingia. Yi-na is the Klamath word for Mountain.

Cascade downingia is a fibrous-rooted annual with one or more diffusely branched stems, the branches more or less spreading. The stems range from 2-9 cm high and are few-flowered. The herbage is mostly glabrous. The leaves are lanceolate in shape with pointed tips and range from 5-8 cm long.

The calyx-lobes are linear in shape, ascending, and range from 2.5-4 mm long. The strongly two-lipped corolla is 7-10 mm long with a narrow tube. The corolla is bluish with a yellowish central throat which extends about halfway down the lower lip. The stamen column extends only to the mouth of the tube and has several short, straight bristles at its tip (See photos.).

Habitat:

Cascade downingia is found on wet ground in marshes, wet meadows, and the edges of ponds.

Range:

Cascade downingia may be found in western Washington and Oregon and east across southern Oregon to the Klamath region (Four-mile Lk and Lake-of -the-Woods) and the Steens Mt.

Cascade Calicoflower, Cascade Downingia, Willamette Downingia: Downingia yina (Synonyms: Downingia yina var. major, Downingia yina var. yina, Downingia pulcherrima, Downingia willamettensis)

Flower of Cascade Calicoflower, Cascade Downingia, Willamette Downingia: Downingia yina (Synonym: Downingia yina var. major, Downingia yina var. yina, Downingia pulcherrima, Downingia willamettensis)

Cascade downingia from Lily Lake, Steens Mt. in southeastern Oregon........... September 2000.

Paul Slichter