[Popcorn Flowers: The Genus Plagiobothrys in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Fragrant Allocarya, Fragrant Popcornflower, Fragrant Popcorn Flower

Plagiobothrys figuratus var. figuratus

Synonyms: Allocarya figurata, Plagiobothrys figuratus, Plagiobothrys figuratus ssp. figuratus, Plagiobothrys hirtus var. figuratus

Fragrant popcornflower as seen in its vernal pond habitat as seen from the Sondino Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area, Columbia River Gorge..........May 6, 2014.

Fragrant Allocarya, Fragrant Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys figuratus var. figuratus (Synonyms: Allocarya figurata, Plagiobothrys figuratus ssp. figuratus)

The photo to the right illustrates fragrant popcorn flower from Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge.........May 4, 1991.

Characteristics:

Fragrant popcorn flower is an ascending to erect annual wildflower with solitary stems to more commonly freely branched stems from the base. Plants range from 15-45 cm high and the roots are fibrous. The herbage is sparsely to moderately stribose, meaning the hairs are stiff, enlarged at their bases, and pointed at the tips. The leaves are found mainly on the stems, with the lower 3-4 pairs opposite and the upper leaves alternate. The lower leaves are linear and 4-12 cm long while the upper leaves are linear to lanceolate and range from 1-5 cm long.

The inflorescences are in non-leafy pairs, each coiled tightly at first and elongating with age. The flowers are showy, 5-10 mm wide with white corollas and a yellow eye. The flowers are fragrant. The calyx is 3-4 mm long at maturity and more densely and loosely haired than the stems.

Habitat:

Fragrant popcorn flower may be found in low ground and in moist fields, water courses, and in wet meadows.

Range:

Fragrant popcorn flower may be found from southern Vancouver Island south to the west of the Cascades through the Puget trough and Willamette Valley to southwestern Oregon. It extends eastward into the Columbia River Gorge to Klickitat County, WA.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 200'-1900' from Mosier, OR east to Lyle, WA.

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Close-up images of fragrant popcornflower and two views of its vernal pond habitat as seen from the Sondino Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area, Columbia River Gorge..........May 6, 2014.

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of fragrant popcorn flower as seen at a BLM site east of Salem, OR........early June, 2006.

Fragrant popcornflower as seen in vernally moist streams in an open grassland along the Memaloose Trail, Columbia River Gorge........May 26, 2012.

Fragrant popcornflower bloomin enmasse in vernally moist swales at Panakanic in western Klickitat County..........June 17, 2013.

Fragrant popcorn flower at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge........April 27, 1997.

Paul Slichter