About Downingia ornatissima Greene
Downingia ornatissima is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family, with the common name folded calicoflower. This showy wildflower is endemic to California, where it grows in vernal pools and other wet locations in the Central Valley. It is an annual plant that produces an erect, branching stem, with typically one tubular flower growing at the top of each branch. The flower has an upper lip formed from two narrow, pointed lobes that are light purple in shade. Its lower lip is made of three lobes fused into a single surface, the same color as the upper lip. This lower lip has a central white patch that contains two prominent yellow projections. The flower of Downingia ornatissima resembles the flowers of other Downingia species, but it is lightly crinkled: its upper lobes are often curled backward, and the edges of its lower lobes are uneven. A dark blue anther protrudes just slightly from the spot where it is tucked between the upper lobes.
