Description
Seldom more than 15 cm. tall this is the only species with a purple, rather than a green, ovary. Perhaps more important to the gardener are the flowers. These are quite large for such a dwarf plant and they have bright violet petals with violet staminodes.
In the wild it occurs in California and it just spreads into part of Mexico, but nowhere is it considered a common plant.
Readily grown, as for the other species, in a well-drained, loam-based compost with good drainage. A seasonal inundation of water in spring is beneficial and cultivation should be coupled with a dry summer rest, to simulate its natural climate, which is Mediterranean in temperate and rainfall pattern.
Seed-raised from horticultural plants.
