Fork Toothed Ookow (Dichelostemma congestum) Login         


        Description
  • CA Bloom May - Jun
  • Like Blue Dicks, Ookow has a cluster of 6-petaled flowers bunched tightly at the top of a leafless stem.
  • It stores food in its roots to use when flowering.
  • Found from the Bay Area north in grassy meadows and other open places.
  • Compare to Blue Dicks
  • CA native
  • AKA Ookow
  • Brodiaea Family (Themidaceae)



Ookow has a tight cluster of lavender-purple flowers at the top of a 2 foot stem.



Each flower has six petal-like tepals and unique tooth-like projections that stand away from the yellow-tipped stamens.


There are no leaves on the stem, which is erect but twists. 2 or 3 narrow basal leaves grow to 2 feet long.

   Photo Gallery (22 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Ookow and Blue Dicks are the only California wildflowers with a tight cluster of six-petaled purplish flowers at the top of a stem. They're easy to s ...
Leaves are narrow, flat and long, growing to 2 feet. They have a deep channel that runs down the center. Leaves stay green throughout the growing se ...
Three to five pale purple [[bracts]] provide a base for the bouquet of flowers. Here's one way to distinguish Ookow from Blue Dicks - Ookow bract ...
Ookow flowers start as a cylindrical tube and then open up into six petal-like [[tepals]]. Notice that the cylindrical part of the flower constrict ...
Petals ([[tepals]]) are arranged in two whorls of three, one stacked on top of the other. In the center are three yellow-tipped [[stamens]] (Blue ...
Surrounding the stamens are three pale, forked filament sheaths; thus its common name, Fork Toothed Ookow. The forked filament sheaths also appear ...