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Cox's cat's ear, Cox's mariposa-lily

yellow mariposa, yellow mariposa lily

Stems

usually not branching, straight to flexuous, often scapelike, 15–25 cm.

slender, 2–5 dm.

Leaves

basal ± erect, to 3 dm × 3–7 mm;

blade with adaxial surface densely hairy, abaxial surface glabrous, shiny.

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

erect, 1–7-flowered;

bracts 1–several, 2.5–3 cm.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts 1–8 cm.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals ovate-acuminate, 20 × 8 mm;

petals white, with reddish striations from base to gland and broad lavender chevron just distal to gland margins, broadly obovate, 2.5 cm, adaxial surface densely hairy, margins slightly ciliate;

glands transversely oblong-lunate, deeply depressed, green at adaxial base, 1/2 to nearly equaling petal claw width, surrounded by yellow hairs that grade to white at petal apex, covered with membranous scales, scales covered with very small, translucent, rodlike hairs;

filaments 7 mm;

anthers reddish brown, 3–7 mm, apex apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals lanceolate-oblong, attenuate, 2–3 cm;

petals deep yellow, usually streaked red-brown proximally, often with median red-brown blotch, cuneate to obovate, 2–4 cm, with a few slender hairs near gland;

glands ± lunate to oblong, not depressed, covered with short, matted hairs;

filaments 7–9 mm;

anthers linear-oblong, 4–6 mm, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

nodding, 3-winged, ellipsoid-elongate, 3–4 cm.

erect, lanceoloid-linear, angled, 3–6 cm.

Seeds

light beige, surface rough.

light beige, flat.

2n

= 14, 28.

Calochortus coxii

Calochortus luteus

Phenology Flowering mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat North-facing open grassy slopes or woods, on serpentine Heavy soils in grasslands, open woodlands, mixed evergreen forests
Elevation 200–1000 m (700–3300 ft) 0–700 m (0–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus coxii is endemic to Douglas County from near the Umpqua River to Myrtle Creek Mountain.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Coastal plants of Calochortus luteus are mostly triploid, while those of the interior are mostly diploid. Occasionally this species hybridizes with C. superbus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 126. FNA vol. 26, p. 135.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Calochortus Liliaceae > Calochortus
Sibling taxa
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, C. amoenus, C. apiculatus, C. argillosus, C. aureus, C. bruneaunis, C. catalinae, C. clavatus, C. coeruleus, C. concolor, C. dunnii, C. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, C. flexuosus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii, C. howellii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, C. luteus, C. lyallii, C. macrocarpus, C. minimus, C. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, C. pulchellus, C. raichei, C. simulans, C. splendens, C. striatus, C. subalpinus, C. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
C. albus, C. amabilis, C. ambiguus, C. amoenus, C. apiculatus, C. argillosus, C. aureus, C. bruneaunis, C. catalinae, C. clavatus, C. coeruleus, C. concolor, C. coxii, C. dunnii, C. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, C. flexuosus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii, C. howellii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, C. leichtlinii, C. longebarbatus, C. lyallii, C. macrocarpus, C. minimus, C. monanthus, C. monophyllus, C. nitidus, C. nudus, C. nuttallii, C. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, C. pulchellus, C. raichei, C. simulans, C. splendens, C. striatus, C. subalpinus, C. superbus, C. tiburonensis, C. tolmiei, C. umbellatus, C. umpquaensis, C. uniflorus, C. venustus, C. vestae, C. weedii, C. westonii
Synonyms Mariposa lutea
Name authority M. R. Godfrey & Callahan: Phytologia 65: 216, fig.1g–k. (1988) Douglas ex Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 19: plate 1567. (1833)
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