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

La Panza mariposa lily, San Luis obispo mariposa-lily

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

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

usually branching, 1–6 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, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2–8 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 with dark red proximal blotch surrounding gland and extending to base, lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex recurved;

petals white or yellowish, often pink abaxially, with dark red blotch surrounding gland, often with small red spot immediately above gland, obovate to cuneate, 3–5 cm, with scattered hairs proximally;

glands suprabasal, ± square, not depressed, covered with short hairs;

filaments usually equaling anthers;

anthers linear-lanceolate to oblong.

Capsules

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

erect, linear, angled, 5–6 cm.

Seeds

light beige, surface rough.

light beige, flat, 5–6 mm.

2n

= 14.

Calochortus coxii

Calochortus simulans

Phenology Flowering mid summer. Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat North-facing open grassy slopes or woods, on serpentine Sand (often granitic), grasslands to pine forests
Elevation 200–1000 m (700–3300 ft) 0–1100 m (0–3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Calochortus simulans is restricted to central San Luis Obispo County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 126. FNA vol. 26, p. 134.
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. 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. 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 simulans
Name authority M. R. Godfrey & Callahan: Phytologia 65: 216, fig.1g–k. (1988) (Hoover) Munz: Suppl. Calif. Fl., 174. (1968)
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