Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus elegans

Calochortus catalinae

cat's ear, elegant cat's ear, elegant mariposa lily, elegant sego lily, elegant star tulip, northwestern mariposa lily

Catalina mariposa, Catalina mariposa-lily, Santa Catalina mariposa lily
Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

± slender, usually not branching, often scapelike, 0.5–2 dm.

usually branching distally, ± flexuous, 2–6 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat, glabrous adaxially.

basal withering, 1–3 dm;

blade linear.
Inflorescences

1–7-flowered.

1–few-flowered;

bracts opposite pedicel, 2–10 cm.
Flowers

erect to spreading;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals oblong-lanceolate, 12–16 mm, usually glabrous, adaxial surface minutely papillose;

petals light green to white, usually with purple crescent distal to gland, ± oblanceolate or broader, 10–15 mm, adaxial surface hairy only distal to gland, margins conspicuously ciliate;

glands lunate, usually slightly depressed, bordered proximally by ± ciliate membrane, distally by short hairs;

anthers lanceolate, apex apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, broadly campanulate;

sepals with purple blotch near base, lanceolate, 2–3 cm, apex acuminate;

petals white tinged with lilac, with purple blotch near base, usually obovate, ± concave, 2–5 cm, glabrous except few hairs near base, apex obtuse;

glands oblong, not depressed, densely hairy, hairs branching;

filaments 8–10 mm;

anthers lilac, oblong, 4–5 mm.
Capsules

nodding, winged, ellipsoid-globular, 1–2 cm, apex obtuse or acute.

erect, narrow-oblong, rounded in cross section, 2–5 cm, apex obtuse.
Seeds

light brown, irregular.

light yellow, translucent, flat.
2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus elegans

Calochortus catalinae
Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Heavy soil, open grassy slopes, openings in brush
Elevation less than 700 m (less than 2300 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
nw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Calochortus catalinae is increasingly threatened by habitat loss.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Petal gland membranes erose to crenate.
var. nanus
1. Petal gland membranes deeply fringed.
→ 2
2. Petal glands broadly transverse-oblong, extending nearly across lower portion of petal, depressed, strongly arched distally; petals densely bearded.
var. elegans
2. Petal glands shortly transverse-oblong, not depressed, straight or only slightly arched; petals only moderately bearded.
var. selwayensis
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 125. FNA vol. 26, p. 131.
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. coxii, C. dunnii, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. elegans var. elegans, C. elegans var. nanus, C. elegans var. selwayensis
Synonyms Mariposa catalinae
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. (1814) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 268. (1879)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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