Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus elegans

Calochortus coeruleus

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

beavertail-grass, blue cat's ear, blue star tulip
Stems

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

not branching, 0.3–2 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat, glabrous adaxially.

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat.
Inflorescences

1–7-flowered.

1–10-flowered.
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 to spreading;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals oblong-lanceolate, ca. 10 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals light blue, obovate, 8–12 mm, adaxial surface hairy only distal to gland, margins ciliate to apex, apex acuminate;

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

anthers oblong, apex acute to acuminate.
Capsules

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

nodding, not winged, 1–2 cm, apex acute.
Seeds

light brown, irregular.

irregular.
2n

= 20.

= 20.

Calochortus elegans

Calochortus coeruleus
Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Open gravelly places in woods
Elevation 600–2500 m (2000–8200 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
nw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Calochortus coeruleus appears to intergrade with C. tolmiei to some extent, especially in petal ciliation (K. L. Chambers, pers. comm.), and it might better be treated as a variety of the latter, more widespread species.

(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. 124.
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. catalinae, C. clavatus, 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 Cyclobothra coerulea, C. coeruleus var. fimbriatus, C. maweanus
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. (1814) (Kellogg) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 263. (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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