Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus elegans

Calochortus obispoensis

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

San Luis mariposa-lily
Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat fibrous-reticulate.
Stems

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

slender, branching, straight, 3–6 dm.
Leaves

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat, glabrous adaxially.

basal withering, 2–3 dm;

blade linear-lanceolate.
Inflorescences

1–7-flowered.

2–6-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;

perianth opening flat, campanulate;

sepals often reflexed, lanceolate, 1–3 cm, glabrous, apex long-tapered;

petals yellow to deep orange, purple-brown at tip, oblong-ovate, 1–2 cm, conspicuously bearded, margins fringed or dentate, apex fringed with hairy tufts;

glands round, slightly depressed, glabrous, surrounded and obscured by ring of slender, dense hairs united at base;

filaments 7–8 mm;

anthers oblong, apex acute.
Capsules

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

erect, linear, 3-angled, 3–4 cm, apex acute.
Seeds

light brown, irregular.

light yellow, translucent.
2n

= 20.

= 18.

Calochortus elegans

Calochortus obispoensis
Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Dry stony hills, canyons, edge of chaparral, serpentine
Elevation 100–500 m (300–1600 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
nw United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus obispoensis is restricted to San Luis Obispo County.

(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. 141.
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. 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. 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
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. (1814) Lemmon: Bot. Gaz. 11: 180. (1886)
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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