Flora of North America species comparison

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Calochortus elegans

Calochortus pulchellus

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

Mount Diablo fairy-lantern, Mt. Diablo fairy-lantern
Stems

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

usually branching distal to base, 1–3 dm, not glaucous.
Leaves

basal persistent, 1–2 dm;

blade linear, flat, glabrous adaxially.

basal persistent, 1–4 dm;

blade green, lanceolate, tapering at base, flat, not glaucous.
Inflorescences

1–7-flowered.

1–5-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.

nodding;

perianth closed at apex, ± globular;

sepals spreading, yellow-green, ovate to lanceolate, 2–3 cm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals pale yellow, lanceolate, 3–5 cm, conspicuously fringed with short, thick hairs, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, apex obtuse;

glands deeply depressed, bordered distally by long, slender hairs;

filaments 6–8 mm;

anthers oblong, 3–5 mm, apex obtuse or acute.
Capsules

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

nodding, winged, ellipsoid-oblong, 2–4 cm.
Seeds

light brown, irregular.

dark brown, irregular.
2n

= 20.

= 20.

Calochortus elegans

Calochortus pulchellus
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Open places in woods, chaparral, typically on serpentine
Elevation 200–800 m (700–2600 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 pulchellus is known from Mt. Diablo, Contra Costa 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. 123.
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. obispoensis, C. palmeri, C. panamintensis, C. persistens, C. plummerae, 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 pulchella
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. (1814) (Bentham) Alph. Wood: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 20: 168. (1868)
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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