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Gunnison's mariposa lily

broad-fruit mariposa lily, broadfruit mariposa

Habit Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat, when present, membranous.
Stems

not branching, straight, 2.4–5.5 dm.

not branching, straight, 2–4 dm, proximal internodes elongate;

bulblets rare.

Leaves

basal withering, 18–35 cm;

blade linear.

basal usually persistent, 1–3 dm × 10–25 mm;

blade flat, tapering toward both ends, becoming involute;

cauline ca. halfway up stem.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered.

subumbellate, 1–4-flowered;

bracts 2 or more, narrowly lanceolate to linear, long-attenuate, unequal, 2–10 cm.

Flowers

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals marked similar to petals, lanceolate, usually much shorter, glabrous, apex acute;

petals white to purple, greenish adaxially, clawed, often with narrow, transverse purple band distal to gland and purple blotch on claw, obovate, cuneate, usually obtuse and rounded distally;

glands transversely oblong, not depressed, densely bearded with distally branching hairs, outermost of which somewhat connate at base to form discontinuous, deeply fringed membranes;

filaments shorter than anthers;

anthers lanceolate, apex acute to apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals ovate to lanceolate, shorter than petals, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals lavender, with deep purple adaxial crescent distal to gland, obovate, cuneate, ± ciliate laterally, sparingly covered with long, flexuous hairs distal to gland;

glands ± triangular-lunate, slightly depressed, bordered proximally by narrow, deeply fringed membrane, covered with short, thick hairs, hairs and membrane fringe densely covered with long papillae;

filaments longer than anthers;

anthers oblong, 6–10 mm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

erect, linear-oblong, 3-angled, 3–6 cm, apex acute.

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid to nearly globular.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

light beige.

2n

= 18.

= 40.

Calochortus gunnisonii

Calochortus nitidus

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Low meadows along creeks
Elevation 700–900 m (2300–3000 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
wc North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Petals white to purple, occasionally yellow; w United States.
var. gunnisonii
1. Petals pale yellow; New Mexico only.
var. perpulcher
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 140. FNA vol. 26, p. 129.
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. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, C. flexuosus, C. greenei, 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. 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. gunnisonii var. gunnisonii, C. gunnisonii var. perpulcher
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 348. (1871) Douglas: Trans. Hort. Soc. London 7: 277, plate 9A. (1828)
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