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Gunnison's mariposa lily

naked mariposa lily, naked star tulip, Shasta star-tulip

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

not branching, straight, 2.4–5.5 dm.

usually not branching, 1–3 dm.

Leaves

basal withering, 18–35 cm;

blade linear.

basal persistent, 0.5–2 dm;

blade lanceolate, tapering at base, flat, glabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered.

1–several-flowered.

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 lanceolate, 10–12 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals pale lavender, widely obovate, 14–16 mm, adaxial surface ± glabrous, not ciliate;

glands not deeply depressed, bordered proximally by wide, ciliate membranes;

anthers linear-oblong, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

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

erect, 3-winged, 1–2 cm.

Seeds

flat, inflated.

light brown, irregular.

2n

= 18.

= 20.

Calochortus gunnisonii

Calochortus nudus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat Moist grassy areas, meadows, lake and bog margins
Elevation 1200–2500 m (3900–8200 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
wc North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Calochortus nudus hybridizes with C. minimus.

(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. 128.
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. nitidus, 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
Synonyms C. nudus var. shastensis, C. shastensis
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 348. (1871) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 263. (1879)
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