The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

Calochortus bruneaunis

Bruneau mariposa lily, pinyon mariposa

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

slender, not branching or rarely branching in axil of cauline leaf, straight, 2–4 dm.

usually not branching or twisted, 1–4 dm.

Leaves

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

basal withering, 1–2 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

bracts 2, subopposite, linear to narrowly lanceolate, attenuate, 1–3 cm.

1–4-flowered;

bracts 2–4 cm.

Flower(s)

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals shorter than petals, ovate-acuminate, glabrous;

petals yellowish white, with purplish hairs toward base, broadly obovate, cuneate, inconspicuously fringed laterally, sparingly short-hairy adaxially, apex rounded;

glands transversely oblong, slightly depressed, densely covered with short, distally branching hairs, the bases of which unite at lower margin to form inconspicuous, discontinuous membranes;

filaments shorter than anthers;

anthers oblong-lanceolate, apex acute to short-apiculate.

erect;

perianth open, campanulate;

sepals with dark red or purple blotch near base, lanceolate, 1–4 cm, usually glabrous, apex acuminate;

petals white tinged with lilac, with longitudinal median green stripe on abaxial surface and dark red or purple crescent distal to gland, narrowly obovate, 2–4 cm, ± glabrous;

glands surrounded by yellow border, round, depressed, surrounded by conspicuously fringed membrane, densely covered with short, unbranched or distally branching hairs;

filaments 5–6 mm;

anthers yellow, blue, or maroon, oblong, 5–7 mm, apex obtuse.

Capsules

erect, 3-winged, ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm, base and apex acute.

erect, linear-lanceoloid, angled, 3–7 cm, apex acuminate.

Seeds

light-colored, irregular.

yellow, flat.

2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus howellii

Calochortus bruneaunis

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils Dry brushy, grassy slopes, flats, pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft) 900–3000 m (3000–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calochortus howellii is known only from the Illinois River valley, Josephine County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 129. FNA vol. 26.
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. gunnisonii, 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. nuttallii var. bruneaunis
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride: Bot. Gaz. 55: 372. (1913)
Web links