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Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

Cox's cat's ear, Cox's mariposa-lily

Stems

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

usually not branching, straight to flexuous, often scapelike, 15–25 cm.

Leaves

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

basal ± erect, to 3 dm × 3–7 mm;

blade with adaxial surface densely hairy, abaxial surface glabrous, shiny.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

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

erect, 1–7-flowered;

bracts 1–several, 2.5–3 cm.

Flowers

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 ovate-acuminate, 20 × 8 mm;

petals white, with reddish striations from base to gland and broad lavender chevron just distal to gland margins, broadly obovate, 2.5 cm, adaxial surface densely hairy, margins slightly ciliate;

glands transversely oblong-lunate, deeply depressed, green at adaxial base, 1/2 to nearly equaling petal claw width, surrounded by yellow hairs that grade to white at petal apex, covered with membranous scales, scales covered with very small, translucent, rodlike hairs;

filaments 7 mm;

anthers reddish brown, 3–7 mm, apex apiculate.

Capsules

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

nodding, 3-winged, ellipsoid-elongate, 3–4 cm.

Seeds

light-colored, irregular.

light beige, surface rough.

2n

= 20.

Calochortus howellii

Calochortus coxii

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering mid summer.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils North-facing open grassy slopes or woods, on serpentine
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft) 200–1000 m (700–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Calochortus coxii is endemic to Douglas County from near the Umpqua River to Myrtle Creek Mountain.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 129. FNA vol. 26, p. 126.
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. bruneaunis, C. catalinae, C. clavatus, C. coeruleus, C. concolor, 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
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888) M. R. Godfrey & Callahan: Phytologia 65: 216, fig.1g–k. (1988)
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