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Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

winding mariposa, winding mariposa lily

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

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

twining or straggling over ground, branching, 1–2 dm, usually sinuous.

Leaves

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

basal, withering;

blade linear, attenuate.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

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

1–4-flowered;

bracts 1–3 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, each member with transverse yellow band;

sepals lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 2–3 cm;

petals white with lilac tinge, darker veined, especially distally, sometimes with purple blotch distal to gland, obovate to cuneate, 3–4 cm, with sparse or dense, short or long hairs near gland, apex rounded;

glands transverse-lunate or wider, densely short-hairy;

filaments 6–10 mm;

anthers oblong, 5–7 mm, apex obtuse or acute.

Capsules

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

erect, lanceoloid, angled, stout, 3–4 cm.

Seeds

light-colored, irregular.

light beige, flat.

2n

= 20.

= 14.

Calochortus howellii

Calochortus flexuosus

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils Dry stony slopes, desert hills, mesas, creosote bush scrub, sagebrush scrub
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft) 500–2000 m (1600–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; 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, p. 131.
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. coxii, C. dunnii, C. elegans, C. eurycarpus, C. excavatus, 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) S. Watson: Amer. Naturalist 7: 303. (1873)
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