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Calochortus howellii

Howell's mariposa lily

Leichtlin's mariposa lily, smokey mariposa

Habit Plants bulbose; bulb coat membranous.
Stems

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

not branching, 2–6 dm.

Leaves

basal persistent, 20–35 cm;

blade gradually tapering distally, adaxially pubescent.

basal withering, 1–1.5 dm;

blade linear.

Inflorescences

subumbellate, 1–3-flowered;

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

subumbellate, 1–5-flowered;

bracts paired.

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 lanceolate-ovate, 1–2 cm;

petals white to smoky blue, often tinged pink, with red to black blotch distal to gland, cuneate to obovate, 1–4 cm, with a few short hairs near gland, apex rounded;

glands ± ovate, slightly depressed, with dense, short hairs;

filaments 5 mm;

anthers linear-oblong, 5–7 mm, base sagittate.

Capsules

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

erect, lanceoloid-linear, 3–6 cm.

Seeds

light-colored, irregular.

light beige, flat, inflated.

2n

= 20.

= 14, 28.

Calochortus howellii

Calochortus leichtlinii

Phenology Flowering late spring–mid summer. Flowering late spring–late summer.
Habitat Dry, rocky, serpentine soils Open gravelly places, montane coniferous forests, open chaparral
Elevation 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft) 1300–4000 m (4300–13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; 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.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 129. FNA vol. 26, p. 135.
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. flexuosus, C. greenei, C. gunnisonii, C. howellii, C. indecorus, C. invenustus, C. kennedyi, 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 Mariposa leichtlinii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888) Hooker f.: Bot. Mag. 96: plate 5862. (1870)
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